Can I seal the front of my 2007 TT?

campingwiththoreau wrote:
Thank you for the informative post. Posting picture of the full front. As you can see- it appears to be delaminating....

Yeah, that bigger pix with the big bubbles is the infamous delam..

I think to fix that you will find yourself getting into a far bigger job than you will want to get into.

I doubt the other little cracks are causing that, most likely water intrusion actually is coming from the roof AND side trim on the drivers side.. Side trim is prone to leaks because no one ever considers removing it and replacing the all caulking..

A second look, the leaks could have come from the marker light on the driver side.. That is also another item no one thinks about for refreshing the caulking..

You can remove the side trim from bottom up to access the condition of the plywood edges under the FRP.

To fix that correctly if rotted, I suspect you might have to cut and remove the front wall if the plywood and studs under the FRP is rotted and fully build a new wall.. This repair is not for the faint of heart.

IF the plywood under the FRP is solid with no rot, then just ignore the delam bubbles and use as is. Check the wall paneling on the inside, if no signs of rot or dampness, I would suggest leaving outside as is..

This type of delam can be the glue used to laminate the FRP to the plywood has failed OR the plywood has failed (rotted). You should be able to push with your hand on the wall and see if the wall feels weak like the plywood has rotted. Do that on one of your side walls where there is no delam bubbles to get a feel for how solid a good wall feels so you can compare.

You have a 13yr old trailer, that is going to be a pretty extensive repair if done well to make it right.. Perhaps you might wish to consider selling it and going through the hassle of replacing it instead?

Thank you for the informative post. Posting picture of the full front. As you can see- it appears to be delaminating....

Gdetrailer wrote:
Don't think anything is going to "seal" that as is.

There is no quick fix or short cut, the top surface (gel coat perhaps?)which is breaking needs to be sanded down until you find good smooth surface. It would be difficult to bridge all of the cracks in the top coat and highly suspect it would fail quickly which is why that top coat would need to be removed down to good surface, keeping in mind that the panel is pretty thin to start with.

Don't go at it with 60 grit and a grinder..

With most everything in life "prep" is key to making things look good and last.

Then will want to use a decent primer and paint for outdoor exposure and will get good adhesion to fiberglass and resin.

Have you tried sanding down one of the little cracks to see if it goes deep?

If you just slap paint on that surface as it is, the paint will simply crack open at every place that it is cracked..

You will need to also remove the decal so you can treat the entire surface and it will look better than a old faded decal beside fresh paint.

It most likely is fixable, I doubt that the cracks go very deep and are more of an issue with the Gel coat failing. As long as it is just the gel coat failing I doubt that you are getting water past the rest of the front, that is most likely coming in from the roof line..

If the cracks go deep, then it may be far easier and faster to see if you can get a sheet of FRP large enough to glue over top. The FRP used on RVs is also called "Filon" which is a brand name for this very thin FRP.

Found 8.5' by 10' piece of Filon on Amazon for $360..

HERE

Or if you have a place that you can create a breaking point (like a front window) you can get 8.5' by 5' piece to just cover the worn out top area..

HERE

Don't think anything is going to "seal" that as is.

There is no quick fix or short cut, the top surface (gel coat perhaps?)which is breaking needs to be sanded down until you find good smooth surface. It would be difficult to bridge all of the cracks in the top coat and highly suspect it would fail quickly which is why that top coat would need to be removed down to good surface, keeping in mind that the panel is pretty thin to start with.

Don't go at it with 60 grit and a grinder..

With most everything in life "prep" is key to making things look good and last.

Then will want to use a decent primer and paint for outdoor exposure and will get good adhesion to fiberglass and resin.

Have you tried sanding down one of the little cracks to see if it goes deep?

If you just slap paint on that surface as it is, the paint will simply crack open at every place that it is cracked..

You will need to also remove the decal so you can treat the entire surface and it will look better than a old faded decal beside fresh paint.

It most likely is fixable, I doubt that the cracks go very deep and are more of an issue with the Gel coat failing. As long as it is just the gel coat failing I doubt that you are getting water past the rest of the front, that is most likely coming in from the roof line..

If the cracks go deep, then it may be far easier and faster to see if you can get a sheet of FRP large enough to glue over top. The FRP used on RVs is also called "Filon" which is a brand name for this very thin FRP.

Found 8.5' by 10' piece of Filon on Amazon for $360..

HERE

Or if you have a place that you can create a breaking point (like a front window) you can get 8.5' by 5' piece to just cover the worn out top area..

