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Old 11-08-2019, 08:21 AM   #1
Windsormike6
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Underbelly wrap repair

Had a tire blowout while evacuating from the fires in Northern California ,and it tore the under wrap on my trailer does anybody know how to repair it
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Old 11-08-2019, 10:26 AM   #2
sourdough
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Are you referring to the coroplast (looks like plastic cardboard) or the darco fabric above the tires (looks like a very thin, waffly sheet of plastic material)? The repairs are different. Also, do you need to repair or replace?
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Old 11-08-2019, 11:50 AM   #3
Windsormike6
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Are you referring to the coroplast (looks like plastic cardboard) or the darco fabric above the tires (looks like a very thin, waffly sheet of plastic material)? The repairs are different. Also, do you need to repair or replace?



It’s Darco fabric. Maybe both replace or or repair
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Old 11-08-2019, 11:52 AM   #4
Windsormike6
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It’s darco fabric 2002 sprinter can replace or repair it
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Old 11-08-2019, 02:44 PM   #5
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You say you can replace OR repair. I'd suggest replace. The repair tape is a bit thinner and if a portion of the wheelwell is damaged, the remaining part of the DARCO is very likely to be damaged and/or punctured by small rocks/stones that have been slung into it through the years.

You can buy replacement DARCO at any RV parts center, mobile home supply store (it's the same fabric that's used to cover the bottom of manufactured homes). The tape that's used to repair it is called SCRIM tape and is available in 2,4,6 inch and wider rolls. Keep in mind that it is a "film" and has a paper backing that needs to be removed to apply the tape. I find that anything wider than 6" is extremely difficult to apply properly because of the problems handling the tape while trying to remove the paper backing. I prefer the 4" SCRIM tape for most applications.

If I were you, I'd inspect the undamaged wheelwell carefully. Chances are there is water intrusion (through those small pinholes) and likely water damage to the underside of the wood used to form the wheelwell. I recently installed 1/4" HPDE sheeting to line my wheelwells. Although quite a bit heavier than the DARCO, it is structurally much stronger and I believe it will protect against those "pinholes" much better than the DARCO. I did leave the DARCO in place (and suggest you replace yours) as a second line of defense against water intrusion, under the HDPE sheeting.

There are some photos and a discussion of what I did in the thread located here: http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...ad.php?t=39472
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Old 11-08-2019, 03:51 PM   #6
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When the tire blew on this trailer it got the darco as well. It also cut through it and the flooring above it. Between new flooring material (underneath), spray expanding foam and new darco (along with coroplast) they fixed it. It fixed it but I am going to implement John's fix as soon as I get back to TX in the spring. I drove 3 days in almost non stop rain getting here and I have very little faith in the darco (or the repairs) for that kind of intense exposure to water - I want my floor to stay intact!!

I can also attest that the scrim type tape is difficult to deal with. Along with being very "persnickety" in how you handle it, I usually can't even get the paper backing to start to come off!! I use 4" as well. You can also buy 4'x4' (if I recall) sections of darco floor repair material from Amazon for areas that it would work on.
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Old 11-08-2019, 05:30 PM   #7
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Thank you for your reply how hard is it to replace
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Old 11-08-2019, 05:35 PM   #8
sourdough
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Darco or the scrim tape? Much different.
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Old 11-08-2019, 09:06 PM   #9
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The Darco do I have get it under the frame or anything like that
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Old 11-09-2019, 07:27 AM   #10
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The Darco do I have get it under the frame or anything like that
The original covering of Darco goes completely around the flooring before it is placed onto the frame as I understand it. The repairs I have seen do not lift the floor to put the Darco above the frame. You can put it on with a spray adhesive.
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Old 11-09-2019, 08:06 AM   #11
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That’s what I was thinking I would think it would be impossible to lift up the flooring so I’m thinking spray foam on the wood then the Darco thank yo for replying very much appreciated
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:36 AM   #12
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Replace coroplast

