Forum Discussion

RobWNY's avatar
RobWNY
Explorer
Aug 22, 2018

Gel Coat Cracking

On my new 5th wheel, I have an area on the nose where there are spider cracks. There is also a slight bump where the cracks are. Obviously when the manufacturer installed the nose, it came in contact with something from the back side causing this issue. You can't feel the cracks when running your fingers over them but I worry about them becoming larger as stress occurs while rolling down the road. Is this something I should get repaired under the warranty or is it cosmetic and nothing to really worry about. You can't even see the cracks from the ground. I only discovered them when I was waxing the nose. My main concerns are the cracks expanding or enlarging as stated earlier and water infiltration in the future.
  • jdb7566's avatar
    jdb7566
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2018
    Under warranty? Then have them fix it. The only time I ever had cracks in the front cap is when a goose decided to dart out in front of be doing highway speeds.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Aug 22, 2018
    My new TT has one too:


    Dealer has gotten manufacturer to agree to repair it a the end of our camping season.

    I wondered if it would get worse and perhaps the fiberglass would peel or water would get in. No one seems to know for sure.
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2018
    These, "cracks," may be caused by a frame problem...flexing or even a faulty weld....hopefully not.
  • laknox's avatar
    laknox
    Nomad
    Aug 22, 2018
    downtheroad wrote:
    These, "cracks," may be caused by a frame problem...flexing or even a faulty weld....hopefully not.


    X2! OP's rig needs to be looked at =under= the cap to see if the "bump" is the cap resting on something it's not supposed to or if something's broken loose underneath. If =that's= not addressed, the surface repair won't hold and the cracks will just reappear.

    Lyle
  • RobWNY's avatar
    RobWNY
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2018
    I talked with the dealer. Because I have a Labor Day weekend camping trip planned, they want me to call them to set up an appointment date once I return home.
  • ACZL's avatar
    ACZL
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2018
    Rob,

    I think your on the right path w/ the dealer and having them look at it after LD w/e. For all tense and purposes, camping season is winding down and scheduling a date to bring "her" in is a good idea. In doing so, they can see what the problem is, contact the mfr and if possible get fixed ASAP cuz I'm sure you want to get into storage by end of Oct. One fly in the ointment tho is if you have any trips planned between LD w/e and end of Oct. But by all means, get this addressed while it's still under warranty.
  • RobWNY's avatar
    RobWNY
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2018
    ACZL wrote:
    Rob,

    I think your on the right path w/ the dealer and having them look at it after LD w/e. For all tense and purposes, camping season is winding down and scheduling a date to bring "her" in is a good idea. In doing so, they can see what the problem is, contact the mfr and if possible get fixed ASAP cuz I'm sure you want to get into storage by end of Oct. One fly in the ointment tho is if you have any trips planned between LD w/e and end of Oct. But by all means, get this addressed while it's still under warranty.

    Fortunately this year the LD trip is our last of the season. Normally we do a couple trips after LD but we decided not to this year because of other commitments so in that regard this works out good.

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