# Mysterious BULGE



## 100056 (Jul 15, 2006)

I have just been back to sort some stuff out on the van after leaving it in storage for the past 3-weeks only to find that I now have a mysterious bulge appear in the side panelling.

I cannot understand it as it has only been parked up since having some engine work and mot done.

The bulge seems to be at the rear of the fridge, but the fridge has been turned off since Stratford (1st week in June). Since then it has been in the repair shop, mostly waiting for parts and then stored undercover for the past 3-weeks. I have had a look in all the apertures around and underneath the bulge but all are as dry as a bone.

Has anybody any idea what might be causing this and how it might be overcome. Also who is the best person/garage that might be able to repair it, if in fact it is repairable.

I am at my wits end trying to figure this out.

*H E L P*


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Is it glass fibre ? . . .if it is I hope its not de-laminating [if thats the right terminology], apart from that or damp I can't think what may have caused it, I hope (a) its minimal (b) easily rectified (c) not expensive !


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi RVman
Does the bulge look like it is being pushed out from the inside? If you gently push the centre of the bulge can you feel it moving back in? Do you have a picture of it that you can post?
It is not uncommon for RV's to have these appear. It is delamination and is usually caused by water ingress / temperature changes. 
How big is the "bubble"? Is it beneath an opening in the side wall?
Was your RV in a hot climate prior to import?
We have one or two bubbles on our RV and we are not too worried about them, one was caused by a leaking window that has been re-sealed to cure the leak but the bulge is still there.
I am not sure what you can do to stick it back down, if anything, and maybe someone will be along with some more info soon. In the meantime I would not worry unduly but do have a good look around the area above to see if there is anywhere that water could have penetrated and then reseal it while the weather is dry.

Good luck and do let us know what you find, you also may consider subscribing to the site as you only have a limited number of posts and these will soon get used up with the Q&A process mate.....

Keith


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

Hi RV Man

As Keith says it is quite common in RVs and there is not a great deal that can be done about it short of cutting out the ballooned part and replacing it. Very expensive to have done over here and more often than not, the repair will scream out a lot more than the delamination.
We have had a fair bit of extreme temperature fluctuation in recent weeks which, if there is no obvious sign of water ingress, is the most probable cause.
Personally I'd suggest you make sure your seams, joints etc are properly sealed and leave well alone.
Hope this helps
Linda


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## sergeant (Jun 7, 2006)

Hi RVman, By the sound of it it is a delam. It is quite common & is not normally agreat problem. Most delams are easily repairable but you will have to use a dealer as the 2pack delam kits are only supplied to the trade & not to the enduser for Health & Safety reasons. Depending on where it is & access to the inside etc you are probably only looking at 1 hrs labour.However the vehicle would be needed for 24 hours for clamping etc. The expensive bit is the kit itself as it has a very short shelf life it has to be ordered for the job. Once opened we cannot reuse it, Ask at your local dealers, Steve


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Oops! Sorry, I thought this was a follow up to the music post re Dolly Parton.


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