Delamination?

[wgee]

We are starting to look at some used hybrid campers.   I've heard of the term "delamination".  Can someone please comment on exactly what this is?  Is it common to see?  Is there no fix for it?  Does this condition only apply to the one piece fiberglass campers?  Thanks in advance for your input here!

[wavery]

We are starting to look at some used hybrid campers.   I've heard of the term "delamination".  Can someone please comment on exactly what this is?  Is it common to see?  Is there no fix for it?  Does this condition only apply to the one piece fiberglass campers?  Thanks in advance for your input here!

De-lamination can happen to any "Laminated" material like plywood or fiberglass.

Fiberglass and plywood is laid up in layers each layer is laminated to the other.

In the case of plywood, the layers are actually glued together but in fiberglass, each layer of glass is laid on the last layer while it is still in the "Wet" state (Not yet cured). Technically, it becomes one solid piece when it is done right. However, if one layer has already started curing before the next layer is put on, it can de-laminate at a later time.

Neither medium can be "Re-laminated" effectively.

However, the process of laminating fiberglass to plywood is a little different. It is a matter of laying down a layer of gel-coat (in a mold) laying several layers of fiberglass (wet-on-wet) then soaking the plywood with resin then laying it on the fiberglass (again, wet-on-wet). Usually, what happens is that the plywood gets wet and it is actually the plywood itself that de-laminates.

It's usually best just to get a new sheet of plywood and lay up some fiberglass on it, then paint it with an LP paint rather than try to glue the plywood back together.

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

Delamination usually starts out with little bubbles in the skin on the sides of the trailers. It was a big problem with Filon materials several years ago.

I haven't heard about it happening for a while.

D.

[Mike Up]

The reason why I bought stick and tin. I've seen delamination on newer campers and it surely made me gun shy. It is very expensive to fix and you are usually off better trashing it and buying a new camper.

For example, I seen a brand new Starcraft Hybrid that was damaged by an accident. The laminated walls can NOT be repaired, they can only be replaced. The side wall was $4000 and the labor to install it was another $4000. The  total cost of the repair was $8000!! If this would had been a used camper, it was new, it would had been better to total it out and buy a new camper.
 
Laminated walls are a fiberglass outter layer, luan inner layer, on top of either wood or aluminum frame (1" to 2" framing), styrofoam insulation is cut and glued inbetween framing, then another interior luan is added, then the actual interior decorative wall board. They are all glued together and pressed together.
 
Either by defect or water intrusion, the fiberglass will show bubbling where it's glue has failed and it starts to pull away from the laminated panel. Once this happens, you usually have to replace the entire wall. KEEP UP ON YOUR MAINTANENCE!!
 
Have a good one.