Nose cap bulge

[scycle]

After our last trip on some rough highways, I noticed a small bulge at the bottom of the sidewall, right behind nose cap. passenger side. It's a very solid, like new condition 2012 318SAB and I see no signs water damage. Could it be just age and frame flexing?

[flybouy]

Posting a picture would help. While roads are terrible they won't cause delamination. With a 10 yr old camper and being next to the front cap I suspect water intrusion either from the cap or the pass thru door. From your description I would inspect the joint at the front cap to sidewall and use an appropriate caulk (not automotive silicone) to seal it.

[scycle]

A few pics, It's difficult to get a good angle but I can tap around and hear where it's not as solid. It shows up the most in the brown stripe about 8" from lower trim and 18" from nose cap. It is under cover and has been with us and previous owner and all the joints look good, is very well taken care of.

[bsmith0404]

Looks like delam. Doesn’t always take water intrusion to cause it. I’ve seen it happen many times on new trailers from heat. I know you said it’s covered, but does that part of the rv get exposed to sun while it’s under the covered storage?

[scycle]

Yes it gets late afternoon and evening sun. Thought about removing the lower trim and getting some adhesive up behind it.

[bsmith0404]

Typically they repair them by injecting at the sight, not coming in from a nearby access point. I’ve seen delam repairs “work” for the spot they repaired, but more times than not another will occur with in a few inches of the original. I don’t know if it’s because the area was already compromised or if the repair caused the new compromise. One thing I do know is they never get better on their own.

[JRTJH]

RV service centers usually don't do this kind of repair. They normally "farm it out to a specialty shop"....

If you have a marine service center nearby, they are "skilled in fiberglass repair" and do a lot more of this type repair than an RV service center would do.

Also, if you know a "fiberglass bath tub refinishing business" near you, they may be able to give you some advice on how to best repair your trailer. Having seen some of the "magic a bath tub dealer" did to our jacuzzi tub, I'd challenge anyone to even find the repairs... Truly a "impossible to see" kind of fix.

But, the first issue is, IMO, to find and fix the cause of the problem.

[bsmith0404]

Based on the look/location of it, I’d be willing to bet it’s heat related delam. I’d still check everything real well as suggested and sounds like you already have, but you may not find anything. Down in the southwest, I’ve seen a lot of it. Some brands are worse than others. One brand we sold at the dealership where I worked (not a Keystone) seemed like 50% of the trailers that sat on the lot more than 6 months would get it. Saw many others come back for warranty claims. The dealer had an outside contract for a guy to complete these repairs. He did ok, most people would never know, but a good eye could see it, especially if you knew where to look. I don’t know what his process was, but I do know I saw more than one come back within a year and have another bulge within 12” of the original. I also know that delam left unfixed tends to grow.