removing underbelly

timk

Well-known member
Anybody ever removed their underbelly material?
Thinking about running some wires, and wondering what kind of job I would be getting into.

Thanks TimK
 

Dusty

Well-known member
I cant wait for a reply to this one, I have thought of doing that too, but I am kinda afraid to kick that dog, lest I get bit.

Dusty
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
I'll go ahead and venture some un-official guidance.

Some caveats first:
  • This may void the underbelly portion of your warranty (don't go by me though - check with Heartland to be certain)
  • This is not a simple or quick job
  • OEM materials will be required to seal it back up properly
  • Additional external supports are required to prevent sagging
I had the underbelly entered on my Landmark recently in order to make a repair. The facility that did it was Leisure Specialties in Elkhart.

I called them today. The owner's name is Lance (he was out). I spoke to the shop foreman, Joe. I asked him how they go about cutting out the underbelly, then repairing the cut out section. Below is what I learned over the phone. Note that I have never done this myself and am only trying to pass along what I was told. Use your own judgement.
  • The Landmark and Bighorn use the same corrugated plastic underbelly material
  • The material is applied at the factory to the frame in one of the first steps of assembly. It is rolled on from a master reel, then screwed into place "from the inside" of the frame. I've seen this done.
  • When the repair company cuts a section out, they will over cut the length (front to rear) in order cut it at a beam (frame cross-member) - this is critical
  • When they go to repair the cut out section, they use a new piece of material. They under cut the width slightly and over cut the length by about a foot. They do this so they can under-lap the new piece into the cut out section.
  • The new section at each end is to be screwed into place on the frame cross-members.
  • Sealant is applied at the long-side seams, then the perimeter is taped using underbelly tape
  • Finally, external angle iron cross members are screwed into place under the new section to prevent sag. This I am told is critical. I assume the longer the cut out, the more critical this is and the more external angle iron cross members needed
Leisure Specialties told me they sell and UPS the underbelly material and tape and that they take phone orders (574-970-1074 - Renee Funderburk: renee@lsirv.com) for it. Just tell them the size cut out you plan to make.

Best of luck and if anyone does this, please take pictures and give us all a review of how it went.

Jim
 
Last edited:

davebennington

Senior Member
They must have changed the way they atrach the underbelly. On our Golden Gate the screws are from the bottom into the frame.

Dave
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Could be Dave.

On my trailer (s/n 378), it looks like they cut off the portion of the screws that penetrate downward, through the frame member. From underneath my trailer, I see quite a few of these snapped off screws (threads flush with the frame). Makes more sense to me now as I was a bit puzzled at the factory seeing them zipping screws in from the top - wondering where the rest of the screw was going.

Jim
 

fireflipper

EX-Travel Bug
Fireflipper

Well back in May I had to have the whole underbelly opened for leak repairs. I watched the tech through the whole job. As Jim stated the coregated material is screwed on from the inside of the frame. The tech felt for the cross bracing and cut the plastic on each member, he had to cut around the screws in the frame, no way to remove the screws. When he put it back together he taped the cuts and used pieces of metal trim and screwed them to the cross members, than caulked the entire length along the frame. I did have to reseal a few places a few months later due to shrinkage, but hey I get bored and look for things to do once in a while.
 

timk

Well-known member
It looks like I might be answering my own question this weekend.

While just poking around under our rig this evening, checking out a section where the dealer or factory made a repair to the underbelly. I found some red fluid leaking out of the repair area. Draw your own conclusions as to why there was a hole cut previously and there is now hydraulic fluid leaking out of a brand new rig. The dealer made the repair by using silver foil tape and black silicone. Well that plan didn't work, might have had something to do with the fluid running all over the place.

Well, being stubborn and not trusting the dealer, I am going to pull the underbelly down and see where the leak is.

My plan is not to butcher the underbelly. I am going to simply drill out the teks the factory installed. Hopefully they are soft enough to drill. They have all been cut off with an abrasive wheel, which is going to make drilling them out easier, and hopefully it softened them up a bit. Then I will pull it all down and have a look see, and clean off all the fluid. I hope to be able to replace the underbelly by bolting it back down. I plan to send a 1/4" bolt with a fender washer or two back into the same holes from above so the nut will be exposed below the frame. On our rig the underbelly and foil stuff just sits on the lower web of the I beam frame. And It appears the underbelly is flexible enough to get the bolts in from the top.

Anybody thinking I'm nuts? I'd be happy to hear your opinion. I have already fixed a hundred little things that the factory/dealer missed. You know those little things you dint notice until you've spent a few weeks in your rig. And I'm the kinda guy thats not taking it back to the dealer unless the sides fall off, so the obvious reply of I'd take it back to the dealer is a valid opinion but not necessarily mine.

Any suggestions are welcome
TimK
 
K

Ken Washington

Guest
Sounds like you have a priblem with the lift system and if still under warranty, I would find a dealer to look at it. I believe that this system has a longer warranty than the trailer and will not be a simple fix. Please let us know what the problem is and how you fixed it.
 

timk

Well-known member
Removed the underbelly with pictures (kinda)

Well necessity is the mother of motivation.

