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Old 09-21-2015, 04:37 PM   #21
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I just had the manufacture "fix" mine. They replaced the cap. Told me that the gel coat now is better than it was 4 years ago. What i am wondering now is should i spend the money to have a clear coat sprayed on the cap now that it is brand new or take a chance?
You can't clear coat gelcoat. It would need to be sanded down, painted, then cleared. I can't believe they would replace the cap rather than repainting. Sounds very expensive and major surgery. I hope they gave you a warranty on the new cap!
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Old 09-21-2015, 06:22 PM   #22
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Even the white fades. Harder to see and no amount of waxing will prevent or cure the problem. This is another issue that FR has allowed to happen by taking the cheap way out. The Darco wrap was a fiasco and many won't see the rot until it is too late.
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Old 09-22-2015, 06:09 AM   #23
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I have repaired a few of these at our shop, the ONLY way to do it is to remove decals, sand the whole area down to at least 320grit(this is a good time to fix any chips/dings), prep for paint, apply an automotive grade base coat-either match existing or come up with a different scheme, then apply at least 2 if not 3 coats of clear. I have also applied the decals to the basecoat and cleared over the whole thing at once, the theory being the decal will never fade, and have had no issues. Find a shop that you trust and most importantly has a booth big enough for this project, these rigs are way to expensive to have this project done in some dirt floor shop. IMO the dollar amount mentioned above of 1100 for this repair is adequate, assuming that does not cover the cost of the decal as well.
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Old 09-22-2015, 08:30 PM   #24
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wow.... I didnt get any email notifications about responses to this. I just put down a deposit on a 300bhs with the cap. It is a 2016 model that the dealer has had for a few months. Hope I dont have any issues with it.
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Old 09-22-2015, 10:01 PM   #25
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wow.... I didnt get any email notifications about responses to this. I just put down a deposit on a 300bhs with the cap. It is a 2016 model that the dealer has had for a few months. Hope I dont have any issues with it.
Did you order one?

I see some, maybe the latest?? come with a lighter cap.

2016 Coachmen Apex 300BHS, Lexington NC - - RVtrader.com
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Old 09-23-2015, 05:22 AM   #26
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yeah I live 1.5 hrs away from that place. I went there on Monday to buy that one if they would work as little on the price. I was told they didn't negotiate at all. Well I could get the 50th annv. package cheaper than that one so I walked. I'll take my chances plus the cap looks more "high end". I may build a shed to store it in to help with the potential issues.
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Old 09-23-2015, 09:03 AM   #27
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Campfire, I contacted the manufacture in Oregon and they told me that if I brought the rig there that they would take care of it. They decided to order a new front cap and replace it. Not a big deal for the manufacture to do, they do not have a spray booth there. It looks really good I am just concerned that it is going to do the same thing the old cap did. They told me that they have in the past sanded and buffed the oxidation off and re-sealed and have had success but elected to just have the cap replaced. I dont want want to spend 1500 dollars to now have it painted.....
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Old 09-23-2015, 09:23 AM   #28
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My 2015 Chaparral is having the fading issue as mine has the dark brown cap. What a mess. Dealer does not want to deal with it so I have been in touch with Coachmen and under warranty they will fix it but I have to find a body shop, provide them with a quote, they need to approve, I pay and then they reimburse me. The dealer that I bought this from sucks.
Might just be easier to schedule a camping trip to Goshen; get it fixed at the factory.
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Old 09-23-2015, 02:19 PM   #29
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Might just be easier to schedule a camping trip to Goshen; get it fixed at the factory.
Last time I was there, Coachmen has their own "camping" sites for those coming in to have work done. It is at the factory in Middlebury, Indiana.
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Old 09-23-2015, 03:54 PM   #30
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Might just be easier to schedule a camping trip to Goshen; get it fixed at the factory.

Long story short, I tried the Rally route, I made an appointment at the Coachmen factory on August 7 for the cap and the leaking windows and Coachmen just buffed out the spider cracks on the cap, they probably did more harm than good and they only caulked my windows. Now they are going to replace the leaking windows through the dealer and I have to deal with the fading cap on my own but Coachmen will reimburse me. Coachmen is no where near as accomodating as the folks at Rockwood/Flagstaff or some of the other FR groups. Needless to say I am disappointed and would love to get rid of this and go to another FR product. But I am in debt with this one. Just frustrated.
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Old 09-23-2015, 03:55 PM   #31
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Last time I was there, Coachmen has their own "camping" sites for those coming in to have work done. It is at the factory in Middlebury, Indiana.
Yes, we stayed there one night.
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Old 09-24-2015, 07:39 PM   #32
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brochure says the Apex 300 bhs has a painted cap so we'll see how it does
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Old 09-25-2015, 11:14 AM   #33
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If it is painted then you won't have any issues, it'll be just like a car finish.
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Old 10-11-2015, 08:47 AM   #34
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We should be hearing from the dealer to set up a appointment this week.I had called them while we were on our East Coast trip.Hope to get it winterized this week to be ready for the down time.They have had this body shop in Tulsa paint several of the fading caps.We shall see how it goes.
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Old 10-12-2015, 08:25 AM   #35
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Mine goes in tomorrow. I have the dark gray cap and thinking about going white. They have given approval but I haven't decided. I like the gray but don't want problem five or six years down the road.
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