Manufacturer Forum - Coleman/Fleetwood

[BirdMan]

Lets talk Coleman/Fleetwood Problems, Concerns, Updates, Fixes, Bugs, ...

[chasd60]

The Manufacturer Forum-Viking used to have a Viking Rep participate in the discussion. I don't know if he still does but I don't think any of the other brands ever cared to participate at all.

[BirdMan]

With the number of people on this site who own Coleman/Fleetwood who needs a manufacturer rep.  Let's face it, if your camper is out of warranty the manufacturer may not be much help.  Most "reps" that deal with the public with most manufacturers are salesman and only want to sell you there newest widget.  They don't want to fix them.  I know as I used to be one of them salesman for a large Computer Mfg.

From what I have seen so far on this site it is more about "how to", modifications, fixes (out of warranty), sources of data/parts, ...  All great stuff for me.

[BirdMan]

I have a Coleman 2000 Fairview Pop-up that I bought used.  I noticed today while washing the trailer that I have a crack in the front skirting (not sure what they call this) of the trailer.  It cracked the siding, which looks to be plastic or thin fiberglass, which was probably done by a rock or something flying up from the road.

The skirting/siding in the front just to the side of the tong where it meets the box is where the crack is.  The siding is pretty flexible, again thin, and I assume it is supposed to be this way for expansion and contraction.

What would you suggest I fix this crack with?  It is the size of about a silver dollar and goes off in three directions.  Maybe silicone?  Epoxy?

[chasd60]

I have a Coleman 2000 Fairview Pop-up that I bought used. I noticed today while washing the trailer that I have a crack in the front skirting (not sure what they call this) of the trailer. It cracked the siding, which looks to be plastic or thin fiberglass, which was probably done by a rock or something flying up from the road.
 
The skirting/siding in the front just to the side of the tong where it meets the box is where the crack is. The siding is pretty flexible, again thin, and I assume it is supposed to be this way for expansion and contraction.
 
What would you suggest I fix this crack with? It is the size of about a silver dollar and goes off in three directions. Maybe silicone? Epoxy?

I'm gonna move this to the fix it forum where you will get a lot more responses.
 
I found what looks like a similar question on the PUX forum
http://www.popupexplorer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50575

[KimB]

I'm gonna move this to the fix it forum where you will get a lot more responses.
 
I found what looks like a similar question on the PUX forum
http://www.popupexplorer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50575

We are looking for a solution to a similar problem.  Birdman, did you try to repair your PUP yet?  We discovered cracks on our 2002 Colman Santa Fe.  They appear to start at the rivets where the metal frame meets the top edge of the box.  They are about 4-6" in length.  One is near the front corner and one is near the rear corner.

We have only had this trailor a few weeks.  Have not even been able to actually use it yet.  We are trying to figure out what caused the cracks because we are pretty sure they were not there when we bought it. :confused: For all of you experienced PUP owners out there any ideas?  Here are two of mine (with#2 being the most likely to me):

1.  We have had a lot of high wind gusts lately and the PUP has been sitting in the driveway set up (because we have been cleaning it, moving in our tent camping stuff, etc.).  Could the wind actually stress the box/frame enough to cause those cracks?

2.  While working on the lights between PUP and TV (PUP still set up), the PUP shifted (wheel chocks not secure) a couple of inches when taken off the TV hitch.  We were not planning on moving the PUP anywhere so left it set up (with stablizers still down).  Being new to this, we now realize the PUP should have been put down and stabilizers lifted!!  Could this slight shifting have caused the cracks??

These are the worst kind of mistakes to learn from because they usually end up costing $$$.

Thanks,
Kim

[austinado16]

Kim, I'm not sure where your cracks are, so maybe you can post a couple photos?

Are they in locations where you can replace that panel, or is that not possible?

Typically to repair a crack you first need to stop it from getting worse.  To do this, you would take a 1/16" drill bit and drill a hole right at the end of the crack.  This will keep it from getting longer.

There are a lot of glues and epoxies out there that can do great jobs of repairing stuff if the right product is used for the type of material that broken.

In your case, I guess you have to find out what your material is.  Fiberglass? Some sort of Plastic?  ABS?

If the cracks are still so close that they are just a line, then maybe all you want to do is drill the end so they don't get worse and then seal them on the surface so they don't leak. There's a clear product called "Lexal" that's sort of like silicone, but not rubbery, yet still flexible.  Very strong once dried, and very clear.  Maybe a thin coat of that?

If you're dealing with a plastic or ABS, these can be sort of chemically melted back together.  Like building a model as a kid with modeling glue.  Some instant glues.......Bondini2 and Bondini Gel......come to mind. These would be thin enough to seep into the crack, and chemically hot enough to melt the seam together, and clear enough to not be seen.

Just thinking outloud here, and maybe this will get you guys thinking about what repair method will or won't work.

[wavery]

I think that you may find that panel is made of ABS.

If it is just a hairline crack, you may be able to get away with drilling a hole at the end of the crack (like austinado16 said) then applying some ABS glue one the crack. That should chemically melt the surfaces back together.

If the crack is spread, someone here came up with a clever way to make your own ABS patching/filling material. You may want to use this to fill the drilled hole also.

Go buy some ABS tubing or sheeting and ABS glue at a hardware store. Cut or grind the tubing and save the particles from the grinding. Mix the particles with the glue to make a paste (about the consistency of cake frosting) then quickly wipe it into the crack and let it harden for a day. After it is hard, you can sand it smooth and paint it. Remember, you have a very short working time (a few seconds) with this paste so you will need to work quickly. You may want to experiment with it on a cut piece of ABC plastic first.

The cracks may have happened if you put too much weight on one of the stabilizers and flexed the frame. That panel is very light (as you stated) and won't take a lot of tress. It is squared to the box when it is fastened in place. If that box is forced out of square (by flexing the frame) it could crack that panel at the fasteners.

[flyfisherman]

I know of one successful repair of ABS plastic repair on a Coleman/Fleetwood, both for roof and panel cracks. I was surprised at how well it came out, but the problem is I cannot tell you about long term durability as the camper was traded in the following year on a new make and model and who knows who the new owner was and where the camper is today.

But I made notes!

The first thing is to get the proper repair materials. In this case the main product used was a two part epoxy filler/adhesive that was made speciffically for repairing ABS plastic. The second thing is to have the surface to be repaired properly prepared, i.e., cleaned and scuffed (sanded). The important issue with the ABS plastic, as I understand it, that in the manufacturing process the hot, molten plastic is injected into a steel mold and allowed to cool and harden. So that the formed plastic will come out of the mold easily they use a silicone mold release agent which gets impregnated into the plastic and then makes future use of adhesives difficult; as everyone knows, nothing sticks to silicone. To offset the effects of the silicone mold release agent, an aerosol adhesion promoter is recommended.

Like already posted, want to drill a small hole on each end of the crack to stop the spread of the crack. After the area is cleaned and scuffed, on the backside (as with the panels) where there maybe a gap, something has to be placed there so the epoxy adhesive will not simply ooze out the back - the one sided adhesive mesh tape used for dry walling is perfect, or even masking tape if push comes to shove. The adhesion promoter is then applied to the area that is to be glued (simply spray it on ... one medium coat will do). Mix the two part epoxy adhesive/filler on a mixing board and using a Bondo spreader and apply over the crack(s). You'll have about 10 minutes (max) to work with the epoxy before it starts to set up. Let it dry for maybe 6 hours (or whatever the directions say) and then sand it down even with the surrounding surface. Might have to apply a second coat to catch any low spots.

After the area is sanded down, then you'll want to apply a primer and nothing works better over an epoxy adhesive than a two part epoxy primer/sealer! Then apply a finish coat. The good thing about an epoxy primer/sealer is that it will take just about any kind of a finish coat you want to use! As with ANY paint job, the primer/sealer is more important than the finish coat.

Here's the manufacturer of the products used:

Rubber-Seal Products
Dayton, Ohio
1-(800)257-6547

Rigid Parts Filler RS-720  (2-part epoxy filler/adhesive)
Flexi-Grip RS-590 (adhesion promoter)
Epoxy Primer/Sealer RS-780Q (white or gray)

If you want to go to the effort (and expense), this will do the job.



Fly

[BirdMan]

Kim (and others):

Sorry in the delay in getting back to this website about the crack in the front of my Coleman Pop-up.  I tried drilling a small hole, using silicon, and other methods but none of them worked well.  The problem is by design the front of the pop-up has nothing behind it to prevent it from moving in & out as needed for wind and such.  I called a local Coleman repair place here in the Denver area and a service guy I talked to said the only way he know how to prevent any leaks is to replace the front panel of the trailer.  He said they are very costly and the installation of the front panel is not very easy.  So, I am still looking for another way to prevent moisture from getting in this 6" crack.

[beacher]

Kim (and others):Sorry in the delay in getting back to this website about the crack in the front of my Coleman Pop-up.  I tried drilling a small hole, using silicon, and other methods but none of them worked well. ....

Silicone - Bad, ABS glue and homemade filler - Good.  That's just about your only hope at repairing the cracked panel permanantly.  Yes, it is thin.  Yes, it is flexible.  Yes, it can be fixed.  You might want to remove the panel yourself to repair it from behind.   However, you should be able to "weld" the plastic from the surface by using a paste made from ABS shavings and MEK, (or ABS glue).

I called a local Coleman repair place here in the Denver area and a service guy I talked to said the only way he know how to prevent any leaks is to replace the front panel of the trailer.

Of course he would say that.  I wound not expect him to say anything other than that!

He said they are very costly and the installation of the front panel is not very easy.  So, I am still looking for another way to prevent moisture from getting in this 6" crack.

They are costly, mostly due to shipping charges.  However, they are not terribly difficult to remove and replace.  A few screws, perhaps some wires, some 3M heavy duty outdoor double sided tape for the reassembly, some time, and some handywork.  That's it.

If nothing else, there is a cheap and easy semi-permanent fix.  Go to your local marine hardware store, (or visit one online) and pick up a batch of white colored Marine Tex.  It should survive at least one camping trip, (probably much longer).  It can be sanded and painted when it sets.