tonyg3nwl Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hi, I was cleaning off the van earlier, and noticed a couple of small star shaped stress cracks on the fibreglass mouldings joining body to cab on the nearside. I wonder what has caused them as the van hasnt been used recently,, and more importantly how can they be treated and repaired. we have had some recent high winds, and I wonder if it could be some wind blown small debris, or could it be Frost damage??? Suggestions for repair, diy or otherwise, and could it be insurance necessary, . tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I will swap you my hail dents on the roof for your stress stars :-D Whether they need attention depends on size and how deep they go. If it's just the gel coat any glass fibre fabrication shop will know what is needed. Delamination deep in the glass fibre is a fair sized job involving much grinding out and building back up. My guess is that it is cosmetic and should be simply monitored in case it gets worse. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Possibly caused by roadside debris flicked up by the front wheels, or a vehicle in front of you. If the fairing seems locally firm, and the gel coat is not flaking off, it will probably stay as it is indefinitely if left. If the fairing seems to lack strength it could indicate poor curing or delamination within the GRP backing coats. That would require repair as it would be likely to progress. You'd need to take advice from a fibreglass specialist, possibly a boat builder. Otherwise, IMO, repair is just a matter of whether the cracks annoy you enough to warrant the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will H Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 You say 'coating' if there is a separate 'coating' its possibly the weather. Lots of temperature changes. Assuming the fibre material and the coating are of different mixtures there is probably a difference in expansion and contraction so causing a pressure change in the weakest of the two. The coated skin may also be the least flexible. It has the least volume. That's my guess for what its worth. Years ago there used to be RF (radio frequency) stresses causing breakages on metallic constructions (racing motorcycles). By trial and error we overcame the problem by adding an RF release point nearby. (clever stuff and it worked) I have no idea if fibre materials with a gel coating behave in this way. I had many star shapes on the Rapido skirting and ignored them all. Plastic shapes are prone to static Quote ... Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. The charge remains until it is able to move away by means of an electric current or electrical discharge. end Quote Perhaps coatings of road salts and general weather, and then drying out conditions may cause an effect. The more one reads into static conditions anything is possible ! Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dave Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If as i suspect it is cosmetic you could use some of the vinyl wrapping film that is available to cover it up , cut a shape with an arc or a flourish so it looks like it was designed to be there and carefully apply it. Its available in a vast range of colours and will conform to quite complex shapes. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancepar Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 tonyg3nwl - 2016-01-30 3:07 PM Hi, I was cleaning off the van earlier, and noticed a couple of small star shaped stress cracks on the fibreglass mouldings joining body to cab on the nearside. I wonder what has caused them as the van hasnt been used recently,, and more importantly how can they be treated and repaired. we have had some recent high winds, and I wonder if it could be some wind blown small debris, or could it be Frost damage??? Suggestions for repair, diy or otherwise, and could it be insurance necessary, . tonyg3nwl Depending on the age of the MH it could be an old impact repair, which has re-cracked etc. from the rear of the panel, if the cracks were not stopped correctly. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 For a more informed response try sending some photos. Gel coat is basically a modified form of the same resin used for laminating. Its harder to withstand the elements and more brittle and if slightly thicker than it should be cracks if the panel flexes under stress. The bond between the two should be very strong. Isolated star shaped cracks can indicate impact sites, Cracks associated with sharp changes in shape may be due to stress concentration causing flexing. The cracks as they happen are hard to spot but soon attract dirt and reveal themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 H Tony, I've PM'ed you regarding the above... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 stress related to movement, I use this ,http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Captain-Tolleys-Creeping-Crack-Cure-Sealant-60ml-CARAVAN-MOTORHOME-BOAT-/321561005187?hash=item4ade878c83:g:D3AAAOSwF1dUSlj9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.