# Cracked hobby motorhome wall



## piggiebank

Hi
I am the proud and excited owner of a 1999 Hobby 650 fse motor home which i bought just recently in place of a hobby 650 caravan
I have a big and frustrating problem that i am struggling to fix
When i bought the home it had two pieces of stick to anything tape
Along one side. I removed this to find it was stopping water etc getting in to two long cracks in the metal skin covering the wooden construction underneath. First attempt at repair remove old adhesive sand flat and cover with thin layer of p38 car repair filler/repair. Got it very smooth sprayed it with primer and after two days the crack re appeared. Second attempt thin layer of synthetic wood filler that bonds to wood and metal. Same again After two days the cracks have come back
Anyone seen this problem before and if so how did you fix it???
Any suggestions would be very welcome
Thank you
Graham


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## TheSheriff

Think the problem is different expansion rates of wood and metal. 

What ever to do it must be flexible to cope.


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## rosalan

......or the flexing of the body as it moves.

Do you know what caused the crack? Was it cut, scratched or could it have been fatigue?
If it was cut, why?
If it was scratched so deeply as to break the fabric, how come you did not see it (or the tape).
Finally, if it is a fatigue crack through movement, I guess any repair would need to be more radical and body shop advice would be called for.
Unless there is actual ingress of water, why not put the tape back?
Alan


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## listerdiesel

Best way is to fit a spreader/stringer repair, a piece of aluminium (suggest NS4 half-hard Dural) that you can fit as an overlapping joint and then screw through both layers into the wood beneath or pop rivet to the outer skin.

Use Sikaflex 221 to seal underneath.

It has to be strong enough to withstand body flexing which can be quite severe. Our trailer has a huge chassis under it but still flexes as we go over bumps etc. Our walls are 14mm GRP/Ply/GRP sandwich so no problems with cracking.

If the strip is long enough, make it a 'feature' rather than just a repair.

Peter


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## shingi

Hi Graham

Just to get this straight, I take it the crack/split is to the external bodywork somewhere, and if so where abouts exactly? I'm assuming it's some sort of accident damage? Can you give us a bit more detail. Regards, MICK


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## TheSheriff

How about a photo ?

Speaks a thousand words


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## TheSheriff

Totally agree with making it a feature.

Father in law is a plasterer and always says if you can't find it make it a feature.


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## BillCreer

To give any useful advice we definitely need a picture.


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## rosalan

May I apologise for not welcoming you to Motorhome Facts. I see this is your first submission and no doubt have a hill to climb before trying to get a picture to work but it is perhaps the only answer that practical motorhomers can identify with.
Alan


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## piggiebank

Hi Struggling to put a photo on......yes I have also struggled to find my own post everything pointing to me subscribing first and although I am inclined to do that I really wanted to see what the site was like first as in the past I have paid out to not use the facility.
I now realise that I have loads of questions which will no doubt use it a lot. On a negative point to use the facility and all its facilities for a couple of weeks would have been less frustrating than pressing buttons and being told I cant do that I have to subscribe....

Right pictures I took a couple on my mobile before I tried to fix it with various fillers. I think the suggestion about riveting thin aluminium plate over the problem may be the best route but I am open to any alternative

Thankyou for the replies I really appreciate the assistance
I now have the picture but cannot attach it I will go back to it shortly when I have subscribed hopefully the button will then appear..?[/img]


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## cabby

I am sure you will get your monies worth from joining this site with just the free advice we like to give. Not always about motorhomes.


cabby


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## piggiebank

Thanks for that. I have seen the benefit already with
Those that have replied which is why i joined i just cant
Get photos on i am sure i will get there eventually - thanks


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## Carl_n_Flo

Photobucket (or similar) is your friend in this case.
Upload your photos to an image hosting site - then to post here you just copy and paste a particular 'link' (usually starting with 'IMG' i think) into your text here and then your picture should magically appear.....

Like this:










Carl


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## Kaytutt

Nice shoes!

Yes get a photo bucket account, it's an easy way to get photos onto forums


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## piggiebank

[URL=http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/grahamcarter1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/F0F43C55-3589-4640-9691-86E4AE1FEE00_zpsf7dksbir.jpg.html][IMG]

Thank you for the help in finding photo bucket. if this displays I will be amazed and I consider myself computer literate. LOL


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## val33

If you click on the 'image' box on the right on the photo bucket page and then 'right click' and 'paste' in your post you should get this: 

Looks nasty, have you got a picture of the whole side of the van so that we can see it in context?

Val


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## Kev1

looks like a stress fracture
but need to see where it is


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## piggiebank

[URL=http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/grahamcarter1/media/IMG_0357_zpsf0f43f25.jpg.html][IMG]]

Sorry I am sure I will get the hang of it at some point, Thanks Val for your help. I should perhaps have learned by posting something simple first,


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## Terryg

piggiebank,

Adding image using the helper button 
1) In post reply click Insert an image








2) This will display a small box prompting you to enter the image URL, add the image URL'http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t460/grahamcarter1/IMG_0357_zpsf0f43f25.jpg'.


Code:


 Whats added to the post should look like this  [img]http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t460/grahamcarter1/IMG_0357_zpsf0f43f25.jpg[/img]

Adding the image URL directly into the post text
1) add the image URL 'http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t460/grahamcarter1/IMG_0357_zpsf0f43f25.jpg' to your post text.
2) immediately before the image URL text add the image start marker ''
3) immediately after the image URL text add the image end marker''



Code:


 When you have finished it should look like this [img]http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t460/grahamcarter1/IMG_0357_zpsf0f43f25.jpg[/img]

Hope that helps.


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## dalspa

Definately looks like stress fractures. For the time being, whilst you are getting advices as to doing a proper repair, use helicopter tape to cover over instaead of the duct tape. Clean off the residue from the duct tape first with white spirit. The helicopter tape is clear (watch out for fingerprints) and very hard to see that it is there. If you could fill the crack with a (flexible) filler the same colour as the paintwork, or could spray over before putting the tape on you will even less notice it is there. 

This would then give you time to come up with a finished solution. You also need to find why is it flexing, although you may not be able to do anything about it.

DavidL


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## Carl_n_Flo

No expert here - but in your shoes I would be looking to get a quote from a specialist to get the whole side skin replaced.

Being aluminium, you are never going to get rid / hide those cracks / splits. In addition, your photo shows many dings and dents in the skin - replacing the whole skin would solve the issue once and for all.

As the splits are horizontal, I would be looking to have the single sheet replaced by, maybe, 3 seperate sheets with horizontal joints. This would allow for thermal and transit movement without cracking.

Not cheap I am afraid, but what cost the integrity of an expensive van?


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## cabby

I agree to the idea of replacing the complete side, I am not sure myself as the splits being stress related or if the vehicle had been involved in an accident and rolled. can you not get any history of the vehicle.

cabby


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## tugboat

Stress issues usually manifest themselves at weak points such as the sharp corners of window apertures. There's no sign of problems by the window in the pic.

The dings elsewhere on the panel suggest some kind of vandalism to me, maybe stone impacts or catapault.

The splits.......could they have been caused by impacts from inside? Is there any sign of internal repairs where those splits are?

Could the panel have been made from a bad piece of alu? When did the splits first appear. Probably only the seller of the van can say.

Did the seller explain to the OP about this damage? If not, I would be looking for some sort of redress.

If it was my van and I wanted to keep it, I would want to get the whole side replaced by a single sheet. No joints to cause leaks in the future. 

I fear the value of the van is seriously affected in it's present condition. Maybe it was purchased very cheaply, we don't know, and probably none of our business.


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## Kev1

I have a similar van it has the occasional dint flat smooth aluminium is prone to it
The side of the op van does have loads of dints

However
The cost of Re-skinning would be substantial
Does the op want a shiny pristine camper
I guess not if he bought this one with all the damage we can see
I would be inclined to make a feature of it
patch and add a vent 
or something similar
Even a false vent over the top.

Kev


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## piggiebank

Hi

Thanks for all the replies. I have tried to fill the crack in and I will persevere. I got the van at a good price and am more than happy to put holes in it which I would not want to do had it been the normal price. I am of a mind to rivet or screw on thin aluminium then spray over. The dings were actually caused by hailstones....... Although I did not own the van I live in a neighbouring region in France and remember a couple of years ago a hail storm that smashed windows and caused substantial damage to properties.
The last owner had the van since 2003. It will do to play with for a few years then I can upgrade.


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## cabby

good luck and please do keep us updated on your adventures and all the upgrades you complete on the van.

cabby


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## tugboat

Yes, please let us know how you progress with the repairs, as others may learn from your endeavours.

Enjoy your motorhome.


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## Kev1

Piggiebank
Please post a picture of the repair you do
Enjoy the van they are great
Kev


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