I have a 2012 Bighorn 3685 that started to delam about 1 year ago. A bubble appeared on the kitchen slide. The bubble was about 2-3 inches in diameter. I took a few pics and sent them to Heartland CS. After speaking to 3-4 dealers/repair shops, the consensus was that it should go back to Heartland for wall replacement. Keep in mind, I am still under warranty. Heartland at the time would not approve bringing back to factory for sidewall replacement. I decided on not doing any repair at that time due to the fact the bubble was so small and not very noticeable. I did not want to have a patch repair done to the sidewall because I am fearful that the repair will not match and will weather differently over time. Heartland CS agreed to let it be and wait and see if it gets larger. From my perspective, I'd rather live with a small delam bubble than to have it patched which would be more noticeable. They made notes on my service record that they would cover the repair even out of warranty since I reported it early on, if it were to get worse.
When I got the coach out this spring the bubble had not increased in size... until a later trip when the bubble grew to about 6 inches. It's now very noticeable. I've now decided to move forward with a repair.
I've talked to twelve (12) shops, dealers, independent RV repair facilities, fiberglass shops, etc. Out of that dozen, 4 would not do the work (said Heartland should replace sidewall), 5 would do the repair but said it may not match perfectly and will weather differently. Two shops would do the work but HIGHLY recommended it go back to factory. One shop said they would do the repair and do it right. I'm in the process of getting quotes.
The majority of the opinions on the repair are that a patch job would not be a good idea. At this time, that is the only thing Heartland will approve. On top of that, Heartland CS rejected the ONLY quote I felt good about. In other words, the repair facility spent the most time explaining their repair process, provided the most detailed quote, had the best references, specializes in these types of repairs, and assured me of satisfaction with the repair... right down to gloss level matching. Their quote, of course, was the highest by far. You only get what you pay for right?
So after that lengthy explanation, what are your experiences with fiberglass repair and the lasting quality of such work? Would you be satisfied with this repair? I’m not an expert in fiberglass but have an extensive boating history and have seen and been part of repairs from the boating perspective. I can say from my experience that most gel coat repairs I’ve seen do weather differently over time. Most noticeably, they get yellow and dull.
Yes… it bothers me that my new coach will be patched and not properly repaired.
What would you do in my situation?
PS: The delam is not due to water infiltration. That’s already been verified by multiple parties. I am anal about the maintenance of the coach. I inspect almost monthly except during winter when it is under cover. I have re-caulked several areas since I’ve owned the coach. This delam is not due to lack of maintenance or care. In fact, I’ve been accused of being too maintenance conscious… if that’s even possible.
When I got the coach out this spring the bubble had not increased in size... until a later trip when the bubble grew to about 6 inches. It's now very noticeable. I've now decided to move forward with a repair.
I've talked to twelve (12) shops, dealers, independent RV repair facilities, fiberglass shops, etc. Out of that dozen, 4 would not do the work (said Heartland should replace sidewall), 5 would do the repair but said it may not match perfectly and will weather differently. Two shops would do the work but HIGHLY recommended it go back to factory. One shop said they would do the repair and do it right. I'm in the process of getting quotes.
The majority of the opinions on the repair are that a patch job would not be a good idea. At this time, that is the only thing Heartland will approve. On top of that, Heartland CS rejected the ONLY quote I felt good about. In other words, the repair facility spent the most time explaining their repair process, provided the most detailed quote, had the best references, specializes in these types of repairs, and assured me of satisfaction with the repair... right down to gloss level matching. Their quote, of course, was the highest by far. You only get what you pay for right?
So after that lengthy explanation, what are your experiences with fiberglass repair and the lasting quality of such work? Would you be satisfied with this repair? I’m not an expert in fiberglass but have an extensive boating history and have seen and been part of repairs from the boating perspective. I can say from my experience that most gel coat repairs I’ve seen do weather differently over time. Most noticeably, they get yellow and dull.
Yes… it bothers me that my new coach will be patched and not properly repaired.
What would you do in my situation?
PS: The delam is not due to water infiltration. That’s already been verified by multiple parties. I am anal about the maintenance of the coach. I inspect almost monthly except during winter when it is under cover. I have re-caulked several areas since I’ve owned the coach. This delam is not due to lack of maintenance or care. In fact, I’ve been accused of being too maintenance conscious… if that’s even possible.
