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Showers

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billy

760
Best Friends
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: New
PurchDate: Feb, 6 2011. Same day Packers won super bowl
Model: 3100
Slide: Yes
Location: Coarsegold, Ca. About 20-25 miles S/W Yosemite

Showers

« on: February 17, 2012, 06:06:22 pm »

My shower buckles on the driver side. Not always, mostly when warm. Anyone having this problem?

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Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

bigbadjc

223
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: Used
PurchDate: February 2010
Model: 2551
ModelYear: 2006
Slide: Yes

Re: Showers

« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2012, 06:24:49 pm »

Okay, you got me on this one. What the heck does "my shower buckles" mean?? Are we talking about the outside walls or the inner ones? My shower is in the corner with two sides being the rear and side walls, and the other two sides being glass. What is to buckle? Maybe it's obvious to a PC 3100 owner, but I'm lost.

Jerry

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billy

760
Best Friends
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: New
PurchDate: Feb, 6 2011. Same day Packers won super bowl
Model: 3100
Slide: Yes
Location: Coarsegold, Ca. About 20-25 miles S/W Yosemite

Re: Showers

« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2012, 10:50:32 pm »

What is a buckle? A bulge, a ripple, a protrusion, something that sticks out. Need more. On the shower wall on the driver side. Need more? The white part of the shower, the wall? Has two large bulges, ripples, protrusion.

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Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Ron Dittmer

5647
Ron and Irene
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: New
PurchDate: June 2007
Model: 2350 Ford
ModelYear: 2007
Slide: No
IntColor: Cherry Green&Gray
ExtColor: Full Body Gray
Location: N/E Illinois

Re: Showers

« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2012, 11:13:05 pm »

Our shower enclosure always seemed to give a little more than the other walls do, but buckling/rippling...I cannot say I have experienced that.

Just throwing something way out there. If you leaned exceptionally hard against one of the wall panels, maybe it moved at the top or bottom, getting hung up on adjacent panels. Maybe if you push in at the top or bottom, it will pop back flat. Like I say, "Way Out There".

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Ron (& Irene) Dittmer

billy

760
Best Friends
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: New
PurchDate: Feb, 6 2011. Same day Packers won super bowl
Model: 3100
Slide: Yes
Location: Coarsegold, Ca. About 20-25 miles S/W Yosemite

Re: Showers

« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2012, 11:56:18 pm »

This evening the wall is fairly flat. Still two small ripples. As it get warmer the bulges will get bigger?

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Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

lghjr

306
OwnPC: No
NewUsed: Used
PurchDate: Used to own a 2700
Model: 2700
ModelYear: 2007
Slide: Yes

Re: Showers

« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2012, 12:05:36 pm »

Thermal expansion, is the culprit with what you have described. The material has nowhere for the material to go as it expands, so it ripples to make itself some room. Easy to fix during construction, almost impossible to fix as an afterthought, with doing some major re-work.

« Last Edit: February 18, 2012, 12:09:00 pm by lghjr »

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bigbadjc

223
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: Used
PurchDate: February 2010
Model: 2551
ModelYear: 2006
Slide: Yes

Re: Showers

« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2012, 01:30:46 pm »

Thermal expansion would be my guess, too, but I've never seen it in that small a span with rather non thermal sensitive materials like wall boards. You expect thermal expansion to be more of a problem with large surfaces or metallic structures. The first question would be is there some heat emitting element nearby or is it just heat from the plastic dome (assuming you have one like I do) or through the side wall. If it is just solar heat leaking in, you might be able to fix it with the equivalent of an expansion joint like you put in paving slabs. What is the reaction of some of you more adventurous mechanical types to the dadoing of a 1/4" or so groove accross the side panel and filling it in with flexible, water proof silicone caulking compound? Another approach might be to catch it when it is most protruding and drill small holes in the center of the bulges and force adhesives into the space and then put pressure on to bond the shower wall to the side wall of the camper. Anybody have any ideas on how to fix this if it just thermal expansion??

Jerry

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Ron Dittmer

5647
Ron and Irene
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: New
PurchDate: June 2007
Model: 2350 Ford
ModelYear: 2007
Slide: No
IntColor: Cherry Green&Gray
ExtColor: Full Body Gray
Location: N/E Illinois

Re: Showers

« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2012, 04:42:16 pm »

bigbadjc and lghjr, I think you are onto something.

What comes to mind is to cut the shower wall along the bottom where the shower pan meets it. I would place a metal shield of some sort to protect the pan itself while cutting. I would start with an 1/8" thick cut, the thickness of some saw blades. Place shims where you just cut to prevent the wall from dropping until after the rest of the cut is finished. The rippled wall panel could simply drop and straighten out closing the 1/8" gap. Then caulk it to seal which would also act as an adhesive for the wall. If done cleanly, you'd never know it was done.

It is hard to recommend anything without first studying some pictures.

« Last Edit: February 19, 2012, 04:45:51 pm by ron.dittmer »

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Ron (& Irene) Dittmer

TomHanlon

Re: Showers

« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2012, 05:23:27 pm »

Question, If you drill holes or cut and reglue the panel, wouldn't the Thermal expansion just move to another part of the panel becuse the panel still can't move?

If it was my shower, I would take some pictures I could email them, then I would be on the phone to the factory asking them what I should do.

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bigbadjc

223
OwnPC: Yes
NewUsed: Used
PurchDate: February 2010
Model: 2551
ModelYear: 2006
Slide: Yes

Re: Showers

« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2012, 06:13:32 pm »

Tom, I will never argue with seeking help from the manufacturer or a reputable dealer. You're probably right about just gluing it not working, but if you could glue the relatively thin sidewall of the shower to the much stronger and thicker sidewall of the motorhome, it might simply force it into a little more tension in the walls without bowing them. I think the better way is probably the one of putting a gap at the bottom covered with a flashing and a caulked seal. I'm just amazed that this problem occurred anyway if the unit was properly assembled.

Jerry

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lghjr

306
OwnPC: No
NewUsed: Used
PurchDate: Used to own a 2700
Model: 2700
ModelYear: 2007
Slide: Yes

Re: Showers

« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2012, 07:10:55 pm »

I thought of the expansion joint too, couldn't figure where to put it without pictures. If the gap is left a gap with a pliable sealant in between the two halve should be able to squeeze the sealant enough to not ripple the panels. It would be like expansion joints in the roadway with tar in between slabs. You would have to be careful not to get into stringers and the like behind the panel. I have found stud finders are mostly reliable in plastic/fiberglass apps to kinda see whats behind. Without going to look at my unit is the wall(s) solid or are the put together with butt joints in the corners. If jointed I would try to remove the rippling panel and trim it so that is not going to be in a bind at higher temps and reseal it, 1/8" would be more than enough in a short span.

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