Front of camper is delaminating....best fix??

[imq707s]

I have a 2011 Crossroads Zinger 19RDS that I picked up earlier this spring/summer. When I got it, I noticed a little bit of waviness on the front of the camper, but after talking to some people....figured that it was just from the heat/cold and really wasn't anything to worry about...it was barely noticeable.

After I got the trailer home, I got up on the roof and noticed a few cracks in the sealant up in the front where water was probably getting it....but I repaired it all, so it's nice and water tight now.

Fast forward a few moths, and now over the last week or two the front of the camper went from just a little wavy, to "what the heck is going on!". It looks horrible now.....not sure if it's from the high humidity and heat we have had here in Missouri the last month or what, but it just looks horrible now. The thin fiberglass (or whatever it is) sheet in the front feels like the glue has let go and it's coming off of the solid board underneath it. Everything feels nice and solid (no soft spots), but the thin fiberglass covering it's just free to flex and move around on it's own.

I don't think it's a structural issue...just more of a cosmetic issue. Everything else on the front it solid, not signs of water damage inside, or under the front storage areas. Did a water leak do this, or was it just crappy glue that was used at the factory?

What's the best way to fix this? Or should I just leave it? I'm not afraid to tackle this project on my own.......

Is this normal for a trailer that's only 5 years old?? There is no delamination anywhere else on the trailer...it looks perfect.

Thoughts?

[Hannibal]

Mark and Linda wrote:
I have seen many trailers with and motor homes with delamination and wonder how to repair it. Wish the manufacturers would try to build a product that this would not happen.

They do. We went back to a stick and tin Jayco Jayflight TT for this reason. They can leak and suffer rotted wood, but they don't delaminate.
My cousin just replaced the entire front wall on his four year old Keystone due to delamination. I'm not that industrious.

[87bob]

I pulled the back end of a TT all apart when I found it had been leaking. Mine was a stick and tin unit. That is the way I'd fix this, pull the old front off. get the tin sheets and make the repairs. The TT tin is corrugated making it stronger for the weight. When they first started making the smooth sided units they had many problems getting the bond to hold. If the substrate get moist it swells and breaks the bond the newer units are supposed to be using a better suited material that doesn't swell.

[gmw_photos]

Mark Polk did a series of videos on rebuilding a mid 60's Yellowstone travel trailer. It was fun and an inspiration to watch. He took it all the way down and built it back up. Lots of great ideas in there on how to tackle a major rebuild project. One could probably find the vids by doing a search.

[ksbowman]

The aluminum fix shown in the video is an excellent fix. I've done a lot of DIY projects and this one is going in my bag of tricks. This fix actually increased the value of the trailer as delamination will never happen there again and it looks great!

[imq707s]

gmw photos wrote:
I'd bet a fair amount of money this the front of this trailer could fixed/replaced like I suggested in a post above, for no more than a couple hundred dollars, and a weekend of labor. Then this guy could get the last laugh...all the way to the bank, on all these guys that are dissing his choice.

This is a camper, it ain't rocket science.
It's supposed to fun, and if need be, inexpensive. Working on the trailer is part of the fun for some of us.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks like this. I knew this would be a project going into it, and the price was low enough that it didn't bother me....knowing that it was going to take some work. I've already redone a section of the floor, and that was actually pretty easy.

I think some people are just afraid of doing their own work (or don't have the skills)....so when they see someone who's trying it on their own, they like to belittle them. Like you said....this isn't rocket science, it's a camper.

[gmw_photos]

I'd bet a fair amount of money this the front of this trailer could fixed/replaced like I suggested in a post above, for no more than a couple hundred dollars, and a weekend of labor. Then this guy could get the last laugh...all the way to the bank, on all these guys that are dissing his choice.

This is a camper, it ain't rocket science.
It's supposed to fun, and if need be, inexpensive. Working on the trailer is part of the fun for some of us.

[westend]

Fixing it is expensive (rebuild of the front) and not likely to hold up long term. Friends of ours went through this with the front of an Aerolite, and again on a Keystone Sprinter.

Don't know what your friends did nor the cost but if the OP uses aluminum like the linked video, the cost would be under $300 for the material. The durability of the aluminum sheet isn't in question, correct?

[nickthehunter]

SoundGuy wrote:

jarata1 wrote:
I remember you from months ago people said don't buy the trailer but you did anyway it's always had this problem

Good call. Here's that discussion in which the OP was warned to pass on this trailer he's now asking about fixing. :S

What's your problem? He is asking for ideas on fixing the trailer. He went in with his eyes wide open, has no regrets, and is now looking for some clever ideas. He doesn't need your non-helpful berating. If you got no helpful ideas, stay on the front porch; nobody needs your snark.

[jarata1]

You already rebuilt the floor why not do the outside to.On your way to the Home Depot stop and punch the guy that sold it to you that said there was nothing wrong with it but I'll sell it for half of what it is worth

[tatest]

While it is a mess, it is likely not delamination, since that part of your Zinger is not a laminated wall panel. What you have is a bad fit of a covering sheet stretched over the framework on the front of your trailer, and likely poor construction technique.

Fixing it is expensive (rebuild of the front) and not likely to hold up long term. Friends of ours went through this with the front of an Aerolite, and again on a Keystone Sprinter.

[AmericalVette]

imq707s wrote:

Passin Thru wrote:
If you have a big enough shop. Pull off the skin and replace it. Make sure it's dry underneath. It's not impossible and you can buy sheets of fiberglass at a lot of places. You may have to use a router to clean up the glued down areas. Wear light rain gear, tape the arms and legs shut and a complete face cover with a breather. I rebuilt Radomes on P3s and its a job. Make sure shop is warm, Eposxy needs to be around 100 degrees before application, sanding is, well, grueling. Start with 80 grit and work down to 200. Study up on boat repairs.

Not sure I want to mess with fiberglassing it....done fiberglass work before, and its a mess. I think the powder coated aluminum sheets are the best option. Easy to install, looks great, and you never have to worry about it delaminating again.

Good luck with the project. I hope you have a chance to post some photos during the process. Best wishes!

[HaulinBass02]

After watching that video, I tend to agree that it doesn't seem too bad of a project. Definitely be worth doing if my front end ever got any worse.

I'm not too fond of fiberglass and gelcoating but it wouldn't be a bad option either. I've rebuilt a transom on a boat with Coosa board and several layers of fiberglass and brushed on Flocoat. Wasn't terrible to do but a lot more work than doing the aluminum skin repair like in the video.

[westend]

Yeah, I would add some bracing and use vinyl coated aluminum sheets, maybe some of that rock-guard pattern on the bottom. The Youtube guy came away with a nice looking front.

[imq707s]

Passin Thru wrote:
If you have a big enough shop. Pull off the skin and replace it. Make sure it's dry underneath. It's not impossible and you can buy sheets of fiberglass at a lot of places. You may have to use a router to clean up the glued down areas. Wear light rain gear, tape the arms and legs shut and a complete face cover with a breather. I rebuilt Radomes on P3s and its a job. Make sure shop is warm, Eposxy needs to be around 100 degrees before application, sanding is, well, grueling. Start with 80 grit and work down to 200. Study up on boat repairs.

Not sure I want to mess with fiberglassing it....done fiberglass work before, and its a mess. I think the powder coated aluminum sheets are the best option. Easy to install, looks great, and you never have to worry about it delaminating again.