Coming apart

[Adrien]

Has anyone had this happen to their traiker? I have a 2018 Vibe 268rks and I'm pretty upset that this is happening. Seems like a craftsmanship issue and I am waiting fmto hear back from Forest River, but I have a feeling I know what they are going to say.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Adrien

Has anyone had this happen to their traiker? I have a 2018 Vibe 268rks and I'm pretty upset that this is happening. Seems like a craftsmanship issue and I am waiting fmto hear back from Forest River, but I have a feeling I know what they are going to say.

Are you the original owner?

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Are you the original owner?

I am not. I bought it from the original owner in 2019. He never used the damn thing lol. Hell, I peeled the plastic off the carpet, the stickers off the windows, and the energy tags off the appliances.

[Boondockin]

Some minor opening of original sealing, nothing like that.

More pics? I'm having problems seeing what moved here.

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by Boondockin

Some minor opening of original sealing, nothing like that.

More pics? I'm having problems seeing what moved here.

I'll grab some tomorrow when it's not raining

[kenandterry]

Considering what issues others have had with their rigs, this cracking of the silicone sealant is way down the list. You’re admittedly NOT the original owner, so there’s no warranty except for the original owner, who you say, NEVER used their rig, and probably paid just as much attention maintenance.

Sorry.

Get some new sealant, clean up the existing, and apply the new stuff yourself.
You don’t want to surrender your rig to a dealership for this. You’ll forget what it looks like, by the time you get it back.

[Flybob]

A little off topic, but if they never used it and allowed that to remain unfixed, I would check the roof seams as soon as possible.

[NJKris]

That looks like a HUGE gap between front cap and wall in the top pic, not just cracked sealant.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by NJKris

That looks like a HUGE gap between front cap and wall in the top pic, not just cracked sealant.

I'm pretty sure that's the bottom of the trailer in that first pic.

I fixed the orientation.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by NJKris

That looks like a HUGE gap between front cap and wall in the top pic, not just cracked sealant.

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I'm pretty sure that's the bottom of the trailer in that first pic.

I fixed the orientation.

So... we are looking at the bottom of the rear cap to wall area?

If so, OP better look at the top of the rear cap and see if the cap/roof sealing is compromised, allowing water to run down and rot out the area in the photo.

Any soft spots in the flooring inside at that area?

[rsdata]

I'm pretty sure that's the bottom of the trailer in that first pic.

I fixed the orientation.

thanks for that... makes the picture make a whole lot more sense...
looks like some vertical and horizontal panels are coming apart there in the front lower corner?

I would make sure it is dry in that area, then maybe use some mechanical fastener like a wood screw to pull the panels back together, then finish off with caulk and call it good... maybe some butyl tape between the panels before pulling it together and screwing it down and cover with caulk.

Who knows what abuse the trailer had before the second owner? Like unlevel jacking in that area?

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by 5picker

So... we are looking at the bottom of the rear cap to wall area?

If so, OP better look at the top of the rear cap and see if the cap/roof sealing is compromised, allowing water to run down and rot out the area in the photo.

Any soft spots in the flooring inside at that area?

This is what I have learned over the last 10 years of RVing:
1. TTs are cheaply built.

2. TTs take a lot of abuse on the road, think about it?

3. You have to have the mind set that you will need to put in repairs fairly often, just like do on your home, maybe more.

4. Once you accept this mind set, it doesn't psychologically hurt as much.

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by Flybob

A little off topic, but if they never used it and allowed that to remain unfixed, I would check the roof seams as soon as possible.

I hava had this camper since 2019. I take it in on a yearly basis for maintenance and repairs.

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by NJKris

That looks like a HUGE gap between front cap and wall in the top pic, not just cracked sealant.

Correct. The wall and cap start separating last week. It's not just the sealant, that's an easy fix. Some of the screws are snapped in half and some are just pulled straight out.

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by PhilFromMaine

This is what I have learned over the last 10 years of RVing:
1. TTs are cheaply built.

2. TTs take a lot of abuse on the road, think about it?

3. You have to have the mind set that you will need to put in repairs fairly often, just like do on your home, maybe more.

4. Once you accept this mind set, it doesn't psychologically hurt as much.

You're totally right!!!

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Adrien

Correct. The wall and cap start separating last week. It's not just the sealant, that's an easy fix. Some of the screws are snapped in half and some are just pulled straight out.

Anything bump into that area or get hit by something?

Screws pulling out of rotten wood I can justify but screws don't usually "snap off" with the R/V just sitting stationary.

A jar to the lower corner on one side could also break loose the caulking on the opposite side.

I'll ask again... anything wet or rotten inside at that area?

[rsdata]

I take it in on a yearly basis for maintenance and repairs.

ya, but if they don't so it right stuff like this happens...

do you trust your maintenance repair people? or do they just take your money and give it a once over like they really care?

[hshaynes]

I have the same make and model as yours. I also have a similar issue on drivers front corner. Mine is self inflicted. I brushed fairly hard against my gas meter backing into my driveway. I may be incorrect but in looking at close up's of your pics it appears the screw heads have scraped or been scraped by something. And one pic shows what appears to be a light scrape.

[Adrien]

Screws were broken in half for sure. Took the camper in to Performance RV and Marine. They specialize in RV/Camper body work and service. They fixed the issue in less than 3 hours, resealed the camper and every looks better than it did from the factory!