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Topic: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass? (Read 1071 times) previous topic - next topic

1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

After researching bulkhead threads, forgive me for not reading about open fiberglass in front of both rear tires. Yes,my driver side rear wet bay shows some rust on  upper angle iron inside opening. But FT checked all bulkhead last April, but didn't do torque test I believe .
So are those fiberglass openings there to drain road spray?
Ps. Yes, on the curb side,one rolok was broke,and a feeble repair attempt by me was caulked .
Tom Shannon
Ham Radio W7OT
1996 u295 (SOLD)
2007 Kia Spectra Ex 5spd (kiki)
Now in Apt

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #1 –
Would direct the question to Foretravel,if you can see rust up/in the opening and there is metal channel there maybe one of those
rusproofing kits with the long arm would work.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #2 –
I would have it inspected by a knowledgeable person/place.

Where are you located?
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #3 –
I have never seen the rear end of the bottom side channels open like you show in the photos.

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #4 –
My 91 is like that open right there
91 GV U300 Unihome 40' Build 3811
6V92TA Detroit

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #5 –
Mine have all been open on the back of that channel. Here's a photo of our 99 and 97. The other one shows the rusty (they all are I suspect) angle iron behind that channel. Took this one during our bulkhead repair last year.
jor
93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #6 –
I'm in Yuma for the winter.  I have Pro 15 rust proofer. Will try to dab it in on long brush. Thanks all. Currently in quartzite without the 295. One day only for ham quartz fest and desert garden tock show.  Main street is crazy. Lol
Tom Shannon
Ham Radio W7OT
1996 u295 (SOLD)
2007 Kia Spectra Ex 5spd (kiki)
Now in Apt

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #7 –
I take back I have never seen...  After seeing your photos, I now see your corner openings.

So, I went out to look at our bottom side curved channel and all four ends of the bottom-angle front & back bulkhead steel channel are angle cut so the channel ends would be open, just like your photos.

But sometime past these openings have been caulked closed on our coach. Since we purchased our coach when it was 3-years old, we may have sealed them closed. And now I see our corner openings, too.

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #8 –
OP ask a good question.. Mine are open as well and I have questioned myself about filling in with expanding foam OR not.
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Dub –
OP ask a good question.. Mine are open as well and I have questioned myself about filling in with expanding foam OR not.
Might not dry out as fast if you seal the ends or at least try to.

P
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: 1996 rear tire bulkhead open fiberglass?

Reply #10 –
When we got ours, it had the openings filled with caulking. My conclusion is that the water gets in, and then stays in. When I redid the basement/bulkheads on ours, I left them open. I was thrown by the subject title since it mentions fiberglass. The batten (as Foretravel calls the trim pieces that run front to rear on the bottom outside edges of the coach) are extruded aluminum pieces. When I removed the these trim pieces, there was corrosion on the inside. So much so that metal was nearly perforated in places where water had collected. Aluminum doesn't rust, but it is still subject to oxidation, and more so where it is attached to steel as it is susceptible to galvanic corrosion. I ended up replacing the aluminum trim batten (good to know this term if you are ever talking to FOT parts department concerning these) with the style that FOT used starting in 2000. Same basic idea, but a different extrusion profile that required some modifications for fitment... but that is another story. In any case, I left the ends open to the air. I did use stainless fasteners when putting them back on, as more than half of the screw heads broke when I removed the original trim pieces.
Don
Quote from: Dub –
OP ask a good question.. Mine are open as well and I have questioned myself about filling in with expanding foam OR not.
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson