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egarant's avatar
egarant
Explorer III
Jun 02, 2014

Ouch!

When I took off the truck camper this weekend my wife looked under the camper and noticed this!



My truck bed has a very heavy duty truck bed mat and nothing was between it and the camper when I took it off. The crack is just in the laminate, I would say the depth is around 3/16".

Now I look under the camper when I put it on and off the truck for a number of reasons, never noticed it before.

This TC was hauled by Adventurer LP from Ventura, CA to Yakamia, WA in April to facilitate the repair of a delaminated front fiberglass cap.

When I went to pick it up, the passenger side dually bracket was not extended (the truck that brought it to Yakima was a single RW), so a forklift picked up that side to allow the bracket to be swung out.

I have taped the crack with Ultrabond, a product available at Home Depot. It is nothing structural and if the tape doesn't rub off in the bed, should keep it sealed.

I emailed Brad at AMLRV immediately, he responded this morning stating that the forklift would have lifted the camper by the very end of the camper, not that far back, therefore not causing the crack, but he has asked me what I would like them to do.......

I have to say, there is no way I am going back to Yakima from CA to facilitate a fix. Maybe I should go to the local RV repair shop and get a quote for a fix, although I am sure the proper fix would be a whole new bottom.

Your thoughts appreciated.

Mr. E
Truck Campers

13 Replies

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  • egarant's avatar
    egarant
    Explorer III
    Jun 03, 2014
    Since it doesn't look structural, at this point, so I can start using the camper for this summer, I taped the crack with a 4" wide strip of Ultra Bond. I will also buy a pre-cut sheet of aluminum at Home Depot and fasten it to that side as well. Maybe put one on the other side so it is even.
  • AnEv942's avatar
    AnEv942
    Nomad
    Jun 03, 2014
    It certainly does look like the tip of forklift blade, IF forklift entered from the drivers side and blade didn't reach all the way across. OP said
    "When I went to pick it up, the passenger side dually bracket was not extended (the truck that brought it to Yakima was a single RW), so a forklift picked up that side to allow the bracket to be swung out."

    Sounds like forklift entered from passenger side, assuming flat blades would be hard to punch like that unless blade was only inserted under camper a few inches with a pretty good tilt or a block on blade? If the forklift reached in from the drivers side, regardless of how it should have been lifted as related, doesn't mean thats how it was lifted-Wasn't there so just conjecture from here. just awfully coincidental either case.

    Unless you have bottom replaced or repaired Id try to seal/glue the crack prior to surface sealing. Getting a quote would be a start. Unless theres a load directly above I also don't see as structural. Looks like fiberboard?
  • tony_lee's avatar
    tony_lee
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    Judging from the slightly rounded shape of the crack, the forklift tyne would have to have come from the opposite side of the camper to where the crack is.
    Also the side lip of the camper seems to be a little lower than the bottom skin so if the tyne had come from that side, how would the tip impact the skin so close to the edge lip.


    Could have been done anywhere at any time. Bog it up and enjoy camping.
  • bwc's avatar
    bwc
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    BeanMan wrote:
    Mr. E,

    The center edge of that 'crack' looks a lot like the tip of one of the forks of my forklift. The cracks seem to propagate from the 'tip' on each side. forklift drivers have been known to mess up, occasionally.


    Bingo...agree 100%. Someone tried for a moment to lift in the wrong location and then stopped. No other reasonable explanation in all due respect to Adventurer.
  • BeanMan's avatar
    BeanMan
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    Mr. E,

    The center edge of that 'crack' looks a lot like the tip of one of the forks of my forklift. The cracks seem to propagate from the 'tip' on each side. forklift drivers have been known to mess up, occasionally.
  • homefor2's avatar
    homefor2
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    I had the exact same thing happen on my Arctic Fox 990 from leaving a small piece of 3/4 in plywood in the bed. I felt sick about it but after contacting my insurance company, I felt better that they would cover the repair. The RV dealer near me placed a 3/8th plywood sheet over the entire bottom. It was coated in a black finish like undercoating. It is now much stronger than the flimsy sheathing that was the original bottom and looks like it's a factory finish.
  • egarant's avatar
    egarant
    Explorer III
    Jun 03, 2014
    Super_Dave wrote:
    It is probably more of an emotional issue with you at this point. It is a superficial crack in the skin. Patching it and bonding another piece of skin (plywood or diamond plate) would make it as good if not better than new.


    I think you hit the nail on the head.....
  • Super_Dave's avatar
    Super_Dave
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    It is probably more of an emotional issue with you at this point. It is a superficial crack in the skin. Patching it and bonding another piece of skin (plywood or diamond plate) would make it as good if not better than new.
  • egarant's avatar
    egarant
    Explorer III
    Jun 03, 2014
    I would just make sure you check everything, including under the camper before accepting. I really can't say empirically how it happened but I can tell you it sure didn't leave my care in that state.
  • iwon415's avatar
    iwon415
    Explorer
    Jun 03, 2014
    Eric - I was just about to email you to see how the work came out...and now this. You must be sick! I am due to have my rig taken up there at the end of summer to have the same work done. I can't tell you how worried this makes me!

    TimH

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