Floor repair on Bullet

[Northofu1]

That FRP is pretty solid. Rec centers, especially arenas, use this product. Kids wail pucks off it all the time, never had to replace it. It's attached with the same nylon fasteners you see in most rv showers. That is one product im looking into doing mine with.

[German Shepherd Guy]

I am "retired", but a failure at that as a friend who owns a Navajo Weaving art gallery drafted me to work for him. BUT, it is seasonal and I will have almost two months off starting in April so that is when I am doing my wheel wells on the 26RBPR. Have already got the adhesives and caulks and scoped out the materials I plan to use at my local Home Depot. A rubber like material that I do not know the composition of but looks like it will do the job nicely. Thanks John for the original heads up I have been planning this now for awhile. I have also recruited a mechanic friend of mine to teach me how to pack the wheel bearings. I have a big April/May planned as far as the TT goes.

[skids]

FRP looks like a protective layer onto plywood. While it is probably a lot better than what we purchased from Keystone, I think I am going for HDPE as it is solid marine plastic (as far as I can tell).

[08quadram]

FRP panels can be purchased without a plywood or OSB backer

[flybouy]

FRP (fiberglass reinforced panel) is a great product but is not a "stand alone" product. It's a covering that's typically used over sheetrock in wet areas like kitchens, bathrooms, water heater surrounds, mop sinks,etc. Made out of resin with fiberglass reinforcement it's water resistant and doesn't conduct electricity. It's brittle so it's typically attached via adhesive.

[Northofu1]

Originally Posted by flybouy

FRP (fiberglass reinforced panel) is a great product but is not a "stand alone" product. It's a covering that's typically used over sheetrock in wet areas like kitchens, bathrooms, water heater surrounds, mop sinks,etc. Made out of resin with fiberglass reinforcement it's water resistant and doesn't conduct electricity. It's brittle so it's typically attached via adhesive.

^^^^x2 It needs a backer but takes a beating

[skids]

My Bullet has a slide on the drivers side (of course) and the outriggers are on the outside of the split axle tire areas.

Driver’s side: There is a horizontal wiper for the slide in that long span. The wiper causes the area to be covered to be 8 & 7/8 By 79 inches. So I am guessing that the slide wiper and its aluminum clam base should not be covered for maintenance. The length would need bracing so I was thinking of using angle iron (or aluminum if it doesn’t break the bank) to run under the HDPE and attach to the outrigger flanges somehow.

Passenger Side: The passenger side does have an outrigger between the axles and the lengths will be 36.5 and 50.5 inches by 12.5 inches wide. The problem with that side is that there are vertical bolts (lag bolts?) along the outer edge on about 9 or 10 inch centers. I don’t know how to deal with those after hearing about the warnings concerning the outriggers. Should I remove them and reinstall to support the new panels, Or should I drill holes big enough diameters to “surround” them and their washers?

[JRTJH]

skids,

Why not cut the HDPE to fit between the outriggers and use self tapping screws/washers to secure it to the wheelwell. Then seal the area with DICOR. Use the outriggers to your advantage, not as a "obstruction".

As for the lag bolts along the trailer sidewall, just mark them (measure or 4 times) then lay the HDPE so the bolt heads fit in the holes. Once secured, use DICOR to seal those holes. You can always "dig it out" if you need to remove the HDPE sheeting.

[skids]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

skids,

Why not cut the HDPE to fit between the outriggers and use self tapping screws/washers to secure it to the wheelwell. Then seal the area with DICOR. Use the outriggers to your advantage, not as a "obstruction".

As for the lag bolts along the trailer sidewall, just mark them (measure or 4 times) then lay the HDPE so the bolt heads fit in the holes. Once secured, use DICOR to seal those holes. You can always "dig it out" if you need to remove the HDPE sheeting.

I thought that you secured yours with screws only at the corners where the outriggers are and sealed around edges. “Using the outriggers to my advantage” means that it is a sealant edge, right? I read something about 1.5 inch self-tapping screws where a couple were predrilled but I am not sure where those (all) were installed. If you installed them along the outer edge and covered them with Dicor, I couldn’t tell with the photos. I have a length of 79 inches so I am sure I need more screws than just the corners! I also wonder if the thickness of the materials above the wheel well is different where the slide is located. Also, as I explained, I have a slide where the wiper was installed along the outer edge, so I guess I only cover the wheel well up to the wiper assembly? Please give me more detail because I am dense as cement when it comes to this trailer. Thanks in advance John. I really appreciate your help. Sorry for being a pest. Sid

[busterbrown]

Just read 6 pages of this thread. "Damm" you folks for finding another fault in the cost saving design of some of our coaches.

