snap crackle chip

[MilCop4523]

Saturday while snowblowing a foot of snow from my yard I did the inattentive thing.
while I was turned around watching the 4 foot blower on my tractor pass under the 5th hitch pin beside me, I heard a crunching noise to my left.

Apparently i had the bucket lift extended and caught the side of it against the nose of the trailers fiberglass GELCOAT.
its stress cracked between teh top dark spot and the lower ones
about a foot in length

My wife heard it in the house as well.

like bones cracking is the best description of bad noise.

Has anyone RECENTLY repaired Gelcoat on their trailer and if so what product did you use?
How did it turn out
How big a job is it?

I have to remove the bed and check inside to see if i need to reinforce teh cracked area as well. been in there when i put the LED lights strips on so i know what to do up to that point.

If I only had made this face when i was a kid more often (mom used to say my eyes would stick like that) them i could have watched both ends of the tractor.

[Wobbles]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

Attachment 99175

I feel your pain. I was reviewing your attachments and then saw the last one.

[doc73]

Man that SUCKS! I could see a boat repair / dealership having stuff for gelcoat repair?

[spock123]

Lord I have done some stupid things to the campers I have had, DW has new name she calls me now, hey dumb a_ _ , you did it again. I'm on a first name basis with the auto body shop man


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[Blackrock]

Meh, Duct Tape it.



But a good fiberglass man can fix it.

[clutchd]

I did similar, put a stick from driving in the woods through my door. Luckily it only made it through the outside. Right now a sticker works, but it's in a perfect location for a window.

I didn't see the sticker till I was setting up camp in the dark, my jaw dropped and I looked like someone stole my candy.

I also think a boat place would have some repair supplies as I've seen enough boats with broke gel coat

[MillerTime]

You can get these gelcoat repair kits for about $50 usd or so.

If there is stress cracks though, you will need to V out the fiberglass till you reach the end of the crack (when i say V i mean grind it back about 1 inch in all directions from the crack. Then you will need to build it back up with resin and fiberglass mat till it is back up to the gelcoat.
After all that has cured you can sand the resin and apply your gelcoat paste. Now you will have to tint the resin, and it will take several tries to get it the right color. Alot of people will just spot paint the area or spray gel coat because it's easier to blend it in......but it will also show in a couple of years.
If you use the paste, you will have to sand it flush, stepping up grits of sand paper till you are up to about 1500 (i personally take it up to 3000) and then you will have to buff it to get the shine back in. And i mean buff with a high speed buffer not one of those cheap ones for car wax.
If you have some of the tools, it can be done pretty cheaply (in my opinion $100-200 is cheap) if not it may take quite a bit more.

Note- if there is a crack at all, stress or whatever you want to call it, you can't just wipe something over it, you have to take it down to where the crack ends. Otherwise your wasting your time because it will be back very quickly. If someone tells you otherwise.....they dont have a clue!