Advice on repairing my RV

[Shawnp1989]

Ok, so if you havent seen my previous post, i bought a 2013 forrest river wildwood t26tbss.

It has some damage and I would like advice/help locating parts and good known manufacturers of products that carry a good reputation so the repairs get done proper.

So, attached are pics of the damages…. Im going to divide them up into 2 categories; repair and replace.

Repair:
- Drivers side front panel under the trim…. I feel i can make this look as good as new if i tuck it back under the trim
- drivers side popout lower panel….. i think i can get it straightened out pretty good and the fender will hide remaining flaws; if any
- the slideout. This is what salvaged the trailer. Its going to need a new rubber membrane and im assuming new wood and insulation. (Who/Where can i acquire good quality stuff? Rubber, glue, tape, double sided trim tape, etc without breaking the bank? I feel an rv shop will double the price if i can just get it online somewhere)


Replace:
- Drivers side rear lower and 2nd panel; id like to replace both of these panels because of the damage/holes the previous owner screwed into to hold them onto the trailer
(Where can i get this same design, vinyl graphic, and paint design…. Would forrest river sell me these?)
- Passenger side refrigerator vent cover/access panel (where can i get this?)
- Passenger side awning; id like to replace this because its torn on the edge
- Drivers side slideout; interior ceiling panels. They are not bad, but they do have slight bubbling, so if i can find them and either paint them or if they are manufactured in the same color, id like to replace them. (Where can i locate these?)
- Drivers side fender, i have already located one

Also, where can i get a slideout awning?

This is my very first travel trailer. Im good with my hands and can figure out just about how anything comes apart and goes back together. I just need some guidance on purchasing these parts so i can get started on it and put in the work to make this thing flawless again. Thanks!

[SeaDog]

RV salvage yard for most parts there are numerous large yards that ship nation wide. Home Depot, Lowes, Manards. Your questions make me think you are very inexperienced with RV repair I would recommend you spend some hours watching youtube to get somewhat up to speed on how to proceed. I would remove the slide box to repair it. JMHO

[Shawnp1989]

This is because i am very inexperienced with rv repair.
This is my very first travel trailer/rv

Im comfortable with home repair and mechanical maintenance/repair, just havent ever been in the rv repair field.

This is like someone getting into automotive and wanting to turbocharge their car…… there is a HUGE difference in quality and fitment between an ebay turbo kit then lets say a good quality garrett or borg warner turbo kit.

This is all im asking for…. What are some good name brands in the rv world so i dont purchase the “cheap” stuff and where i can find it.

Also, the paneling on the side must have a specific design. Cant just purchase that at home depot or lowes. Id assume there are various types of paneling.

Rebuilding the roof of slideout, sure, im more than confident i can go to home depot and aquire the lumber/insulation to do so; but there is probably more than one manufacturer and type of membrane material…. Like i said, im just looking to get advice on good quality stuff.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Shawnp1989

This is because i am very inexperienced with rv repair.
This is my very first travel trailer/rv

Im comfortable with home repair and mechanical maintenance/repair, just havent ever been in the rv repair field.

This is like someone getting into automotive and wanting to turbocharge their car…… there is a HUGE difference in quality and fitment between an ebay turbo kit then lets say a good quality garrett or borg warner turbo kit.

This is all im asking for…. What are some good name brands in the rv world so i dont purchase the “cheap” stuff and where i can find it.

Also, the paneling on the side must have a specific design. Cant just purchase that at home depot or lowes. Id assume there are various types of paneling.

Rebuilding the roof of slideout, sure, im more than confident i can go to home depot and aquire the lumber/insulation to do so; but there is probably more than one manufacturer and type of membrane material…. Like i said, im just looking to get advice on good quality stuff.

Not making light of your comments or your desire to fix this but your comment made me chuckle!

ALL R/V stuff is cheap! R/V manufacturing is a complete 180º from the auto manufacturing world. (or most any manufacturing for that matter)

R/V manufacturers use whatever they can get their hands on for the least amount of money. Quality is very low on the list for most of them. I say most because there are a few who try to do better but again, bottom line is dollars and if there's a way for them to save a buck, they do.

Construction items such as siding, paneling and trim are usually tough to locate on older models so the salvage yard suggestion is good. You may have to match best you can for some things as there are hundreds of makes/models and they seemingly all use something slightly different and even that changes from year to year.

Many of the support manufacturers for the R/V industry are located near the factories and they make what the factory needs for that particular year model and then on to the next. You won't find a supplier that will be able to have stock/supply exact items for say a 2013 model year unit.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted as to what your progress is.

[LittleBill]

Originally Posted by Shawnp1989

Ok, so if you havent seen my previous post, i bought a 2013 forrest river wildwood t26tbss.

It has some damage and I would like advice/help locating parts and good known manufacturers of products that carry a good reputation so the repairs get done proper.

So, attached are pics of the damages…. Im going to divide them up into 2 categories; repair and replace.

Repair:
- Drivers side front panel under the trim…. I feel i can make this look as good as new if i tuck it back under the trim
- drivers side popout lower panel….. i think i can get it straightened out pretty good and the fender will hide remaining flaws; if any
- the slideout. This is what salvaged the trailer. Its going to need a new rubber membrane and im assuming new wood and insulation. (Who/Where can i acquire good quality stuff? Rubber, glue, tape, double sided trim tape, etc without breaking the bank? I feel an rv shop will double the price if i can just get it online somewhere)


Replace:
- Drivers side rear lower and 2nd panel; id like to replace both of these panels because of the damage/holes the previous owner screwed into to hold them onto the trailer
(Where can i get this same design, vinyl graphic, and paint design…. Would forrest river sell me these?)
- Passenger side refrigerator vent cover/access panel (where can i get this?)
- Passenger side awning; id like to replace this because its torn on the edge
- Drivers side slideout; interior ceiling panels. They are not bad, but they do have slight bubbling, so if i can find them and either paint them or if they are manufactured in the same color, id like to replace them. (Where can i locate these?)
- Drivers side fender, i have already located one

Also, where can i get a slideout awning?

This is my very first travel trailer. Im good with my hands and can figure out just about how anything comes apart and goes back together. I just need some guidance on purchasing these parts so i can get started on it and put in the work to make this thing flawless again. Thanks!

Try this company for replacing your awning fabric - RV Awning Mart - https://www.rvawningsmart.com. I was pleased with the awning fabric they supplied and it was fairly easy to install on my TT. The pull strap did break on me about 6 months later, but their customer service sent me a new one quickly with no hassle.

Good luck and be safe -

[2plus1]

Shawn. As to the damaged paneling, I know there is one of the large RV dealers in Regina, SK that has all the rollers to make any style of Aluminum panel you want. I suspect someone like Betz RV in Montana etc. may have the equipment as well. You're working with white so that's a bonus. The decals will have to be custom made at a car decal shop.

Dicor is the industry standard for roof material, none better, 12 year warranty.

Hope this helps,

Paul