Fiberstream Get'n Plump in the Belly - Fiberglass RV
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Old 09-20-2022, 05:52 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: Eric
Trailer: Fiber Stream
California
Posts: 10
Fiberstream Get'n Plump in the Belly

Hi All,


I'm doing a few updates to our fiberstream (1978) bed frame. As you can see from the photos, the wood strips that were attached to the fiberglass walls have become detached and bowing out a bit. I'm trying to figure out what to do on this. Current thinking is to remove the old wood, sand the wall a bit, then use some Locktite PL Max Premium to glue a few new strips along the wall and then re-attach the bedframe to these new strips. From what I can tell, there is no way to make the walls straight again so my plan is to just try and lock them in current place so they don't bulge out any more. Does this sound like a reasonable plan or am I missing something critical? What would you do to fix this?



https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...cture15470.jpg


https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...cture15471.jpg



Also, the previous owner (last year) took out the wall on the sink side to make it more open (ugh). I'm planning to build this wall back so it helps to keep the roof and overall shape in place. From what I can tell, I may need to put some screws in place through the fiberglass to help attach the replacement wall back to the Fiberglass and help reinforce it.


Lastly, my other project (no photos yet) is to try and re-build the cabinets over the bed. The owner prior to the owner I purchased from evidently removed them and patched all the holes where the screws go through to help attach the cabinets. I'm still thinking through how to do this part so any great photos folks have of how their cabinets are attached would be greatly appreciated !!



Thanks in advance for your tips and guidance. We LOVE this trailer and just want to give it a little love before we hit the road for the S. CA winter season - aka getting out to anza borrego and mojave deserts
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Old 09-21-2022, 11:00 AM   #2
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Name: Randy & Ranae
Trailer: Fiber Stream
OR - Oregon
Posts: 76
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A little pudge at the belly!

Glad to see you putting effort into your trailer. Lot's of potential with a Fiber Stream!

You are seeing one of the critical weaknesses of this trailer. The fridge cabinet walls and the kitchen wall are critical to the strength of the trailer. They form a center cross truss that holds the roof up in the middle. Normally, there can be some failure when moisture gets in, the floor sags a little, and the screws that go through the side of the shell into the wall section let loose. The shell will then bow out from these walls, the roof will settle, and the wall section of the fridge next to the door will push the floor down. I've had two, and it happened to both.

With the kitchen wall removed, the problem is exacerbated, and this is seen in the bowing out at the bed frame and back of the kitchen cabinets. All the cabinets in our trailers are critical for keeping the structure sound. Unfortunately the screws through the fiberglass can be the weakest link. They were the quickest and cheapest solution during construction.

So, whatcha gonna do now? Here's my recommendation, having worked with fiberglass, wood and steel in cars, boats, trailers. Also, I got rid of every screw through my shell, other than the door and the vents. You've really got to get the sides pulled back together and stabilized. Without the walls and structure, the frame is doing all the support work for the trailer, and it isn't strong enough. You need a strong box on top, being the shell.

Step 1: Put the wall back in at the edge of the kitchen. They cut the wall off, which presents a challenge. Replacing the wall would almost destroy the kitchen cabinets. They were attached to the wall during construction, and the wall is sandwiched between the bench seat and the kitchen. I'd recommend removing the counter extension, removing some of the bench framing, and putting in a new wall similar to what was original. Keep in mind straight up and down is not straight up and down in these trailers. The walls slope out at the bottom making it wider at the bottom that the top. I've made my walls with a solid stock frame and 1/4" plywood on each face. The original walls were too weak. Mark out where the wall will go with masking tape, and you will need to drill some holes out through the fiberglass for proper temporary attachment. This will let you pull the bowing back in. I'd sand the fiberglass and use the adhesive listed, but after it's together, I'd add some fiberglass tabbing between the new wall and the fiberglass in a few spots.

You'll probably notice the wheel well has come de-laminated from the floor or the wall. When you are doing other fiberglass tabbing, you might cut the failed fiberglass and reattach the wheel wells. They also contribute significantly to the structure and need to attach firmly to the side walls and the floor.

I'd sand as well as possible behind the Fridge walls with an angle grinder and glue those walls in place with new screws as well. You could do tabbing behind the fridge, or in other places to help the structure as well. If you want to see the issue compound, put an a/c unit on the roof! (Don't do it)

Once you are done getting the walls straight and attached, I'd remove the screws and patch the holes.

Regarding the front cabinets, once again the screws are a problem. I'd recommend sanding the fiberglass with crazy aggressive sand paper and gluing strips of wood to the wall. I used the screw holes to attach my pieces while the glue dried, then removed them and filled the holes. What made the cabinets really strong was the inner wall plywood. I put this plywood inside over 1/2" foam, and this ran from under the cabinets down to the floor. Basically a shell within the shell. I glued strips of 1/2" plywood to the fiberglass shell where my inner skin had joints/edges.