You can buy coroplast on Amazon. It might be preferable to trying g to repair it
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Old 11-17-2019, 04:05 PM   #13
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Glad you got the repairs done but you probably need to check your brakes and make sure the wiring didnt get ripped out as well. Mine did on two axles as the tire came apart and wrapped around the axle. Mine is a tripple axil but I lost brakes on two tires. Had to take them off splice the repairs and solder the connections and heat shrinks the repairs. Good luck
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Old 11-18-2019, 05:58 AM   #14
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I had 5he same thing happen in the middle of nowhere. I used woven sand bags and Gorilla tape and that lasted 5,000 kilometers. I later used stainless steel chimney flattened out and self drillingmetal screws into the frame which seem to be holding up fine.
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Old 11-18-2019, 09:27 AM   #15
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Underbelly wrap repair or improvements

Team,
After reading all these comments about the thin film keeping the water away from the underside of the "plywood" floor of all RVs, It seems everyone has this potential problem. To prevent the little holes in the film over time, should EVERYONE spray several thin layers of undercoat in that entire area over the wheel wells? I would think undercoat would help add another layer of protection or improvement. Or, would the weight of the spray undercoat sag overtime and actually tear the film?


I had a blowout in both wheelwells at different times which ripped out my thin film layer and it was repaireded by the dealer by two insurance claims. Who knows how long this "protection" will last on anyone's RV? What is the best protection in new RVs? Should I rewrite this as a general "stickey" for everyone to consider when they purchase a new RV?
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Old 11-18-2019, 10:17 AM   #16
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I suppose there are as many "arguments for" as there are "arguments against" spray on coatings in the wheelwells.

For me, (my opinion) is that any coating is ONLY as good as the base coating. So, for me, spraying something "stronger" on top of something "weaker" is only masking the problem. I agree, the spray coating "should" make the surface more resistant to rock/pebble damage, but it's still only as strong as the weakest link...

Sort of like having an issue with the primer coating on a metal surface. It doesn't matter how many "top coats you apply" they all will eventually flake away as the primer under them loses contact with the metal.... IMHO, it's the same with DACOR film and spraying "thicker, stronger coatings" that have a "base layer that's thin and easily torn"....

So, at least my thinking, is to install a tougher, "self supporting" layer over the DACOR. That "self supporting layer" should not get any of its strength or protective capability from the DACOR, but should be a "stand alone layer" capable of providing protection without the need for the DACOR that's "laying under it"...

I suppose someone could argue the other side of that coin, and I'd agree, ANYTHING that improves protection is better than the DACOR alone, but then we're back to "when it deteriorates or loses its strength to support the thicker layer......
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Old 11-18-2019, 11:10 AM   #17
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Bummer.
I had the same thing happen, except in addition to damaging the under-body & installation, the wiring to the running lights was ripped out and the trailer skirt was severely damaged as well. I had to gorilla tape the remnants of the skirt in place to get home.

Fixing the wiring was an easy task, replacing the skirt was expensive ($183 for a new skirt, $324 for painting to match (lowest estimate).

To repair the chunk of insulation and fabric, I took a slightly different route. I have ready access to coroplast so I cut away the shredded fabric and cut a piece of coroplast that was about 12" longer than needed. I created a huge pile of Great Stuff on the coroplast, and pushed into place, then removed it to make sure it filled the gap with expansion room. Prior to putting it in place permanently, I ran a very healthy bead of adhesive caulk around the perimeter of the coroplast patch. Once the patch was permanently in place, I went around the perimeter with screws to make sure the patch remained intact. I also put adhesive caulk on the fasteners to make sure they did not come out.

So far, it looks good. Oh yeah--I spray painted the coroplast flat black to mask its presence.

Did I mention that I was paranoid enough to put 5 new Goodyear Endurance tires on. The original tires were class C Load Range, and noticed that newer trailers by the same manufacturer and weight class were equipped with Class D tires. I followed suit and have class D tires.
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Old 11-18-2019, 03:34 PM   #18
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From Amazon and worked flawlessly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017UNKBBC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Eric
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Old 11-18-2019, 06:06 PM   #19
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From Amazon and worked flawlessly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Eric
Made it clickable for you.
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