2015 Heartland North Trail. Even though a couple years ago I resealed all the windows and every possible place water can get in, one side of my trailer's siding is delaminating just about everywhere. There is no sign of water damage - I checked when I took the windows out, etc. IMHO, the delamination was caused by my areas very warm days in the sunshine and extremely cold nights. The bubbles only expand in the winter. The problem side gets direct sunlight in the morning, shade in the afternoon and evening.2 questions: 1) How hard is it to remove all the fiberglass or filon? siding and replace it? I imagine a lot of the plywood underneath would come off and need to be replaced, too.2) Has anyone just covered delaminated filon or fiberglass with screwed on aluminum trailer siding? It seems pretty easy to work with and could be a quick and efficient fix. Do an shops do this?Even though it is only a couple years old, it seems to me the $10,000 dealers want to replace the filon or fiberglass on one side is more than I am willing to put into the trailer. Plus, even if I did I am sure the other side that currently has no delamination would start separating soon. Any constructive comments will be appreciated. Thanks!

The filon is glued to a 1/8" piece of Luan plywood. That is then glued to the wall structure which consists of aluminum studs and Styrofoam. The whole wall structure is then run through a vacuum seal or pinched rolled. It's a daunting task for the home owner. I doubt it's even doable by 95% of the dealers in the country. Most times the unit is sent back to the MFG. My thoughts are is live with it or possibly see if your ins company can help. Best case scenario is wait until the next hurricane season arrives, tow it there and leave it.

Thank you goducks10. My sentiments exactly. I don't think there is anything for aluminum siding to grip, so I am sure that is out. I wish I could find some water damage so I know what the deal is, but I can't find any.

It is a monumental job to replace a filon exterior wall. The filon is glued to a substrate, the substrate to the frame. The process leaves an adhesive bond that is very strong. If you only have delamination in a few areas, a repair is possible but may not be a permanent cure. The repair process involves insertion of an epoxy underneath the exterior filon and bracing until the adhesive cures. Some have had good luck with this repair process. If you have delamination, I would suggest to check for leaks using the "pressurized interior" test. Seal Tech is one commercial company that does the test or you can do it yourself with a blower. The pressure test turns up even pinhole leaks.Good luck with the repair!

Often a total rebuild situation.

westend wrote:It is a monumental job to replace a filon exterior wall.For an owner trying to do a DIY, yes - but my own dealer has done several and I've seen one of these repairs myself, up close & personal. Repair involves removing the entire sidewall from the trailer and installing a new replacement ... pretty impressive on a 30' trailer BUT not so daunting for techs who know what they're doing. ;) That said, no way I'd pay for a repair like this and would only have it done if it was covered under warranty ... otherwise just use the trailer and try to not let the delamination bother you. ;)

How hard to replace siding on 2 year old trailer?

Wisconsin_Curt
Explorer
Jul 20, 2018
My 2015 North Trail is also delaminating and I will attach what the company gave me as to "How to fix". Guess the page will not allow me to insert a PDF file.
As you will see, its complicated. First thing I had wrong with it. May not ever buy another from them. I keep it garaged in winter, not good. I will try to send it directly. I like the hurricane idea....
badsix
Explorer
Feb 25, 2018
expansion and contraction causes the glue to let go. this is what I've been told by 3 repair shops in my area. and that this is a more common cause than water damage. as soon as it warms up a little we will find out, as i'm going to pull the siding off my slide and have a look see.
Jay D.
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Feb 25, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
... but Soundguys photos CAN BE CONSIDERED COMPLETELY NORMAL FOR FIBERGLASS LAMINATION.

It IS the "nature of the beast", sometimes the bond holds and sometimes the bond doesn't.. Fiberglass has a large expansion/contraction ratio..

Perhaps, but exposure to the environment must also have a lot to do with it. That delamination I had on our Spree was only on the curb side of the trailer which was exposed to the harsh sun all day, every day, while parked here at the house during the season while the street side which showed no signs of delamination at all was always sitting in shade. Our current Coachmen is now 5 yrs old and sits in the exact same location on the driveway yet shows no signs of delamination anywhere so I can only conclude it's due to improved bonding methods used to assemble it's sidewalls.

Different "versions" of Filon can make a difference in the expansion/contraction.

Filon is a brand name but in reality it is what is called "FRP" or Fiber Reinforced Panels. Polyester resins are extruded into a sheet which the fiberglass strands are rolled into the resin before it cures and hardens.

Different resins can be used and different thicknesses can be made from this process. Variations in thickness and or resins can alter the expansion/contraction ratio.

I have dealt with this on my TT which I resided using thicker 4x8 FRP panels sold in Home Depot. I glued AND screwed the FRP to the trailer sides.. The glue didn't hold up to the expansion/contraction ratio creating buckles at times depending the temps, but the screws are holding it fine to the trailer. Looks nearly wrinkle free at certain temps and other temps has lots of bulges.

It IS the nature of the beast, looks ugly when it happens, but not any indication of bad materials or workmanship and absolutely nothing worth taking to a lawyer about.

If you want a totally wrinkle free fiberglass side then you would have to buy a trailer built from a fiber glass shell and not thin (1/16") filon..

Delam due to water infiltration however is another can of worms..
SoundGuy
Explorer
Feb 25, 2018
Gdetrailer wrote:
... but Soundguys photos CAN BE CONSIDERED COMPLETELY NORMAL FOR FIBERGLASS LAMINATION.

