What's with the ridgey exterior walls on the Jayco TTs?

CountryKim wrote:
We got rid our 2011 Fiberglass trailer this year when the luan sandwich floor started getting large soft spots in different areas. The soft spots were caused from the way the luan butt joints were staggered causing the foam beneath to compress. It had nothing to do with water damage just the way the trailer was constructed. The repair was supposed to be done at the factory as it was too big to tackle at the dealership. As the trailer was just about to come out of warranty we decided to trade it in just in case more problems were to develop. We decided to go with a stick and tin this time for that reason. I am sure stick and tin has it's downfalls too, but after our experience with the "light weight" material we decide not to try again.

That is why I hate that type of floor construction so much I won't even consider owning another one. I had no rot at all but the floor was sagging so much I was afraid to walk on it. If a camper doesn't have at least a 5/8" plywood floor I won't even consider it.

We got rid our 2011 Fiberglass trailer this year when the luan sandwich floor started getting large soft spots in different areas. The soft spots were caused from the way the luan butt joints were staggered causing the foam beneath to compress. It had nothing to do with water damage just the way the trailer was constructed. The repair was supposed to be done at the factory as it was too big to tackle at the dealership. As the trailer was just about to come out of warranty we decided to trade it in just in case more problems were to develop. We decided to go with a stick and tin this time for that reason. I am sure stick and tin has it's downfalls too, but after our experience with the "light weight" material we decide not to try again.

Vacuum bonding the wrong way is an EPIC FAIL on the part of most, if not all RV mfgs. This sets the stage for almost certain delamination issues!

WoodGlue

jerem0621 wrote:
When stick and tin has to be repaired they remove some siding and do the wood repair. When they have to repair laminate they have to replace entire wall sections.

Walk into any campground, USA and look at the laminated trailers. Especially the ones who are 5 plus years old. It's not uncommon for these trailers to have what looks like big blisters on the front of the trailers, many times on the back and around the windows. This is delamination. It could be water intrusion, it could simply be that the fiberglass has let go of the substrait.

IMHO this is a major reason why we see one piece fiberglass caps now. Fiberglass caps hold up very well aesthetically speaking.

For me, I prefer sticks and tin. But really if you have wall damage from a leak its a bad situation with either build method. Sticks and tin is easier for an experienced DIYer to repair at home. I have never read about an effective home brewed solution to delamination.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

That's what I'm talking about. 2 out of 3 campers I see some sort of bubbling or waviness in the fiberglass. One guy who recently sold his, had it sitting out near the street where it was easy to see. Some days it looked perfect, other days, you could see the one side with a huge bubble down most of the side. The weather can hide or show the delamination, but it's there. I have even seen it on a few brand new campers sitting on the dealers lot.

Some campers have small delamination bubbles of 7" or 8" and others have areas in the feet. I honestly see it so much, I would rather downsize the camper to fit my tow vehicle than get a lighter laminated camper of a bigger size. Even some hybrid campers are going back to stick and tin construction although there's not many unfortunately.

You will have to be the judge on the quality of your TT. My light weight, entry level, laminated, no slide, inexpensive $14K TT with plastic drawers and a cheap mattress has been a great TT for the past five years. Mattress and tires have been replaced. But, the build quality of my TT is what sold me on my TT. Workmanship was really good. Yep I am ready to upgrade.

When stick and tin has to be repaired they remove some siding and do the wood repair. When they have to repair laminate they have to replace entire wall sections.

Walk into any campground, USA and look at the laminated trailers. Especially the ones who are 5 plus years old. It's not uncommon for these trailers to have what looks like big blisters on the front of the trailers, many times on the back and around the windows. This is delamination. It could be water intrusion, it could simply be that the fiberglass has let go of the substrait.

IMHO this is a major reason why we see one piece fiberglass caps now. Fiberglass caps hold up very well aesthetically speaking.

For me, I prefer sticks and tin. But really if you have wall damage from a leak its a bad situation with either build method. Sticks and tin is easier for an experienced DIYer to repair at home. I have never read about an effective home brewed solution to delamination.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Most delamination occurs due to water damage that causes the luan plywood to seperate. As I understand the new Adzal (sp?) are not subject to this because even if subject to water damage it does not have layers that seperate like luan.

Delamination can also occur when defective glue is used.

People like what they have so take what you hear on here with a grain of salt. Go to some campgrounds and talk to the owners. The statement made about 1 in 3 smooth sided trailers delaminating has not been what I have observed and we have visited every state in our RV.

I went with the tin sides because that was the trailer with the floorplan I liked. Although I did think at the time that if I should hit a tree it may be easier to repair than composites. Most new ones I see are smooth sided as that is what is in demand and they will build to suit demand. Lots of good advice here.

Check out some of the KZ TT's. Many stick and tin, lightweight yet quality construction. My toy hauler has marine grade plywood flooring, (not OSB), walk on plywood roof decking, well equipped but nothing fancy, more than adequate axles, tires and wheels as opposed to marginal. 2 year warranty and great customer service.

PamfromVA wrote:
We had a 2007 Coachman TT fall apart on us. I think part of the problem is we use them for long road trips and most light TT's are made for the one weekend a month crowd. When we started looking for a replacement in a floor plan that we wanted, my first requirement was that it was able to carry at least 3,000 lbs. I believe those with the hightest capacity have the greatest chance of survival. As far as leaks, that's a crapshoot based on the mood of the workers who put your camper together that day. I've been on here long enough to read about $7K thru $150K campers with leaking problems when new. Keep a close eye on anything you buy for the first year and be diligent with preventative maintenance after that.

Very true. CCC and maintenance are the key to longevity. Any and all will leak at some point if not properly maintained. Stick and tin will rot and Fiberglass will delam.