Just another thing to do to mine before it's pulled to Alaska this summer. What I'm told is to expect lots of rain, lots of gravel roads, and lots of flying rocks. "Damm" you Darco underbelly covering too.

John, thanks for the explicit DIY fix pics.

[JRTJH]

skids,

You won't have a 79" panel of HPDE, you'll have several shorter panels that fit between each of the outrigger locations. On mine, I have 4 panels on the road side and 3 panels on the curb side. As for predrilled holes, I found that trying to drill through the HPDE into the outrigger fold can cause the screw to "wallow out the HPDE", so I drilled through the HPDE along the edges (into wood) and then predrilled holes on the ends where the screws went through the outriggers.

I'd guess (just a WAG) that I've got 10-20 screws in each of the panels. There's LOTS more than just 4 in the corners..... The reason you can't see all the screws is because the DICOR covers them, something I definitely wanted to do, since water wicking up the screw threads during towing would be nearly as damaging as "screen door DARCO"....

[skids]

Thanks John. The light bulb went on finally. The hdpe is readily available for online orders, but shipping is ridiculous through ePlastics for a 4x8 ft sheet.

BTW, there is a video on youtube where a guy fixes wheel wells damaged from blowouts with sheet metal. It is interesting. The sheet metal is bent 90 degrees. He removes the fender and slips the metal between the floor and the frame. Then he screws the side into a horizontal brace. FWI, I don’t have a brake for bending sheet metal so I will be using the hdpe (1/4 inch).

[CampNBrew2]

You should be able to find a local plastics shop/distributor who can get you that sheet. Its expensive stuff no matter which way you go.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by CampNBrew2

You should be able to find a local plastics shop/distributor who can get you that sheet. Its expensive stuff no matter which way you go.

I paid $60 for a 4x8 sheet of 1/4" HPDE at Menards. I could have special ordered the 1/8" sheets (not carried in store stock) for $49 but shipping per sheet was (if I remember the quote correctly) $70, making the 1/8" thick HPDE almost double the price of the thicker sheets.

If there's a Menards nearby, they should have the black 1/4" sheets in stock.

https://www.menards.com/main/buildin...89-c-14048.htm

[danf]

Update: I still don't have my camper due to Covid. It's been at the dealer since March since having the floor replaced at the dealer. The dealer has been closed and are just barely opening back up.



Interestingly Keystone send me a letter with:


"Because we are so confident in this product, Keystone is willing to extend the limited one-year warranty on the “NEXT GENERATION” composite flooring material for twelve months from the repair date. In addition, Keystone will extend the limited one-year warranty for twelve months from the repair date on all of our workmanship which is applicable to the floor replacement, including: (a) slide-out operation; (b) exterior seams and joints; (c) sidewall lower skirt metal; (d) LP gas system; (e) electrical system; (f) fresh water system; and (g) plumbing system"


So that's nice. They must really take them apart to fix them. I'd love to see how they do it from just a pure curiosity perspective. I'm dying (well not enough to brave covid) to see how it looks.

[CampNBrew2]

I assume they replaced it with their new "water resistant composite" flooring they keep bragging about in their sales pitch? It's nice to see the manufacturers finally embracing and moving on with technology after so many years of rotted floors in trailers.
I hope you have many happy outings once you get it back.

[Summergirl]

[QUOTE=danf;394410]Update: I still don't have my camper due to Covid. It's been at the dealer since March since having the floor replaced at the dealer. The dealer has been closed and are just barely opening back up.

I am waiting to see how yours turned out. Ours is scheduled to go to the Oregon plant for replacement next month. I have read and seen pictures of one that came back and the owners were not happy. Hope they are getting better at doing them with so many to be done.

[6.2 Superduty]

My 2018 269rls came back from the Indiana floor replacement plant about six weeks ago. My dealer took care of a few trim items to make it satisfactory. I was denied a tour of the floor replacement plant. Total time without trailer,four months.

[Roose17]

[QUOTE=Summergirl;394440]

Originally Posted by danf

.... I have read and seen pictures of one that came back and the owners were not happy. Hope they are getting better at doing them with so many to be done.

Ours gets picked up next week to head to Indiana. I hope they extend the warranty for the repair work beyond six months; because it can take months to find an issue. I am curious if besides fixing the floor they are actually addressing the causes of the water damage. We have floor damage under the bunks, along the entrance door and under the front baggage doors. I have enough sealant and Dicor on this camper to cover 2 units. Can you share where you read others bad experience? --Thanks

[NotyetMHCowner]

Subscribed.

I will be doing this repair myself, unfortunately. I have to take out the kitchen slide too. I am curious how your repair was done at the factory, Dan. Luckily I dont have a large space to repair, but under the slide is the biggest hurdle.