exposed plywood on bottom?

[bandit86]

How many pounds is the loading ramp rated for? It took a 2700 pound Kubota bx25d loader backhoe backing in...

Needs a few more inches ground clearance. Can the axles be flipped, or will that weaken the spring?

In the wheel well area under fender I see exposed plywood, is that normal? Isn't it going to absorb water if caught in the rain? Or is that necessary for any moisture in the walls to seep out?

here is the wheel well pic

[mlts22]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Spray on bedliner is judged the toughest finish in the World, but I don't know how well it will stick to the wood.
Epoxy penetrates the wood, so it will never peel and also makes the wood much stronger.
I think for best protection would be epoxy and then bedliner.

I'd probably agree there. There are paint-on epoxies that come to mind like West System Epoxy, which would at least seal the ends and keep water away from the exposed wood. From there, priming and adding a bedliner would ensure a long seal, as well as protection against what rocks get tossed up from the road.

[Kayteg1]

Spray on bedliner is judged the toughest finish in the World, but I don't know how well it will stick to the wood.
Epoxy penetrates the wood, so it will never peel and also makes the wood much stronger.
I think for best protection would be epoxy and then bedliner.

[mlts22]

Would spraying the plywood with the epoxy stuff used for pickup truck beds be useful, or would that wind up trapping water and be worse than useless?

[Kayteg1]

I would laminate the wood with epoxy.
A bit messy job, but cheap material and last lifetime, while making everything stronger.
Adding fiberglass would be icing on the cake.

[johntank]

bandit86 wrote:
How many pounds is the loading ramp rated for? It took a 2700 pound Kubota bx25d loader backhoe backing in...

I would think the ramp is rated at 3,000#

Needs a few more inches ground clearance. Can the axles be flipped, or will that weaken the springs.

Yes axles can be flipped if not done already, and no it shouldn't weaken the springs.

In the wheel well area under fender I see exposed plywood, is that normal? Isn't it going to absorb water if caught in the rain? Or is that necessary for any moisture in the walls to seep out?

If this was my trailer I would make a mark along the inside of fended then remove said fender and cut off the excess plywood then paint or protect it from water splashed up from the tires in rain or wet payment.

here is the wheel well pic

[bandit86]

mrmomb wrote:
Every Thor that I have seen this year has exposed wood in the wheel wheels and in a few other areas underneath. There is a plastic cover which hides one from seeing it from the outside. Crawl underneath, reach in with your hands or use a mirror to find it. I have looked a A's and C's, there all the same with lots of exposed wood in the underbelly. Sad!

Not sad, scary

[mrmomb]

Every Thor that I have seen this year has exposed wood in the wheel wheels and in a few other areas underneath. There is a plastic cover which hides one from seeing it from the outside. Crawl underneath, reach in with your hands or use a mirror to find it. I have looked a A's and C's, there all the same with lots of exposed wood in the underbelly. Sad!

[beemerphile1]

Double post. The same thing was posted last week in Toy haulers but with better description and more pictures.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28868026.cfm

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Wood & Water

Yachting, especially sailboat forums are the true experts at managing this. Google CRUISING SAILBOAT FORUMS then start rooting around. They talk durability, how to apply correctly and the best place to buy materials.

[96Bounder30E]

Moved from General RV'ing to Tech Issues

[Horsedoc]

Is part of this thread missing? Looks like there out to be some sort set-up statement of what this is a picture of.

[dave17352]

If it were me in regards to the plywood, I would clean it up real real good and cut strips of eternabond and completely cover it. I did this in a lap siding style on the inside of the wings on my truck camper. Has held up extremely well and doesn't look half bad either.

[DrewE]

The exposed plywood edge is not typical of RVs, and ought to be sealed somehow IMHO. It would not last well with the water and grit and stuff thrown up by the wheel. I think maybe the fender edging is broken?

As for the other questions, you probably will have better luck getting answers if you post what sort of a trailer or whatever this is. (Not better answers from me, as I wouldn't know in any case, but better answers from someone....)