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Bounder Construction

rz
Explorer
Explorer
We are in the market to replace the Georgetown and have narrowed the search to the Bounder 35K. We lost the Georgetown to water damage, and the Bounder brochure says their walls have no wood backing the fiberglass, that they use a fiberglass panel in the lamination. Has anyone had any experience in this type of construction?
15 REPLIES 15

dougrainer
Nomad
Nomad
1. ANY glued panel can delaminate. Wood backing or Styrofoam.
2. Usual cause is water intrusion and sometimes lack of adhesive(missed area) at build.
3. Wood backed Lamination can use most adhesives
4. Styrofoam backed MUST use a water based adhesive. If NOT, then the wrong adhesive will "melt" the styrofoam., Then you have a much bigger problem. MORE problems happen with Styrofoam than wood backing.
5. Lamination and warranties, they usually state, that IF ANYTHING is added or modified to the exterior walls(cuts holes or added screws) will VOID the warranty. Reason is, these are possible egress points for water intrusion. This is why, when you or the dealer want to add or modify the exterior walls of a RV under warranty, you need to get the OEM to sign off and allow this type modification and will then warranty for the warranty term.
6. Most common problem I have seen is when a dealer or customer wants the Over the Range Microwave/Convection Oven vented to the outside and the OEM vented to the inside. Because the hole cut and sealing of the outside vent was not done correctly the wall delaminated from the water intrusion. WHICH the OEM denied warranty.
7. SO, wood backed or Styrofoam, BOTH are good and most problems happen because of water intrusion. Doug

racs_05
Explorer
Explorer
MountainAir05 wrote:
rz wrote:
Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction


Did not imply on the construction, just that you seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate. No matter who makes it if water get in there it will have an issue. I will try to be clearer next time.

so what is the way to save it?

LouLawrence
Explorer
Explorer
I didn't get it either. I guess nick is meant to mean nickname. Thanks for asking, I would never have put that all together.

T18skyguy
Explorer
Explorer
RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
Tom/Barb wrote:
The nick is well known,---- blunder....


Can someone translate this for me?? :h


It's a put down, Fleetwood Blunder. Another one is the name says it all ____Fleet Wood.
Retired Anesthetist. LTP. Pilot with mechanic/inspection ratings. Between rigs right now.. Wife and daughter. Four cats which we must obey.

MountainAir05
Explorer II
Explorer II
rz wrote:
I understand anything that is laminated can delaminate. I grew up around boats and have had my share of fiberglass delamination and osmosis issues. What I wanted to know is if this construction held up better then the conventional wood on Filon laminated walls. Has anyone had to repair this type of wall and is there a visual difference then the conventional design. I would think that the non wood variants of laminated walls would hold up better to moisture though.


I know someone who had maybe but not sure of what type of delamination and what they did for warranty was drill a hole and push in resin where it was bubbled and fix it that way. I could still see it but that is all warranty was doing and insurance would not do anything since it was in warranty. Doug is more current this stuff since he working. We luck out on our several RVs and never had it.

I too grew up in boats and cabinets. Dad with both for a while and uncle boats. Learned a lot back in those young years.

rz
Explorer
Explorer
I understand anything that is laminated can delaminate. I grew up around boats and have had my share of fiberglass deamination and osmosis issues. What I wanted to know is if this construction held up better then the conventional wood on Filon laminated walls. Has anyone had to repair this type of wall and is there a visual difference then the conventional design. I would think that the non wood variants of laminated walls would hold up better to moisture though.

MountainAir05
Explorer II
Explorer II
rz wrote:
Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction


Did not imply on the construction, just that you seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate. No matter who makes it if water get in there it will have an issue. I will try to be clearer next time.

wildmanbaker
Explorer
Explorer
There seems to be a lot of bashing on Fleetwood. When we were looking for a MH, we looked at all of the manufacture's, and their construction. At the time, Newmar was though to be the best. Well, being a retired Journeyman Carpenter for 13 years, I was acquainted with construction, and construction practices. The owner of the dealership was showing the MHs and bragging that they were the best made, constructed MH on the market. My wife looked at me, and I shook my head no, as I was looking at construction of walls, and closets, and shelving, and cabinets. The owner said to my wife that this is the best MH made, and she said, my husband is not impressed. He flinched and asked why. I opened the bedroom closet door and showed him the shelving the was flimsy, and one shelf that was not even attached. Then I pointed out the bedroom separator wall was wedged in so tight it had deform the ceiling, I said this was going to be trouble down the road with the celling. He then left in a huff. A salesman extended the living room slide, which was not a flat floor, and pulled it back in, I went outside and it did not fit flush with the side on the front and rear of the slide. I said OK, lets go look at the Diesels, same problems with the main slide, and construction shortcomings. We went back to the Fleetwood dealer and made a order from the factory. The Vacuum formed wall construction, with aluminum structural members in the walls and celling were great. The worst MHs at the time were Georgetown. Any RV can have delaminates, sometimes its because of the construction, sometimes it is lack of maintained, mainly on the roof.
Wildmanbaker

rz
Explorer
Explorer
Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction

MountainAir05
Explorer II
Explorer II
rz wrote:
The spec sheet shows the walls are built with Vetrosina Fiberglass. After dealing with delamination with the last two RV's I would really like to stay away from the wood panels if possible.




You seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate.

rz
Explorer
Explorer
The spec sheet shows the walls are built with Vetrosina Fiberglass. After dealing with delamination with the last two RV's I would really like to stay away from the wood panels if possible.

rz
Explorer
Explorer
Hello Dodge guy, I had a 2008 Georgetown 350TS. The roof was replaced by the factory in 2013 (stress cracks known issue), the side wall separated and had to be reattached (very common issue) while on the road in 2015. Brake lines ruptured and lost brakes while going down hill (thank God for the parking brake), 2019. Finally a tree limb hit the roof radius in 2021 and cracked the roof, I didn't see the crack and water made its way into the side wall (not Forest rivers fault). What I have found over the years that all RV's have their issues, just need to take care of the issues as they come and enjoy the ride.

RetiredRealtorR
Explorer
Explorer
Tom/Barb wrote:
The nick is well known,---- blunder....


Can someone translate this for me?? :h
. . . never confuse education with intelligence, nor motion with progress

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
I think you are talking Azdel. Most newer RVs of at least 10 years use it. With that said, the construction of the Fleetwood is questionable! My buddyโ€™s 17 had so many issues. We had to reinforce the entire dashboard as it would bounce and shake driving down the road.

Our 12 Georgetown has been problem free and uses the Adelaide. What year was your Georgetown?
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
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