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Topic: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps (Read 487 times) previous topic - next topic
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Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
I have an appointment for December to have the LD factory reseal the rear end caps on my 2003 RB.

They will remove all four rear end caps (top and bottom on each side), clean the back of the caps and the mating surfaces on the motorhome and then reattach the end caps with epoxy. This is apparently how the end caps on new motorhomes are attached vs. the two sided tape that attached the end caps when my coach was built.

I'm wondering if anyone here has had this done and what your experience has been. Also, has anyone with a newer coach with the epoxied end caps experienced any problems with them?

Thank you.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #1 –
Epoxy sounds like a decent way to go if it has some flexibility!
2000 RB
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #2 –
If you dont mine me asking how much did LD quote you?  quote author=Terry Burnes link=msg=200353 date=1552845543]
I have an appointment for December to have the LD factory reseal the rear end caps on my 2003 RB.

They will remove all four rear end caps (top and bottom on each side), clean the back of the caps and the mating surfaces on the motorhome and then reattach the end caps with epoxy. This is apparently how the end caps on new motorhomes are attached vs. the two sided tape that attached the end caps when my coach was built.

I'm wondering if anyone here has had this done and what your experience has been. Also, has anyone with a newer coach with the epoxied end caps experienced any problems with them?

2003 RB
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #3 –
I expect this to cost about $1600. About three hours per end cap plus supplies.

Expensive and probably not strictly necessary for my 2003 which has good sealing of the wood under the caps and which has been garaged in dry Nevada when not in use. But there has been some mild separation of the caps where they join and I want to eliminate this source of worry. I hope to RV for another 10-15 years but won’t be buying another motorhome. And my bias for caring for this one is to use factory solutions.

When making these decisions I compare with the cost of a new motorhome, not the value of  mine. But I think this project makes sense either way.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #4 –
Quote from: Terry Burnes  - 
I want to eliminate this source of worry. I hope to RV for another 10-15 years but won’t be buying another motorhome.  And my bias for caring for this one is to use factory solutions.  When making these decisions I compare with the cost of a new motorhome, not the value of  mine. But I think this project makes sense either way.

Actually those are the exact reasons for a good many our upgrades since we hope to RV for a long time.   Unfortunately, I expect 10-15 years is not our future.  And finally, I wish we lived closer to the Factory when it comes time to re-seal the Rig. 
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #5 –
Terry

When you have the work done, see if can find out how they remove the original caps and double-side tape, without paint damage, in such a short time.
The type of epoxy used would also be of interest.
I have removed damaged caps, taking hours to remove the well stuck sections, while using a heat gun and vibratory cutting tool. Even with the cap removed, the remaining adhesive tape, on both the coach and cap, can be very difficult to remove.
LD must have some way to speed up this process.

I didn't know that LD had changed to using epoxy to secure the caps. As Cor2man point out, the adhesive should have a degree of flexibility, there are strong twisting forces working on the caps, especially at the rear.
If the caps are twisted too far, without any way to move to relieve the stress, I would expect to see the same possible cracking as seen in many other LDs.
The caps themselves do not have much strength, they are very flexible and floppy.
I wonder if LD has changed to stronger caps or has some other way of preventing stress cracking?

Have a great time on your East Coast adventure, can't wait to hear about it next December at the Lake Cachuma LD Caravan Club GTG.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #6 –
"....find out how they remove the original caps and double-side tape, without paint damage, in such a short time. The type of epoxy used would also be of interest."
----
I'd like to know this information, too, and also how the end caps are removed intact and without damage or 'edge fluting', chipping, and/or leaving residue of the previous adhesive. Or, maybe LD installs new caps instead of just resealing the originals? (Probably not unless the caps were damaged?)

Unlike Larry working on his own, I suspect that cap reseals are not a one-worker job at the factory.  ;)
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #7 –
Quote from: Joan  - 
"....find out how they remove the original caps and double-side tape, without paint damage, in such a short time.
----
I'd like to know this information, too, and also how the end caps are removed intact and without damage or 'edge fluting', chipping, and/or leaving residue of the previous adhesive. Or, maybe LD installs new caps instead of just resealing the originals? (Probably not unless the caps were damaged?)

