Fiberglass siding replacement??

[Gundog]

I have a 2005 Tahoe Transport Toy hauler and while on a trip this last week I lost a big piece of my siding. The passenger side front corner blew off a huge section going down the road. The wood underneath has major water damage that was not noticeable before the trip. The trailer has not been used in about 4 or 5 years but has been sitting under an RV cover. I need to either get it fixed or fix it myself or junk it. My first though is to replace all the siding with smooth pre-painted aluminum like they use on car hauler or construction trailers.

I am going to take the trailer to a shop tomorrow to see what they say. Being as the trailer is a 2005 and probably not worth a lot of $$ I am not sure if it is worth fixing. The trailer is in pretty good shape and looked really good before the trip.

[Gundog]

77rollalong wrote:
I found it was not too bad of a job installing the fiberglass siding
the biggest thing was lifting it up into place due to the weight of such a large piece that I made a crane to lift it up, and a 2x4 across the top edge to keep it more ridged

You replaced the whole side? what did you use for a seal/trim where the roof meets the siding?

[77rollalong]

I found it was not too bad of a job installing the fiberglass siding
the biggest thing was lifting it up into place due to the weight of such a large piece that I made a crane to lift it up, and a 2x4 across the top edge to keep it more ridged

[Gundog]

Thanks Dave mine looks just like that right now the shop that is giving me the quote said they had to add a seam like the one in your after picture. I have another spot that is delaminated at the rear by my tailgate same side as the other damage that will need to be addressed. I was thinking of stripping all the siding off the side and going with aluminum but now I am thinking if I do the smooth aluminum I won't strip off the fiberglass I will fix the bad spots then cover the fiberglass with the aluminum.

[maillemaker]

Thanks for the excellent before/after pics, Dave!

Steve

[dpgllg]

I had the exact same problem on my previous 5th wheel. We did get it fixed at a local fiberglass shop that did custom fiberglass work.

They fixed the damage (we had a seam run down the side) put on a new awning caulked the entire unit state inspection adjusted the brakes packed the wheel bearings and a host of other little things for $3200.

I was happy with the work but we went out for a drive just to look at a new 5th wheel and..... well it is sitting in my driveway now.

I think your plan of the smooth aluminum is a very good one since you have the knowledge and probably the tools to do it. Should look very good when done.

Dave

[Gundog]

I replaced the floor last year. The tailgate leaked and could have never sealed from new. the tailgate hit at the bottom leaving a huge gap at the top. I fixed that and posted pictures of the whole project.

I took the trailer down to get an estimate this morning they are supposed to email me a quote. I would post pictures of the damage but I can't figure out how to do that.

I am considering fixing the spots that are affected and then covering the exterior with smooth aluminum. I machine aluminum for a living and I got a quote today it would cost me about $1200 in pre painted polar white aluminum like they use on car trailers. I think it would look pretty cool and it is a toy hauler so the look would work. My plan would be to fix all the damage then cover it with aluminum. I saw a trailer done this way at the coast this last weekend and I thought it looked good.

[DrewE]

I think garyemunson nailed it; this would not be cost effective to repair if you hire it out, but may be if you do it yourself and your labor is "free." Even then, it's going to be a significant project to undertake.

Expect the water damage to be more widespread than you initially see; I wouldn't be surprised if a portion of the floor is also at least partly rotted, and maybe more as well. If the trailer framework is wood, that's probably compromised in the affected area, and should be replaced for structural soundness. If it's an aluminum frame that obviously is not so much of a problem--aluminum doesn't rot.

[TNGW1500SE]

I have the same problem on my 03 motorhome. Mines only at the bottom. One of these winters, I'm going to cut a line down the side of the RV and replace the lower part with diamond plate. I'll glue and rivet it to the aluminum framing, adding more framing as needed, sealing between the sections. My RV only has 22K on the clock. It's worth "fixin'". If your RV meets your needs, throw some money at it and fix it.

[BarneyS]

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

[garyemunson]

Generally, on an older trailer like that, unless you feel up to doing the repair yourself, having a shop do it will be cost prohibitive. They need to cover themselves as there is probably more damage not yet revealed that will show up as it's worked on. I'm sure buying another similar unit would be much cheaper. Good luck.