HERE

A clear sealer might slow the progress, but the best bet would be to have it painted. That would be less work in the long run as the paint should last years instead of months. All that Florida sun and fun is really ruff on any material finish.

just posted a photo. thank you!

valhalla360 wrote:
Assuming it's the vinyl stickers that are cracked...there really is no repairing them. If they bother you, you can remove and replace them but it's a bigger project than you might think.

If it's actually the fiberglass gel coat, you need to figure out why it's cracking. Getting all powdery can be buffed out but actual cracks would be a bigger issue.

Thank you for the reply. Just posted a photo. Its not the decal that's cracked.. its the ENTIRE front of the trailer.

Gdetrailer wrote:
Post a picture, may help with diagnosing, without a photo we are just guessing at it.

Stickers cracking is pretty normal and cannot be helped, it is the nature of the beast, they wear out. Once cracking has started, the only fix is to remove and replace and start the clock over again.

Now if you are talking the surface of the trailer front, it depends on what exactly that front is made from. Some fronts are molded plastic of various types and some are Fiberglass Reinforce Panel (FRP) which would have a "Gelcoat" on the exposed surface.. The Gelcoat can deteriorate/wear down leaving fiberglass and resin exposed..

In the case of Fiberglass with gel coat, best fix is to have it painted with automotive grade paint and be done with it.. Any good autobody shop that has paint dept should be able to take core of it.

Plastic, well cracked surfaces, not a lot can be done there to hide it or fix it.. Might be able to paint it but all of the cracked surfaces will need to be stabilized (bridged), filled in and smoothed out before painting.. Any cracks not stabilized (bridged) structurally will simply crack any paint applied..

thank you very much. will try to set up a link to the photo tonight. I'm very familiar with the spider type cracks that can be found in fiber glass as I own a fiberglass TC. These "cracks" or " "splits" that have developed in the front of the trailer are a different animal. I contacted Jayco service via email and they have not replied. Im hoping there is a clear seal I might paint on the front to keep water from penetrating the material.

Gdetrailer wrote:

campingwiththoreau wrote:
How can I post a photo? Don’t see an upload button etc...

It’s not the decal that cracking...it’s the entire
front of the trailer. I surmise- water is leaking in from
the roof ( even tho it’s caulked up there ) and the
front of the trailer material is delaminating.
Sadly- I need to repair as best I can as this
trailer is hurricane tied down and grandfatherd
Into the park I’m in. Once this trailer is removed -
another can not be placed on my lot with out major
hassle and the removal of an adjacent storage shed...
Otherwise- I’d give this trailer away & buy something
new. Hoping I can paint / seal the front & get a couple
more years out of this old trailer. I’ll upload detailed
photos once I figure out how to upload ????

This forum does not host photos so you have to use a online host that allows sharing to get a "URL" that can be added via the little Icon with yellow background with what looks like a sun and mountain (located in the "advanced posting")..

Max size is 600x480 if you are doing this manually so folks with limited bandwidth or limit screens can view quickly and with needing to scroll..

One of the members of the forum actually setup a cool online "app" which can upload any photo you choose from your PC or Tablet, upload it a online host and then it gives you a URL with the proper formatting for this forum so all you have to do is copy the entire link with formatting and just paste it into your post text..

You can access that HERE, you can book mark that location.

OK, yeah, entire front, it is either molded plastic like ABS or it is Fiberglass and resin (FRP).

If you are seeing little fiber like strands (looks like fine hairs) it is most likely fiberglass and resin which is a bit easier to "repair".

ABS and the likes, not so much because it has no fiber reinforcement and gets extremely brittle with age.

If you are seeing fiber like strands and no actual physical "cracks" through the material you can simply clean off any dirt or grime, lightly abrade or lightly sand the surface with a fine sandpaper (gives the paint something to attach to). And since you are in a campground, you can primer and paint the front.

You can use your favorite rattle can or you could go with roller and brush.. Some of it may depend on your campgrounds rules.. Just remember, those paints will not be as long lasting as automotive grade Urethane paints and you may have to reapply after 3-4 yrs in the sun..

On edit, you mention delamination, that is a whole different animal.., Delam basically means you will have noticeable bubbles or pockets below the surface when the plastic or FRP separate from the wood panel under it.

Those do not harm anything, they just look ugly. Although if it is from leaking you need to fix the leaks.. That means you most likely will need to remove all the old caulking and replace with new.. Slathering new over old isn't a fix, it makes the next repair harder..

campingwiththoreau wrote:
How can I post a photo? Don’t see an upload button etc...