Some time soon, I'll try to post a link to the pictures of our gut and rebuild.

Best Wishes!
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:06 PM   #3
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Fiber Stream
California
Posts: 10
OR335D


Thanks so much for your reply and details. This is very helpful.



A few additional questions if you don't mind


A few of my walls feel pretty rigid (from outside pushing in on them) and other areas of fiberglass seem pretty flexible. I'm thinking I will likely just have to detach anything currently attached to the walls (cabinets) before I can pull things back together. Has that been your experience?


You mentioned on your dividing wall that you used "solid stock frame" with playwood. Did you just basically frame it using 1x? Not sure I'm exactly sure what you meant.


Regarding the AC, yea - I do not intend to do a roof mount. I don't really like the look and I'm afraid it won't support it. Thanks for reaffirming my concerns there. I noticed in looking at a few of your FS photos in your profile that you have a few round vent holes in your battery box door. Did you add an AC to yours in some way?



Regarding screws through the fiberglass. It may be a bit before I can patch the holes. Do you have any recommendations on ways to caulk them? I've heard to not use silicone based caulking.


I would LOVE to see any of your rebuild photos if you ever get a chance to upload somewhere. A lot of the old threads on here have expired links to their build photos so it makes it tough to see what other went through.


Lastly, thank you again for your insights. I'm familiar with home building and landscaping but trying to not make a mess of my FS. Just wanting to get some of these issues addressed before they become bigger problems later.
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:36 PM   #4
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Name: Randy & Ranae
Trailer: Fiber Stream
OR - Oregon
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Gonna need to let anything else loose you can in order to let the walls move. you may need to re-seal at the water heater or other penetrations after the movement. This would include the range, if it's the type that heats your space and vents through the wall. Our first trailer did, and I don't see a furnace in yours.

I used 3/4 x 3/4 solid stock for my wall frame with lots of wood glue. Fill the void between the new wall and the shell with the adhesive when you install. You can always cut out the extra that oozes out.

I changed to a lithium non-vented battery under the bench close to the original battery storage bin. I couldn't get a reasonable capacity battery into the bin. I put vents on the door, sealed the holes, and use the bin to store my stinky hose.

I'd love to add a/c, but haven't found the right answer yet. I'd like to end up with a small heat pump that could run off my small (<1800w) generator. There are some small portable units coming out, but these are still cost prohibitive. Maybe next year.

Regarding the holes, I'm presuming you're saying you would do all your attachments and could then remove the screws so the holes could be sealed. Almost any sealant will cause more work later on. I'd recommend using bondo or some other epoxy to fill the holes. This could be sanded down then filled better with fiberglass prior to doing any painting. Use masking tape to keep the bondo off the surrounding surfaces for now. Leave the filler indented a little to save some work later on as well. Use something to strip wax off the fiberglass before bondo or other work.

Here's a link to some of my photos. I'm not good at taking lots of photos.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2uj32th9s...vT30ZbWua?dl=0

I haven't pasted a link before, so let me know if it works.
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Old 09-28-2022, 08:46 PM   #5
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Name: skip
Trailer: Bigfoot
Boca Raton
Posts: 73
I don't like using bondo as a filler. If you're already doing fiberglass work, get some micro beads to mix with some resin and make a better/stronger filler. Also works doing filet work when glassing wood strips into walls.
Don't know if it's still true but bondo used to absorb water, which eventually caused body work on cars to rust out.
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Old 11-21-2023, 11:21 PM   #6
sfs
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Name: Stephan
Trailer: Casita
California
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A lot of great information in this thread!

I am also interested in buying one of these beautiful trailers.
The manufacturer information mentions a “one piece“ fiberglass shell. I saw in the pictures you posted that it has a plywood subfloor. Is there fiberglass underneath it?

Do you know if it would be possible to remove the wooden sub floor and replace it with honeycomb fiberglass panels for example?
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Old 01-11-2024, 01:17 AM   #7
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Fiber Stream
California
Posts: 10
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Originally Posted by sfs View Post
A lot of great information in this thread!

I am also interested in buying one of these beautiful trailers.
The manufacturer information mentions a “one piece“ fiberglass shell. I saw in the pictures you posted that it has a plywood subfloor. Is there fiberglass underneath it?

Do you know if it would be possible to remove the wooden sub floor and replace it with honeycomb fiberglass panels for example?
On mine, its plywood subfloor and under that is a thin sheet of aluminum protecting it from the elements.



As for honeycomb, I'm sure it could be done but I plan to just replace with new plywood and epoxy it before installation.
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Old 01-16-2024, 12:26 AM   #8
sfs
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Name: Stephan
Trailer: Casita
California
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Thanks for the information. Yes it sounds like it would be feasible then.
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