Turns out it wasn't very hard to get the underbelly material off. Drilled out the factory screws from the bottom. I went in with a 1/8" bit first then a size or two larger ( wanted to be carefully not to enlarge the screw holes ) and the larger bit simply unscrewed the screw.

So drill out a couple of screws, remove a bunch of screws, and it practically falls on your head.

The leak turned out to be a hydraulic hose that was finger tight. Amazing it didnt leak worse than it did. So that was a simple fix.

I think my bolting idea will work as the mateial is rather flexible. Plan to use a 3" bolt so that its a little easier getting things started. And then just cut the bolts off like the factory did with their screws. Shouldnt be any problem using the old holes.

Here are the pictues, mainly of the water tank, but you can see one of the screws holding the underbelly down from above before it has been removed. http://home.earthlink.net/~djshomeimprovement/data/water%20tank/

So dont be afraid if you have to. But I would want a pretty good reason to do it again.

TimK
 

jaawalke

Member
under belly

my dealer already cut my mine open before I even picked it up.They really hacked it up I have brought it back twice to have it repaired and they fix it the same way, with tape. every trip I make I am repairing tape. I will have to buy the material myself and do my own repair.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
jaawalke,

I suggest that you:

1. Take digital pictures
2. Write up the detail of what has happened step-by-step
3. Contact Heartland Factory
4. Email the factory contact the pictures and the step-by-step detail
5. Request materials be sent to you to make repairs if you are comfortable doing them (I'd think materials would be at N/C - my guess only) or request approval to have repairs made by another qualified RV shop with Heartland factory support and materials

Best of luck and please let us know how this come out for you.

Jim
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
I am this close >< to ordering a new 3055RL. Is this under belly a big PITA as it sounds! Do other manufactures have this one piece design? I figured the bottom would be put on in sections so you could get a stuff as needed.
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
ChopperBill, I have not had the need to access my one piece underbelly but I have read in other forums that it is not that hard. Just cut where you want to access the underside making sure you have at least one cut along the frame. When putting your underside back together simply use aluminum screws with a washer and screw into the frame. You can then tape the cut area, I understand there is a special underbelly tape, and there is also a black mastic tape you can also use. Hope this helps.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Thanks Tom! I guess another novice question. How do you know where to cut the bottom to go after something that needs repaired? Is there a schematic that tells were all the components are?
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
I know of no schematic for the underside. You may want to get ahold of the factory to see if they have one or come to the rally in June and take the factory tour with the rest of us and learn more about the Heartland products.
 

timk

Well-known member
I have lost track of the orig. question, but if its its to correct a sagging tank, it is not necessary to cut the underbelly to fix the problem. If anybody is interested, I have some pictures of how I did it.
TimK
 

L'l John

Well-known member
Show pictures! Or email them to me.

I have a 3400RL on order and I wonder if the factory has addressed this sagging tank problem.
 

svd

Well-known member
I would like to see the pictures too. Is this the fresh water tank, or one of the others that sags? Thanks
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
:confused: Cant see how you can get to the tanks unless you go through the under belly or cut a hole in the floor. :confused: Need to seen those pixs.
 

timk

Well-known member
Water tank brace

Couldn't figure out how to upload pics, so here is a link; hope it works.

http://home.earthlink.net/~djshomeimprovement/data/water%20tank%20brace/index.html

I did take off the underbelly to see what was going on, and here is what was happening to my tank; Picture a ladder where the sides of the ladder are the main I beams in our rigs. The rungs of the ladder are the cross bracing that Heartland has installed. Now what they did, at least on my rig was to run a flat strap of steel from the middle of one "rung" to the middle of the next "rung", on top of that there is a piece of osb that the tank sits directly on top of.

What my tank was doing when it was full up is to pull those "rungs" closer together, bending them at the bottom, which in turn caused the flat strap of steel to sag, and the osb went down as well.

The brace that you see in my pictures sits in the middle of my tank, holding up the flat strap of steel and everything else. If you fill your tank you should be able to see the tank. The cross braces "rungs" can be found by feeling around. Mine have screws into them holding up the belly, so it's pretty ez to find them.

One benefit is that now I can really load up the water tank now. 70 plus gallons.


Happy bracing.
TimK
 

Attachments

  • End of brace before installing.jpg
    End of brace before installing.jpg
    17.9 KB · Views: 168
  • P101a4 (1).jpg
    P101a4 (1).jpg
    26.3 KB · Views: 161
  • P101a4 (3).jpg
    P101a4 (3).jpg
    27.7 KB · Views: 163
  • P101a4 (5).jpg
    P101a4 (5).jpg
    24.5 KB · Views: 151
  • P101a4 (6).jpg
    P101a4 (6).jpg
    26.3 KB · Views: 155
  • All done.jpg
    All done.jpg
    22.8 KB · Views: 155
Last edited by a moderator:
Top