It’s not the decal that cracking...it’s the entire
front of the trailer. I surmise- water is leaking in from
the roof ( even tho it’s caulked up there ) and the
front of the trailer material is delaminating.
Sadly- I need to repair as best I can as this
trailer is hurricane tied down and grandfatherd
Into the park I’m in. Once this trailer is removed -
another can not be placed on my lot with out major
hassle and the removal of an adjacent storage shed...
Otherwise- I’d give this trailer away & buy something
new. Hoping I can paint / seal the front & get a couple
more years out of this old trailer. I’ll upload detailed
photos once I figure out how to upload ????

This forum does not host photos so you have to use a online host that allows sharing to get a "URL" that can be added via the little Icon with yellow background with what looks like a sun and mountain (located in the "advanced posting")..

Max size is 600x480 if you are doing this manually so folks with limited bandwidth or limit screens can view quickly and with needing to scroll..

One of the members of the forum actually setup a cool online "app" which can upload any photo you choose from your PC or Tablet, upload it a online host and then it gives you a URL with the proper formatting for this forum so all you have to do is copy the entire link with formatting and just paste it into your post text..

You can access that HERE, you can book mark that location.

OK, yeah, entire front, it is either molded plastic like ABS or it is Fiberglass and resin (FRP).

If you are seeing little fiber like strands (looks like fine hairs) it is most likely fiberglass and resin which is a bit easier to "repair".

ABS and the likes, not so much because it has no fiber reinforcement and gets extremely brittle with age.

If you are seeing fiber like strands and no actual physical "cracks" through the material you can simply clean off any dirt or grime, lightly abrade or lightly sand the surface with a fine sandpaper (gives the paint something to attach to). And since you are in a campground, you can primer and paint the front.

You can use your favorite rattle can or you could go with roller and brush.. Some of it may depend on your campgrounds rules.. Just remember, those paints will not be as long lasting as automotive grade Urethane paints and you may have to reapply after 3-4 yrs in the sun..

On edit, you mention delamination, that is a whole different animal.., Delam basically means you will have noticeable bubbles or pockets below the surface when the plastic or FRP separate from the wood panel under it.

Those do not harm anything, they just look ugly. Although if it is from leaking you need to fix the leaks.. That means you most likely will need to remove all the old caulking and replace with new.. Slathering new over old isn't a fix, it makes the next repair harder..

I've used this 3M Marine Restorer and Wax with good success. Apply with a good D/A polisher and a foam pad, it really does an amazing job and removing surface oxidation and bringing back that shine to the fiberglas.

As was said, not much you can do about cracked/crazed decals, they are a MAJOR PITA to remove and hardly worth it unless you have a lot of time to kill. Factory decals can be hard to find and will be several hundred $$ to replace.

How can I post a photo? Don’t see an upload button etc...

It’s not the decal that cracking...it’s the entire
front of the trailer. I surmise- water is leaking in from
the roof ( even tho it’s caulked up there ) and the
front of the trailer material is delaminating.
Sadly- I need to repair as best I can as this
trailer is hurricane tied down and grandfatherd
Into the park I’m in. Once this trailer is removed -
another can not be placed on my lot with out major
hassle and the removal of an adjacent storage shed...
Otherwise- I’d give this trailer away & buy something
new. Hoping I can paint / seal the front & get a couple
more years out of this old trailer. I’ll upload detailed
photos once I figure out how to upload ????

Gdetrailer wrote:
Post a picture, may help with diagnosing, without a photo we are just guessing at it.

Stickers cracking is pretty normal and cannot be helped, it is the nature of the beast, they wear out. Once cracking has started, the only fix is to remove and replace and start the clock over again.

Now if you are talking the surface of the trailer front, it depends on what exactly that front is made from. Some fronts are molded plastic of various types and some are Fiberglass Reinforce Panel (FRP) which would have a "Gelcoat" on the exposed surface.. The Gelcoat can deteriorate/wear down leaving fiberglass and resin exposed..

In the case of Fiberglass with gel coat, best fix is to have it painted with automotive grade paint and be done with it.. Any good autobody shop that has paint dept should be able to take core of it.

Plastic, well cracked surfaces, not a lot can be done there to hide it or fix it.. Might be able to paint it but all of the cracked surfaces will need to be stabilized (bridged), filled in and smoothed out before painting.. Any cracks not stabilized (bridged) structurally will simply crack any paint applied..