Friday, July 18, 2014

Working on RoadAbode

Had an issue with some rotted wood on RoadAbode.
It's been going on a while, and I just covered the problem up for a year or two with EternaBond Roof Tape (which worked great for a year or so) - but I finally decided to tackle the delam/rotted wood in RoadAbode's hindquarters. Each side and the rear underskirt under the bumper needed attention, as did the left turn lights mounting area.. Above are the before/after shots of the one quarter panel. For not knowing what I was doing (just was reading what others had done) it turned out pretty nice looking, and more importantly - was much more sturdy. Probably more sturdy then when we got her almost 10 years ago!
After reading a bunch of ways to fix - I decided to go the Gorilla Glue route. Gorilla glue was perfect for the job. When it hits damp wood, it actually expands into that area (clamping is important to get a tight seal). After our first RoadTrip since, it seems to be holding tight.

I first pulled out the rotting laminate and board. That also involved getting partly under RoadAbode. I cleaned the area pretty well, and replaced the 2x2 boards I took out with pressure treated. Many of the screws were rusted, and so I had to pry out - which was fine on the rotted wood that was going to be replaced anyway. I replaced the laminate, but first treated with a rubberized waterproofing paint on the external side, while completely covering the interior side in Gorrilla Glue. I then mounted that directly onto the Styrofoam that makes up the "sandwich" of the wall. Used 4 clamps to keep everything in place while it dried the recommended two hours, and proceeded to work on the opposite side. After the original was cured, I then glued the clean filon directly onto the foam. very little rippling, and it is more solid than I've ever seen on RoadAbode. To get good coverage on any glued surfaces, I used disposable "3 pack dollar store" brushes. Also, I should mention that latex or vinyl gloves are essential when using Gorilla Glue. The first time I did not use them - and my hands were coated for three days in black!.
A Few Pictures of the work done.










































No comments: