Exterior construction info request - Resealing - Delamination

[Zeb Severson]

I am going to reseal nearly everything (belt line, roof line, trim, possibly windows) and I would like to get more information on the construction of the exterior before I get started. If you have pictures or can draw how things are assembled that would be helpful.

Roof line gutter:
It sounds like there is a gap (1/2 - 3/4"?) that others have filled with sealant behind the rubber cover. The few pictures I've seen don't paint a clear picture of how the roof fiberglass, side fiberglass, gutter, and the support frame are assembled in that area. A diagram would be great. I do plan to re-rivet the gutter. Size of rivets (dia and grip length) would be helpful .

Exterior Wall:
I have delamination to fix during this process. It's in the picture attached, rear of the bedroom slide. What does the fiberglass glue to?

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Zeb,
If you haven't check the coach brochures on Coach Assist. Most show the various layers of the wall construction.
Steve

[David T. Richelderfer]

In the 2004 Marquis brochure on page 21, it shows the layers of construction for roof, walls, and floors.  I doubt your 2003 Patriot would be much different.

https://www.beaveramb.org/resources/Documents/Technical%20Forum/Coach%20Assist/2004-Marquis-Brochure.pdf

[Eric Maclean Co-Admin]

Zeb
From the out side in it starts with a gel coated fiberglass about 1/4 to 5/16 thick on the inside of that there is approximately 5mm or 1/4 " ply looks like luan but I suspect it was supposed to be water proof this was either glued to the fiberglass or was the original substrate which the fiberglass was laid on .
Moving inward there is an inch and a half or two inches of high density white foam board ( I can't remember for sure which ) this foam is fit in-between the structural member some are aluminum and some are wood 2" x 2" then the final inside layer is another plywood ( luan ) with the wall paper or what ever finish was installed.

When I tore into mine I went at it from the inside removing the then punky inner wall to expose the foam which was soaking wet ( apparently no closed cell foam ) it had so much water in the foam that a section 4 feet square must have weighed 100 pounds .
The problem is once water gets into the wall it can't get out the inside wall has a vinyl wall covering and the outside is fiberglass.with the water traped in the wall it simply put marinates the plywood and inner wooded structure until they simply disintegrate causing the delamination you see on the out side.

With mine I worked from the inside out rebuilding approximately 10 feet of wall I used urethane glue ( gorilla glue) roll it on.  new foam board and marine plywood .
By dumping all the air in the air bags I then built a support system to push the delaminated section back flat with the rest of the wall and hold the entire wall flat  while you glue up the new lamination.
I then scraped the remaining plywood off the back of the fiberglass and glued the new plywood in place followed by the foam board and all new 2x2s then the inner wall ply.
You need to be able to place a clamping force on the layers to get it to all laminate evenly on mine I used the window openings to clamp it all together.

If you have the vinyl wall covering inside it it thick enough to be carefully peeled back and reused

Hope this helps
Eric