Wheel Wells

Nice job, Westend. Thanks for sharing. I don't think we'll get THAT involved since it won't be a total tear down, but you never know. We had to do a lot of temporary stuff to get home without getting water inside and we'll need to pull all that out and evaluate exactly what needs to be done.

We did get a quote from a sheet metal fabricator today and are please with the estimate for a replacement (with heavier gauge metal). Just waiting on the insurance check to get started.

I don't know how involved you want to get or what your take is on repairing wheel wells but I'll share with you what I did.

When I bought my Starcraft you could see the road surface through one wheel well underneath the kitchen counter top. I decided that part of my new electrical system and the kitchen sink plumbing was going above this area. I decided to make it bullet-proof.

First, I built a frame with 2' x 2's and 2' x 4's above the opening. The remnants of the old plastic wheel well were pulled and discarded. On the inside corners of the frame, aluminum sheet was attached. I then cut and fastened .062 404 steel sheets to the frame with large screws and construction adhesive. 404 steel is the same material used in garbage truck compactors and Humvee floors. The wheel well was finished by caulking the seams and spraying the steel with primer and truck bed liner.

Is it overkill? You bet, but I should get a few miles down the road with a spinning radial belt and no damage to the inside.

The other plastic wheel well was intact, for the most part. I patched it and then installed tin "belts" above and across the plastic. If a flat tire does get it, the tin should hold for awhile. I would then repair it like the other side.

Noted: While I was about this, I took the time to insulate and install thermal breaks between plywood sheets that cover the inside of the wheel wells. Instead of the most heat transfer to the exterior, the wells now have the least heat transfer. Pictures of the process are here. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page.

An easier alternative is to have a siding contractor/fab shop bend aluminum or light steel to attach to the wheel well. If you don't have a flat tire, you only need to shed the water and road debris.

Thanks for the info. Yes, it is the inner liner. After what happened slinging a tread, I don't think the poly liner is where we want to be, though. We figured a sheet metal fab shop was going to be the way to go, but wanted to check.

Assuming you are asking about the INSIDE wheel well liner and not the outside trim.

Your most likely going to have to fabricate one yourself or find a sheet metal shop fabricator which can make it for you.. Wheel well liners are not a generic item, tend to be custom built for your trailer.

The outside trim called wheel skirts is also a custom made item for your model only, there are aftermarket makers carrying some different sizes fitting specific brands and models but they tend to be priced is out of this world..

HERE is one example of a place selling aftermarket wheel skirts..

HERE is a general Internet search for trailer wheel skirts..