Chips and cracks

[UP Steve]

Hi,

I'm working on fixing up some chips in the gel coat on our 1990 16' Scamp. I've found some good threads in what to do where there are fair sized chips but what's the best way to repair the gel coat when there are many spiderweb type cracks in the gel coat. I've seen videos on fixing a scratch but nothing addressing many many scratches? I've put a picture on. The top front is covered in these. I'm assuming it's from rocks and gravel. The previous owners logged a lot of miles.

[Melody beachcomber]

I'm interested in seeing some knowledgeable comments as well. I'm winging some repairs now. I've sanded areas like this and am applying gel coat. Problem is, new gel coat is very shiny and the trailer is not. Lightly scuffing/sanding afterwards and waxing the whole thing is all I can think of...

[UP Steve]

Did you just sand down the whole area and reapply the gelcoat? Did you go all the way to find or just sand until the scratches weren't visable? I haven't heard any responses for what else to do about those so I think that's my next step. Is the gelcoat easy to work with? Im well known for doing horrible caulking and I don't want to end up with a bad looking repair job.

As far as it being shinier, I'd think that's just because it's new and clean? Probably waxing the whole scamp would make it match or going out camping somewhere and letting the new portion get a little wear and tear to match?

[Jon in AZ]

Gelcoat is not just something you paint on. It's a tinted layer of resin sprayed into the mold before the glass mat is laid in or chopped glass sprayed on.

One thing to consider... if you fix every chip and continue using your trailer, it won't take long to accumulate a whole new set.

I haven't done anything about mine, so I won't make any specific recommendations, but a google site search on "gelcoat chip repair" turned up quite a few old threads with information and product recommendations. Here are a couple for starters.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ips-25418.html

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...air-49125.html

If you've never used it before, the google site search is a great way to research old threads. On the website (not the app or mobile skin) go to ""Search" near the right of the task bar under your log-in information and scroll down to the last option "Site Search/Google."

[UP Steve]

That was part of my initial question. Ive seen many posts and videos detailing individual chips but nothing addressing large areas with many scratches as I showed in the picture. Or maybe that's meant to be included and that wasn't clear to me.

Does something like I have in the pictures need to be dealt with? I don't encounter enough fiberglass trailers to get an idea if this is normal cosmetic wear and tear or something I should work on or have worked on by a professional.

[stevebaz]

Gelcoat repair 101

https://www.jamestowndistributors.co...t.do?docId=257

[Jon in AZ]

You're right, it was. My bad. Don't know that I have ever seen that kind of damage on that part of the shell. Mine is all on the lower front, and it's mostly chips, not scratches.

Seems to me your options are limited:
(1) Fill the deeper chips and gouges, buff out with a polishing compound for badly weathered fiberglass, and apply liquid Zep wax. It won't look like new for sure, but it might be acceptable. I don't think it has to be dealt with- none of it appears structural.
(2) Fill, sand, and paint the whole trailer. That will make it look nice, but it's an irreversible step- once paint, always paint. Lots of work to do it right. Plenty of old threads on that, too.
(3) Take it to a fiberglass repair shop. Bids are free, but the actual repair will probably cost you a bunch. Knowing the cost of a professional repair might make the work required for the other options more palatable.

I'll be interested if there are other options.

[Melody beachcomber]

The repair videos I've seen and am following, have one paint on gel coat. that's what I'm doing. I had to do it anyway as my trailer had several bigger chips in the the gel coat. I chipped off the brittle pieces, sanded, determined the fiberglass looks ok, applied some fiberglass short hair bondo repair, and am following with gel coat.

While doing all this I noticed some areas have good scratches (esp around the corner that had big chips, perhaps due to an impact in it's past life). While I had the sander out anyway, I sanded the areas with the scratches...fairly lightly with 80 grit. That takes care of most of the scratch, not all. I then thickened up initial coats of gel coat, so that it "fill" a little better and not drip at all on the side surface. I've since determined that if I took the time to remove the oxidation on the old '77, it would all match up well....I may have to leave that step for the new owner as I simply haven't got the time and ease of location to work on that alone right now.

As I've said, I'm winging it, first time working with this all. Have spent most of the winter reading up, watching videos as I knew I'd have to tackle the corner repair first thing this spring. Due to my trailer being an hour away, working ft and pt, blah, blah, blah, it's stretching out. Would be much easier to do if the trailer is in your own yard. That way you can do one step each evening and it would be done in no time. For me, it's all or nothing (mostly nothing!!!!!)

[UP Steve]

I don't suppose you could share the links to some of those videos?

Is there a particular brand of gelcoat or fiberglass filler/repair you're using?

[Melody beachcomber]

https://youtu.be/yoURRmkD8MY

Boatworks.com. Has many videos. Obviously for boats but applies well for trailers. Hope that link works for you. There's several by this guy on you tube and on the website. I think he explains everything thoroughly and gives good little tips to give one confidence. SO helpful to watch a video rather than just reading

Can't think of the name of gel coat for sure. I think it's Ever Coat. I've got the One Step kind that doesn't have to be waxed...this guy tells you not to use that type, but I already had it. It has to be sanded in between coats. I got the paste too which I just tried this weekend...wish I would have brought it out sooner, much better than trying to thicken up regular gel coat. I have lots of little dips to fill and I've done multiple layers and still not done...because I chipped away the brittle cracked stuff on corners that must have bumped into trees or something, I'm almost reconstructing the back corners and a few other spots with curled up cracks. A couple of spots are nice and flat, most are tight curves which is difficult to replicate smoothly...at least for me being a novice. Again, remember I'm a total novice, winging it. If someone with experience tells you I'm doing it wrong, believe them!

[Melody beachcomber]

Ps: before the gel coat, I used some Bondo short hair Fiberglass repair. I'd determined that the Fiberglass wasn't damaged under the gel coat but thought I should add this step to add some extra strength and had a good gap in between the Fiberglass layer and gel coat that needed to be built up. I have a beachcomber and the top corners are more square than a Boler or Scamp etc.

[Melody beachcomber]

Some of what I'm dealing with.

[Melody beachcomber]