Wheel Well Underside Material

[therink]

I have a 2010 Outback 5er. Was looking inside my wheel wells. I noticed that the underside of the floor above the tires is that darko material that feels soft with insulation behind it. Looks like same material as underside of slide outs.
I took a look at my buddy's 2007 Jayco 5er. The upperside of his wheel wells are lined with sheet metal, as should be.
I am disappointed that keystone would cut a corner here. All it would take is a flying rock or piece of road debris from the tires to pierce this material and cause a point for water intrusion. Has anyone had issues with this? I am thinking of lining with sheet metal myself for added protection.
Any thoughts from anyone on this?

[therink]

84 views and not one response? C'mon guys....

[Festus2]

I haven't regularly checked the material underneath the slide. When I have had reason to look in that area (spray slide mechanism, etc.) I have had a quick peek at that covering and not noticed anything unusual - rips, holes, etc. It seems to have remained intact.
At this point, it seems to be holding up well and I don't have any concerns about its integrity.

[Txoutback]

Mine is different material than the thicker, softer insulated material that is covering most of the underside. It looks like a moisture barrier sheet covering something hard like luan. I agree this should be a regular inspection point especially as she ages. It wouldn't take much to secure a thin guage aluminum plate there. I admit that I never did look under my last one I had for seven years so I do not know what was there or what shape it was in.
Dave

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

On my older TT had galvanized sheet metal liners in both wheelwells.

This one (see signature), has some sort of reinforced 'fabric'????? That doesn't mak much sense? WTF ???

Had a blow-out on I-70, in Ill. last Summer with the TT. Front Left. Tore the wheelwell skirt up and beat the crap outta the galvanized ..... but it held-up to the task .

Think they (Keystone and repair shops), got together on this one. Can't charge for a repair that doesn't need done...

my two pence worth;

hankaye

[therink]

I'm sure I'm worrying about something that hasn't gone wrong, but can't help think that this material wont stand the test of time. Like I said this material is the same stuff used under the slides (not belly) and it is cushy to the touch with nothing backing it (feels like insulation). I dont think we are talking kevlar here. Anyway, I plan on keeping this rig for a while and worry about water intrusion. I consider myself a caulk nazi. I have already had one small leak in slide wall that I caught and corrected. Just trying to be proactive.

[JRTJH]

Ours, like yours has the darko wrap in the wheelwells. I'm thinking of getting a couple of old (give away) pickup truck bed liners (the hard black plastic) and cutting the front end off to use as a wheel well liner. I'm thinking the weight would be much less than comprable strength galvanized steel. Just my thought, but the width of the bed liners is just about the same as the length of the wheel wells and I think they should fit without a lot of resizing. Any thoughts?

[therink]

Alright, now we are getting somewhere. I like the bed liner idea, but that could be hit or miss depending on what you find plus it might not seal well over the top of it allowing wet crud to accumulate. Lets keep trying here. I thought galvanized flashing would work if done right.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

The galvanized 'pans' that I spoke of eariler were about 0.040" thick.
strength to weight ratio is (IMHO), far and away stronger than the plastic of the bedliners. Also, much more puncture resistant. Again, IMHO.

hankaye

[Txoutback]

You also have to think about mounting it. Something flat would be easier to install. There are a line of screws along the edge on mine that could be removed and used for installation. The flashing would not be a bad idea if sized correctly.

[hankaye]

Txoutback, Howdy;

Rule we used to use when workin on our Military's finest Helicopters was simply this;

Cut to size...

File to fit...

Paint to match...

hankaye

[Txoutback]

Looking at mine a thin flashing could slide between the deck bottom and the frame but I do not know how far. A feeler gauge would answer this question. That ties one side and the screws mentioned before would tie the other. Radius the edges so not to cut the barrier. This actually looks like an easy mod.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by hankaye

Txoutback, Howdy;

Rule we used to use when workin on our Military's finest Helicopters was simply this;

Cut to size...

File to fit...

Paint to match...

hankaye

Hank, You forgot the most important (assuming you can't find the file) If it won't fit, get a bigger hammer. LOL

[THedges]

I have the same material and recently threw a tire thread and tore the heck out of it. I repaired the hole with a 1/4" thick sheet of vinyl. That is a terrible design.

[therink]

Thanks for the responses. I am hearing that everyone has the same soft material in their wheel wells as mine (?). And that no one has had issues with punctures, etc? Just curious. I am not going to line mine if I don't need to. Trust me, there are about 100 things I'd rather be doing, but will do this if will possibly add protection to the underside. These trailers aren't put together that well and I just want it to last. I think of that every time I make that payment. Yikes.

[bdaniel]

I want to do something about this but have not yet. On my previous Wildcat here is what I did.

Fabric Above Tires

Bobby

[therink]

Thanks bdaniel. Exactly what I was thinking. I'm glad I'm not the only one out there that lies in bed thinking of these things

[trucker LOU]

I had same problem as THedges and also used vinyl 1/4" sheeting also upgraded to D class tires. used lots of caulking to prevent water behind paneling. getting ready for cross country trip hope all goes well.

[scottb2222]

I recently had the treads come off on two of the tires on my trailer just purchased new in May. The tire pressures were normal and the unit was not overloaded, just a few clothes and food for a weekend trip.

Like you, I am very disappointed about the "corner cutting" in this area and even more disappointed with the response from the Keystone warranty people, which was to eff me off to the tire company to try to file a claim. The side of my trailer is now damaged and bent due to the faulty tires and the failure to re-inforce the wheelwell.

Once I get this fixed, I am looking at options to have the wheel well area re-inforced. I think something stronger than galvanized sheet metal is in order, the amount of damage that a tire tread can do would surprise you. Maybe 1/8" aluminum plating...

[mhs4771]

Which brand of exploding Chinese tires did you in?? Inquiring minds would like to know.