Using new caps would require matching the paint colors (the colors change and fade with time) and then painting the new caps. Terry's LD's caps have three colors and the matching tape to duplicate, requiring a great deal of labor.
This would cost much more the $1600.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #8 –
Vince at LD did say a cap could be damaged and need replacement but that is rare.

He also said they’ve had very few problems with epoxied caps. I’ll be looking at newer coaches when I see them to see what I think. Perhaps some of those owners could chime, maybe with some pics.

I’m expecting some cosmetic degradation but not a lot. A reasonable price for more secure attachment.

I’ll post the results once done.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #9 –
Quote from: Terry Burnes  - 
He also said they’ve had very few problems with epoxied caps. I’ll be looking at newer coaches when I see them to see what I think. Perhaps some of those owners could chime, maybe with some pics.

Since the use of epoxy is a relatively new development, it's early to see caps problems, normally showing up on older and higher mileage rigs.
Any cap issues at this point would be a bad sign.
While epoxy may turn out to be the perfect way to secure the caps, with only a few years of usage, IMO, it is still experimental.
LD had used other methods to secure the caps, none previously have proven to be foolproof.  Epoxy is their latest attempt .
I admire how LD is continuiously fine tuning the floorpans and construction methods. Since they repair them, as well as build them,  LD knows exactly where the failure points are.
Today's LDs are built better and will last longer than earlier year models and the progression of improvement has been mostly continuous since they first started building RVs.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #10 –
     I recently (Feb) had the factory reseal the bottom rear rounds on my 2005 MB.  They were removed, cleaned and glued on with MA830 adhesive.  Labor was 4 hrs = $400.  VHB removal wheel, solvent, rags, fasteners and adhesive ran around $200.  Touch up paint = $10.  Vince was very helpful and accommodating.  He reported that "they weren't ever going anywhere".  The job looks great.  We have extreme temperature fluctuations here in WI, and time will tell as far as the adhesive longevity.  I could not have been happier with our experience at the mothership. 
1994 22 LD, 2005 Midbath, 2016 Midbath
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #11 –
The real problem with the caps is there is the material.  There is no room for the expansion of the aluminum that the caps are mounted to.  What is needed is to make the caps so the siding can expand and contract, at varying rates with respect to each other.   A material like the bumper covers of modern cars so they can flex comes to mind or more expansion joints.  I don't know if the molding of a soft plastic material like a bumper is possible for a company the size of Lazy Daze or if that is even a good solution.  I think that the company is honest and that this issue is a thorn in their side.   
I believe that keeping a LD in the shade so the sun does not heat up one side while the cold is shrinking another would be a good solution in the short term and may be rethinking my position on cloth covers as they will shield the siding from the heat gain that happens when hit by direct sunlight while another sides is shaded in relative cooler conditions.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath
Re: Having Lazy Daze reseal rear end caps
Reply #12 –
mrystock, thanks for the report. That's consistent with what Vince told me.

The one problem I can see with this new approach might be with some minor collision or similar damage to an end cap, say during parking. Since the cap can't be removed after this bonding, one might be faced with replacing the corresponding aluminum sheets in order to replace the cap. But perhaps the cap could simply be filled, sanded and painted at that point, like any other body work.

But I'm more worried about normal use, simply avoiding the caps coming loose. Mine are still pretty tight overall but do seem to have "popped off" the tape in a couple of small spots, something likely to get worse over time.

Vince does seem pretty confident in the sealing of the wood under the caps. My 2003 seems to be on the good side of that production change, where LD started applying generous amounts of sealant to the wood surfaces under the end caps, which are also open at the bottom of the coach, so any water getting past the caps and the tape that bonds them to the aluminum should simply drain out the bottom as opposed to soaking into the wood siding and frame members.

It's possible that problems with this new method of attaching the caps will surface down the road, but the old method has worked on my coach for 16 years (no signs of dry rot). Assuming the new method is at least marginally better this work should get me to the end of my RVing. If old age doesn't get me (I'm 72), perhaps gas prices or crowded campgrounds or something else will. Another 15 years would be great and more than I deserve.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV