Wall question

BBQGUY · 06-29-2015, 07:12 PM

My W&P 2008, 28' is sitting in the driveway. The way the sun is shining on the side I notice what appears to be a big wave in the wall near the front drivers side. Upon further investigation it is. I've seen small waves before, but this is much different. When I press on it it fills like the outside skin is delaminating. I go inside and the inside wall paneling is doing the same. Checking the door side it too looks like it's doing the same thing. This only affects about the front 8-10'. Checked the roof, no leaks, eternalbond is fine.
It's been above 90+° for over 2 weeks with little rain. Last outing was June 6-9. Did have the gray water tank over flow, but quickly got it cleaned up.
Anyone know of a cause, or have heard of this happening.

1l243 · 07-02-2015, 01:41 AM

You don't see any evidence of moisture on the inside? Was the gray water overflow in the area of the bulge?

You could test the inside wall with a moisture meter.. I picked one up at Home Depot...

crunchman12001 · 07-02-2015, 04:38 AM

Sounds like you have a leak. If you can post a picture, maybe we can help you find the source. Get a shot of the area with the bulge and also the roof above it.
crunchman

sstuner · 07-05-2015, 09:46 AM

If you have a leak it must be fixed. There are plenty of videos on YouTube on how to fix the delamination. Good luck.

1l243 · 07-05-2015, 01:30 PM

I don'think the siding on a W&P is typical delamination. The siding is 1" FRP. Think of it as 1" plywood with a outer Gel Coat finish on it. I don't think it can be repaired only replaced..

I would like to see pics too..

BBQGUY · 07-05-2015, 05:23 PM

Have not found any leaks. Been on the roof, checked after a rain, could not find any water inside. I'll post some pictures after a needed weeks vacation.?

1l243 · 07-05-2015, 05:26 PM

You can close all your vents and turn your AC blower on max and spray soapy water around and see if you get any bubbles....

WolfWhistle · 07-05-2015, 05:28 PM

Enough water that can do a lot of damage can leak inside the wall and not be all that obvious... like 1\234 said, get a moisture meter and check it out.

beyerjf · 07-08-2015, 10:51 PM

I live full time in a 2008 34 FK. This trailer has no leaks. But the walls are rotted in several places. Remove the trim inside where the wall meets the ceiling. If you see black areas, you see the rot. It can happen around any opening. The inside paneling does an excellent job of hiding it.
The wall is constructed of 3/4" plywood with a layer of solid gel coat on the outside and a clear fibreglass layer on the inside. The water soaks the plywood, which acts like a sponge and rots with very little water intrusion.
This is the only RV in the industry constructed like this. FRP trailers were used widely in the trucking industry about 35 years ago, but when their achilles heel, propensity to rot was discovered, they all but disappeared.
Good luck.

1l243 · 07-09-2015, 02:10 AM

I doubt if he will be able to sleep after reading that lol!

You must have had leaks or you would not have had water intrusion? I don't think you can single out FRP as the sole cause for wood rot, there are plenty of RV's out there with major wood rot that arn't made of FRP.. If you got a undetected leak and it goes on for a while your going to get rot....

We all learn from other peoples misfortune. Check all your windows and openings and the roof for areas that may need attention. Park your rig under cover if you can during the winter....

beyerjf · 07-09-2015, 08:17 AM

Let me be a little more specific. Since I live in this unit full time, I can observe conditions inside in real time during rainstorms, snow laying on roof melting etc. When I said that this unit doesn't leak, I meant nothing obvious, no drips of water anywhere on walls, ceilings, floors, or inside of cabinets etc. No stains or other typical evidence of leakage that one looks for.
Yes, any RV that has wood in it can rot because of an undetected leak. But it is much more serious when the wall is 90% plywood that is acting as the only structural member. Most other Rv's have aluminum framing that provide the strength.
My service guy is a former engineer for Lippert Components and worked at W&P for a while. He said because of it's unique construction, most repair personnel and dealers don't have a clue about these trailers
I knew when I bought it the drawbacks of FRP construction. I was a supervisor for Penske Logistics in 1997 when we got a memo from GM(our terminals biggest customer)that effective July 1,1997 no FRP(Fibreglass Reinforced Plywood) trailers would be allowed on GM property to be loaded or unloaded because when the wood wall rots(one of the structural members) the floor in that area gave way and fork lifts went thru the floor.
That all being said. I still like the unit. It suits me to a "T". Very utilitarian and practical. Hauls gobs of weight with no sweat. I would purchase another one tomorrow if I needed another unit, but repairs to this one are manageable. To prevent the problems I would do 2 things:
1. Park the unit intentionally out of level front to back with the nose 6" higher than the tail or vice versa. Take a look at the aluminum roof after a rain storm if the unit is level, it is a giant lake up there. Out of level drains most of it off.
2. Park it under cover while not being used. The unit will last forever that way.
See ya down the road

1l243 · 07-10-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyerjf

Let me be a little more specific. Since I live in this unit full time, I can observe conditions inside in real time during rainstorms, snow laying on roof melting etc. When I said that this unit doesn't leak, I meant nothing obvious, no drips of water anywhere on walls, ceilings, floors, or inside of cabinets etc. No stains or other typical evidence of leakage that one looks for.
Yes, any RV that has wood in it can rot because of an undetected leak. But it is much more serious when the wall is 90% plywood that is acting as the only structural member. Most other Rv's have aluminum framing that provide the strength.
My service guy is a former engineer for Lippert Components and worked at W&P for a while. He said because of it's unique construction, most repair personnel and dealers don't have a clue about these trailers
I knew when I bought it the drawbacks of FRP construction. I was a supervisor for Penske Logistics in 1997 when we got a memo from GM(our terminals biggest customer)that effective July 1,1997 no FRP(Fibreglass Reinforced Plywood) trailers would be allowed on GM property to be loaded or unloaded because when the wood wall rots(one of the structural members) the floor in that area gave way and fork lifts went thru the floor.
That all being said. I still like the unit. It suits me to a "T". Very utilitarian and practical. Hauls gobs of weight with no sweat. I would purchase another one tomorrow if I needed another unit, but repairs to this one are manageable. To prevent the problems I would do 2 things:
1. Park the unit intentionally out of level front to back with the nose 6" higher than the tail or vice versa. Take a look at the aluminum roof after a rain storm if the unit is level, it is a giant lake up there. Out of level drains most of it off.
2. Park it under cover while not being used. The unit will last forever that way.
See ya down the road

I wonder if living in your Rig full time and having to heat it in the winter if your moisture problems are not caused by Condensation? The fact that you found no leaks and evidence of moisture up near the cieling might support that..

I agree there are better built trailesr but then the cost twice as much...

beyerjf · 07-10-2015, 02:35 PM

The rot that is in this unit was there the day I bought it. The dealer who was going to wholesale it knew it, he just "forgot" to tell me about it. Manufactured in April 2007, bought by me in Feb 2013.
I am an over the road truck driver. I occupy the trailer maybe 75 days a year, Indiana in the summer, Texas in the winter. If anyone would like to PM me I would be glad to show pictures of the patterns of rot in the walls and why it is so hard to detect.

Cajun Style · 07-11-2015, 01:27 AM

I have a 30 pint Dehumidifier in my 28 BR every day we empty it and it's full and has shut off, so I could get more than 30 pints a day if I would check it more often. That's every day, I do live in south Louisiana. But 30 pints every day !

Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

BBQGUY · 07-24-2015, 03:46 PM

Just a quick update on my wall bow issue..... and its not good.

The roof topside lap seals are not leaking nor are any of the vents through the roof. Have found the presents of moisture and mold in the walls including rot, dry rot, and delamination of the plywood at various places including over and under 3 of the 5 windows. The windows are sealed very well to the outside wall.

After examining the exterior/interior the most logical source of the water infiltration are from around the bolts that attach the top side metal caps to the sidewalls. Over 95% of the these bolts are missing the white washer/seal behind the bolt head (see photos). It appears the white washer/seals were never installed. The same bolt/washer combo is used along the bottom and the corner metal plates and the white washers are all present.

From looking at the damage, it would take a frame off wall rebuilt/replacement to repair. The cost would be greater than the present value of the unit.

I purchased this unit in June 2014 as the second owner. It is a 2008 W&P 30BR. From looking at the extent of the wall damage this unit has been leaking since new. Doubt FR would take any responsibility for the water infiltration caused by missing washers..

beyerjf · 07-24-2015, 04:21 PM

Your problem is just like mine. The fasteners did have a white seal collar, but the uv killed them. . My tech said to put a dollop of sealer on every one, but in most cases it is too late.
My roof lap seal was leaking from new, repaired ineffectively in places, so I have sections that are 4' long and 2' deep from the roof that has rotted.
I don't have a lot in this unit, so I am going to patch it best I can and live with it.
Now I know why mainstream dealers wholesale these things as soon as they take them in trade, after giving next to nothing for them.

1l243 · 07-24-2015, 07:11 PM

Obviously that water got in there somehow. But the nylon washer is for Electrolysis and not a water seal.

I did check mine however and all the roof cap bolts do have the nylon washer.. There are a couple of screws up there from maybe part of then awning that have poor sealing. Will have to put a dab of dicor on them...

Have you had a chance to watch the construction video of the work and play. It may give you some insight on how the water got in there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2oL2sHwmIA

sstuner · 07-24-2015, 07:33 PM

I wish Forest River would redo this video, it looks very dated.

BBQGUY · 07-25-2015, 07:24 AM

That video is the same model and year the I have. As for the white washers, they didn't just vanish without a trace they were never installed in the areas of question.

norfl1971 · 08-02-2015, 04:22 PM

That sucks. We're looking at hauling a boat and trailer with us when we travel, and the WP is the only line I can afford that offers garages over 14'; now that I've read about so many leak issues, I can understand why they are so hard to find. Wonder if most of the issues have been fixed by now.``

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