How To Repair Fiberglass Camper

How To Repair RV Fiberglass Exterior Damage

Many RVs are made of fiberglass because information technology is resilient and perfect for the large construction of a camper. Notwithstanding, this material tin also sustain harm over time, including cracks, holes, and scratches. If y'all desire to know how to repair RV fiberglass outside harm, nosotros've got your dorsum!

Depending on the severity of the damage, yous may be able to repair it with DIY techniques. All the same, if the fiberglass has huge cracks or holes, y'all may need to pay for professional person help and replacement panels. Allow'due south cover what you can practise to fix the harm at home!

Inspect RV surface

The first footstep of any RV DIY project is to accept a thorough look at the whole surface. There may be a super obvious hole or scratch somewhere, just there could always be smaller ones hiding around the corner. Brand sure you check the front end, dorsum, sides, and even height!

Make a listing of the problematic areas and double check so yous don't overlook anything. At present that you've identified all the areas that need attending, nosotros can get into the guide of how to repair RV fiberglass exterior damage!

Put on prophylactic gear

The adjacent thing to do is to keep yourself safe. Working with fiberglass tin create a lot of dust, and you don't want to get this in your optics or rima oris. Wear rubber goggles and a mask that is suitable for filtering out particles of dust, sand, etc. An N95 mask is ane of the nearly effective options to use.

Article of clothing gloves that are piece of cake to work in too. You'll exist handling materials that are gritty, sticky, and possibly sharp, so hand protection is essential. Wearing long sleeves also helps to foreclose the fiberglass dust from settling onto your skin.

Once you're suited up, it'southward time to get to work!

Clean and sand the surrounding surface

Wipe down the area you need to fix. It's easier to see the damage in one case all the dirt and grime is out of the style. This also prevents any droppings from getting deeper into the surface.

In one case the exterior is make clean, utilize a sander to smooth out the expanse and remove any loose edges. It might seem counterintuitive to sand down the surface you lot're trying to fix, but sanding will really assistance to reduce the wear and tear in the long run. If pieces remain loose under the surface, they're more likely to carve up and fray once again.

Use a commercial sander on the fiberglass surface and cut away whatever big hanging pieces. Yous can use a rougher blazon of sandpaper to begin with, but finish up with a fine dust (200-220) so that everything is squeamish and polish.

Replace insulation (If necessary) and fill in holes

When you want to know how to repair RV fiberglass exterior impairment, it's of import to admit that sometimes this damage goes deeper than the surface. If the crevice or hole is severe, information technology might be deep enough to expose the insulation beneath.

If this is the case, you'll demand to supersede some of the insulation to ensure that the whole RV is protected against the elements. Expanding cream insulation is a good option for jobs similar this considering information technology will automatically fill and patch any holes. Make certain you give it fourth dimension to dry earlier moving on!

Sometimes the fiberglass damage goes deep and has created a very uneven surface to work with. Earlier you utilise the outer coating, you need to even out the harm and create a smooth work surface. Using an auto body filler is perfect for this! You can apply this with a putty knife or spatula to create a polish stop.

Give everything enough of time to dry and ready. Once that's done, y'all can move on to the concluding steps!

Apply fiberglass resin

Now that you've done all the necessary work on the base of operations, it's time to cover it up. When you want to know how to repair RV fiberglass outside damage, you lot may be tempted to skip right to the last step of covering information technology up with fiberglass resin. But this only works once you've fixed all the impairment nether the surface.

Fiberglass resin is a type of malleable plastic that you can spread over the affected area. Make certain you spread it thoroughly over the surface area so that the auto body filler, insulation, and everything else is completely covered.

Utilize the resin in the smoothest coating possible. Once y'all're satisfied with the application, stride back and requite it time to cure. When everything is dried and hardened, use the sander one more time to create a smooth, finished surface. A sandpaper grit of 600 is appropriate for this step. You tin can too only utilize a canvass of sandpaper with your hand if you don't have (or don't want to) use a sander for this pace.

At present you lot're almost done! It'south just time to paint over the mess and add a protective layer.

Paint and polish the affected area

Fiberglass resin doesn't usually match the color of an RV, even in one case it has cured and stale. Although yous've stock-still the major damage past this betoken, everyone will be able to see a discolored splotch on the surface of your camper. This could lower the resale value, plus it just doesn't expect good.

Then one of the terminal things you lot'll desire to practise is use a coat of paint over the repaired surface area. Try to friction match the colour as closely as possible and see if your RV manufacturer can give you details about the pigment they used. In some cases, they may even direct yous to a product page or send yous samples!

Paint the afflicted surface area and permit it dry. Once everything is stock-still and painted, it'due south time to smoothen and wax the area so information technology has an extra layer of protection. Use a product like Meguiar's M4965 Marine/RV Fiberglass Restoration Organization for the best results. This wax provides protection against water damage and scratches. It'southward also specifically made for fiberglass exteriors.

If you're dealing with large areas, you can use a mechanical buffer. Simply for small repairs (like RV fiberglass repairs), you tin can just apply the wax by hand in small-scale areas. Rub the wax onto the surface with a sponge and let information technology dry. And so you can merely wipe it down with a cloth and voila! You have a nicely repaired fiberglass exterior!

Join the Fiberglass RV Community

If you were wondering how to repair RV fiberglass exterior harm, we hope that this guide was helpful to you. Once again, if the harm covers a huge surface area or goes deeper than you expected, you may need to pay for professional person help.

Practice what y'all can with the methods outlined above! Y'all may be surprised at how easily you can repair damaged fiberglass.

For more tips on maintaining your fiberglass RV, check out the forums on FiberglassRV.com.

Make sure you keep track of all your RV maintenance and repairs with an online tool such as RV LIFE Maintenance. Not only tin can you keep all of your documents in one place, but you lot'll also receive timely reminders when maintenance is due to assist you avoid costly repairs and potentially serious accidents.

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