It IS the "nature of the beast", sometimes the bond holds and sometimes the bond doesn't.. Fiberglass has a large expansion/contraction ratio..

Perhaps, but exposure to the environment must also have a lot to do with it. That delamination I had on our Spree was only on the curb side of the trailer which was exposed to the harsh sun all day, every day, while parked here at the house during the season while the street side which showed no signs of delamination at all was always sitting in shade. Our current Coachmen is now 5 yrs old and sits in the exact same location on the driveway yet shows no signs of delamination anywhere so I can only conclude it's due to improved bonding methods used to assemble it's sidewalls.
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Feb 24, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
SidecarFlip wrote:
I bet both of you have water damage UNDER the siding. Filon don't delam for no reason.

bbells wrote:
I wish it was that easy. There was no sign of any water damage when I took the windows off, on the inside or on the outside. And the luan when I shoved a tiny camera down by the window showed it was separating from the siding, but none of the rotting stuff that water causes. Plus, the entire trailer was caulked and sealed a few months after I got it (windows removed, sealed, etc). The bubbles only expand in the winter. I have a hard time believing water damage with no sign of water damage could have this big effect starting at 6 months and in just 2 years.But, it could be invisible water damage. But, if it can do this with no sign it would have to be a mfr defect.

BTDT myself and wouldn't agree this is necessarily because of water damage. My own 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX which we purchased new began to delaminate on the curb side about 3 years into ownership for no apparent reason. Careful inspection showed absolutely no signs of water leakage anywhere yet the curb side wall would crease outward in several locations, the hotter it was the worse it looked and in cold weather was hardly noticeable at all.

This was on the side that took the full brunt of the summer sun while the trailer was parked here at the house, the street side which was in shade all the time never delaminated at all. My conclusion was the adhesive inside the wall just let go and there was nothing I could do about it as I wasn't going to dump $1000s into repair that may or may not make it look any better. We eventually sold the trailer several years later, not because of the delamination, but because we no longer required a trailer with bunk beds. JMO, but I'd suggest you just enjoy camping with your trailer as it is and not worry about this delaminnation, particularly if you're convinced it's not a water intrusion issue.

Hate to quote a post that take a lot of space, but Soundguys photos CAN BE CONSIDERED COMPLETELY NORMAL FOR FIBERGLASS LAMINATION.

Filon which is a thin fiberglass skin like any other fiberglass product has a completely DIFFERENT expansion/contraction ratio compared to the material it is laminated to.

Result of heating and cooling cycles over time IS areas of bubbles where the expansion/contraction of the bond between the two materials lets go.

Absolutely nothing can prevent this from happening especially on long, long trailer walls.

It IS the "nature of the beast", sometimes the bond holds and sometimes the bond doesn't.. Fiberglass has a large expansion/contraction ratio..

Not worth the hassle or cost of fixing nor is it worth getting an ambulance chaser to file a lawsuit.

USE it as it is, just make sure any new spots that may show up is not caused by a water leak and you are good to go.

Camp and don't sweat it.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
keymastr wrote:
Pretty sure the attorney generals office might say different about that. The warranty is provided to the original purchaser not the dealer. If it sits on the lot for 2 years it still has the full factory warranty.

Agree - my understanding is that any warranty would begin the day the trailer is registered to the purchaser. In this case it's rather moot now that the trailer is now almost 5 years old unless the OP has proof in writing that his dealer and/or manufacturer misrepresented the facts when they claimed this delamination wouldn't be covered, saying the OP had no warranty coverage when in fact he did after only 6 months of ownership.
bbells
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
keymastr wrote:
Pretty sure the attorney generals office might say different about that. The warranty is provided to the original purchaser not the dealer. If it sits on the lot for 2 years it still has the full factory warranty.

Unfortunately, that is probably true everywhere except in the rv world.
keymastr
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
Pretty sure the attorney generals office might say different about that. The warranty is provided to the original purchaser not the dealer. If it sits on the lot for 2 years it still has the full factory warranty.
bbells
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
SidecarFlip wrote:
I bet both of you have water damage UNDER the siding. Filon don't delam for no reason.

goducks10 wrote:
Thats exactly what the MFG would tell you too.

The MFG isn't obligated to tell the OP anything :R ... he has 2014 model so even though he earlier said "it is only a couple years old" the fact is it's well over 4 years old and this spring will be considered 5 years old once 2019 models start rolling off the production lines. With a trailer of this age delaminating no manufacturer will hold any responsibility at all, won't care at all - it's a case of too bad, so sad. :(

Yep. that is what the mfr said when the trailer was just 6 months old. They said the warranty coverage starts when it gets to the dealers lot, not when it is bought. And that it was out of the warranty for delamination before I bought it.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
SidecarFlip wrote:
I bet both of you have water damage UNDER the siding. Filon don't delam for no reason.

goducks10 wrote:
Thats exactly what the MFG would tell you too.

The MFG isn't obligated to tell the OP anything :R ... he has 2014 model so even though he earlier said "it is only a couple years old" the fact is it's well over 4 years old and this spring will be considered 5 years old once 2019 models start rolling off the production lines. With a trailer of this age delaminating no manufacturer will hold any responsibility at all, won't care at all - it's a case of too bad, so sad. :(