Question about wall seam adhesive

[josh1231]

I am a newbie to both this message board, and travel trailers in general. I recently purchased a Solaire Ultralite and 2 pieces of the trim between the seams of the wall panels has become unglued, and "popped" out. Is this a normal happening on a new TT, or should this concern me? Also, should I glue this back into place myself, and if so what should I use to glue it, and if not should I take it to the dealer? Any help would be greatly appreciated because as I mentioned, I know very little, but am trying to learn.

Thanks in advance.

[dannytas]

Josh, it's not just "on the quality of Solaire's & TT in general. I am aware of the shortcomings of trailers in this lightweight category and do not really expect a 31' trailer weighing only 5300 pounds at this price point to be the most solid thing on the planet".

Poor quality seem to be the norm in the RV industry. I bought a brand new 37' Colorado fifth wheel, that the trim came off above two doors as well as four different trim pieces between the wall and ceiling. All RVs are under extreme rigors of the road and perform dutifully. Who knows if a perfect RV can be made.

A good rule is to follow this and other forums and ask questions. Don't be shy as to making your own repaira, where feasible. Learn about your RV and you will feel more confident about what to do in case of...anything happening. Above all, welcome to RVing and enjoy!!! 😄

[josh1231]

Dtaylor wrote:
If it is under warranty, take it back to the dealer or call the manufacturer. Many times the manufacturer will tell you how to fix or send you the material to fix it yourself and avoid going to the dealer. (assuming you are able to make the repair yourself)

That is a good idea I never thought about calling the manufacturer. It is under warranty, in fact I've only had it for 2 months, so I think this is what I'm going to do.

[josh1231]

wmoses wrote:

fatboy66 wrote:
I thought he asked about how to make a glue repair.

Re-read the question to see what he was asking ... you should see two questions. 😉 Then, if you think a little on it, you might also surmise what is going through his mind - IOW read between the lines.

I appreciate your feedback, both on the glue repair and on the quality of Solaire's & TT in general. I am aware of the shortcomings of trailers in this lightweight category and do not really expect a 31' trailer weighing only 5300 pounds at this price point to be the most solid thing on the planet. For my needs, which include 3 large and 1 small dog as well as my wife and I, with a jeep grand cherokee to pull it, this was the one that worked out for us.

Because I am new, I mainly wanted to make sure the seam trim popping out was not a sign of a bigger problem beneath, and therefore something i really need to be worried about, as opposed to the fact that it went from 20 degrees to 80 degrees in a period of a few days, or a shoddy glue job, that while troubling at least can be fixed easily.

Your answers definitely helped see that it was the last.

[Dtaylor]

If it is under warranty, take it back to the dealer or call the manufacturer. Many times the manufacturer will tell you how to fix or send you the material to fix it yourself and avoid going to the dealer. (assuming you are able to make the repair yourself)

[wmoses]

fatboy66 wrote:
I thought he asked about how to make a glue repair.

Re-read the post to see what he was asking ... you should see two questions. 😉 Then, if you think a little on it, you might also surmise what is going through his mind - IOW read between the lines.

[fatboy66]

wmoses wrote:

josh1231 wrote:
I am a newbie to both this message board, and travel trailers in general. I recently purchased a Solaire Ultralite and 2 pieces of the trim between the seams of the wall panels has become unglued, and "popped" out. Is this a normal happening on a new TT, or should this concern me? Also, should I glue this back into place myself, and if so what should I use to glue it, and if not should I take it to the dealer? Any help would be greatly appreciated because as I mentioned, I know very little, but am trying to learn.

Thanks in advance.

Josh - any photos? Also - welcome to the forum and to TT RVing. 🙂

For something like this you would probably want to think 100 times before taking it to the dealer. Not worth the hassle. Reserve those trips only for the big issues like roof or slideout problems and appliance issues.

Panels becoming unglued is a result of shoddy workmanship and that is a regular occurrence with these RVs, as the QA is weak in the industry and the units are put together by humans on a tight schedule where the almighty dollar calls the shots. This is one of many fixes you will have to do yourself regardless of whether there is a warranty in effect.

I thought he asked about how to make a glue repair.

[josh1231]

Unfortunately I do not have any pictures now, but can get some this weekend.

I very much appreciate the input, and will take on this repair myself and not be going to the dealer. Again, thanks very much for the advice.

[wmoses]

josh1231 wrote:
I am a newbie to both this message board, and travel trailers in general. I recently purchased a Solaire Ultralite and 2 pieces of the trim between the seams of the wall panels has become unglued, and "popped" out. Is this a normal happening on a new TT, or should this concern me? Also, should I glue this back into place myself, and if so what should I use to glue it, and if not should I take it to the dealer? Any help would be greatly appreciated because as I mentioned, I know very little, but am trying to learn.

Thanks in advance.

Josh - any photos? Also - welcome to the forum and to TT RVing. 🙂

For something like this you would probably want to think 100 times before taking it to the dealer. Not worth the hassle. Reserve those trips only for the big issues like roof or slideout problems and appliance issues.

Panels becoming unglued is a result of shoddy workmanship and that is a regular occurrence with these RVs, as the QA is weak in the industry and the units are put together by humans on a tight schedule where the almighty dollar calls the shots. This is one of many fixes you will have to do yourself regardless of whether there is a warranty in effect.

[westend]

Most of the plastic wall trim I see is a friction fit with the extrusion of the plastic holding between the panels. It may be that the temperature changes inside the cabin have allowed the trim to expand and pop out. There shouldn't be any problem with gluing it back in place. This would probably be a good place for Goop or Shoe Goo as they remain somewhat pliable after curing.