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10-20-2016, 01:23 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 28
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A Big Bone Head Oops...
So, we all know pulling a trailer or backing up is tricky at the best of times, and harder for `newbies`...well, even after over a year of hauling my TT myself, I made a big bone head boo-boo this summer.
Was parking in a tricky, curvey area with trees to maneuver around on a private farm for a weekend with friends and was told to park beside the garage. I thought my spotter was telepathic and knew exactly what I was doing....he didn`t (LOL) and he was on the wrong side of trailer. He hollered ÒK`so I assumed he meant I was clear of the `Garage`that I was trying to avoid. ( he meant I was clear of the big tree on other side.
So, I cranked the wheel and pulled ahead and heard a big SCRAPE!! Yikes! Yup, hit the corner of the eavestrough on garage...duh (metal eaves trough , just my luck, not vinyl). Punched a hole and damaged exterior wall on drivers side.
It also punched a hole thru to interior wall too, which is now fixed as best as I can. No one would notice it but me...sigh....couldn`t get good pictures of inside due to bad lighting.
See attached pictures of exterior damage and after the repair! My handyman has auto body work experience....he did a fine job!
He put spray foam insulation in the hole cavities, then filled with bondo and sanded and repeated till smooth. Primer paint, then tried a few different shades of white spray paint to match up the colour of siding. Viola !
The "fun finder" decal words are missing, but I don't care, they were crappy to begin with lol
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2006 Fun Finder Shadow Cruiser 240 - 25 Foot
2005 GMC Envoy
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10-20-2016, 01:50 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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Brilliant patch job! We have all made similar mistakes while towing -- sometimes just a scuff, sometimes more . . . .
In order to avoid that, my spotter (my wife) now checks both sides while I am backing. She does not give me the "go ahead" signal until it's all clear. Don't ask me how we learned this.
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10-20-2016, 02:07 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Battle Ground, WA
Posts: 221
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Wow...that's a really nice patch job! I would not have thought it possible.
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2008 - 189 FBR
2007 Jeep WK Limited CRD
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10-20-2016, 02:11 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 498
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Whoa - that is some hole. Was there insulation in the hole to begin with? or are the walls just all empty? If the tt walls are empty, I think I will drill some holes and fill them with foam. I thought the shell of the ff was styrofoam with a fiberglas skin? Great fix!
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2008 189FBR & 2014 FORD F150 Now Full-Time
Tons of Inexpensive Camper Mods WackyPup.com
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10-20-2016, 02:16 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 28
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PaintyLiz...yes, there was foam insulation in the walls. What you see is after we picked out the "debris" (shattered, splintered wood from the walls, and little bits of busted up foam).
That's why we used spray foam to replace what was lost. Rest assured you have foam in yours too.
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2006 Fun Finder Shadow Cruiser 240 - 25 Foot
2005 GMC Envoy
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10-20-2016, 02:20 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 498
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whew . . . . thanks
I thought there was foam in the walls. I could see foam every time I replace the front window haha
Liz
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2008 189FBR & 2014 FORD F150 Now Full-Time
Tons of Inexpensive Camper Mods WackyPup.com
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10-20-2016, 05:00 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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The thick layer of foam in the walls/ceiling/floor of the newer Fun Finders is amazing -- we often camp in below-freezing temps and are quite comfortable. (Spray foam to fill the hole was a great idea.) The foam also serves as sound insulation.
By comparison, the old Shadow Cruiser products (pre-2005, I think??) had very little insulation in the walls.
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10-20-2016, 05:08 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NW TN
Posts: 488
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What a great repair! Very impressive.
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2018 Lance 1475
2013 Nissan Frontier, aka Pretty Red Truck
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10-20-2016, 06:35 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3,106
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That is an excellent repair to the damage. Lucky you for having such a handman available.
When I have a spotter behind, I don't move unless I can SEE THE SPOTTER IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR.
That has proved extremely beneficial as have never hit anything that way and been pulling farm equipment, mobile homes, trailers and now a camper for a total of over 6 decades.
Then again, perhaps luck has been on my side too! LOL
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2012 Fun Finder XT 276 Toy Hauler & Harley Davidson Ultra Classic with Condor wheel chock
2014 Dodge Ram 2500 AT 4X4 Crew Cab 6.4 L Hemi, 373 gears, tow package, Rambox option, Revolver X2 tonneau cover, Equal-I-zer anti-sway hitch.
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10-21-2016, 07:07 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NW TN
Posts: 488
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Hey, I've seen large scale vinyl work at auto accessory stores (there must be another name for them - the ones that tint your windows and put covers over your truck bed...)
I used Photoshop to take the X off, since it remains on your trailer...
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2018 Lance 1475
2013 Nissan Frontier, aka Pretty Red Truck
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10-21-2016, 10:24 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 28
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Thanks Michellep, I've thought about replacing the graphics, but they are all in crappy shape, so would have to do all of them.. I can live with it for now lol
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2006 Fun Finder Shadow Cruiser 240 - 25 Foot
2005 GMC Envoy
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10-21-2016, 04:06 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Los Angeles. CA
Posts: 149
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Wow that looks great, thanks for the info. I can see myself using that's foam and bondo repair in the future.
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2008 FF Cruzer 139X
2013 Honda Pilot 4WD
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10-21-2016, 05:00 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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Hopefully not! Anything that can be fixed with duct tape is no big deal -- but when you whip out the Bondo, you are into a more serious situation.
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10-21-2016, 08:20 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,330
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That repair looks great! You would never know there had been a hole there.
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2008 Fun Finder 189 FBR, (replaced by) 1996 Shasta 265DBFW April 2017.
2006 Jeep Liberty 3.7 (replaced by.....)
2006 Chevy 2500HD, Duramax, crew cab
It's a big world...explore it!!!
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