โMay-02-2021 02:32 AM
โMay-06-2021 09:55 AM
HMS Beagle wrote:
You can reinstall the trim strip and the vinyl bulge for esthetics, just don't seal behind it or underneath it (or on top). It just traps water and guides it into the holes. Proof of this is the shaft of the screws being rusted, so you know water is going in there. The stripped screws are common, they overdrive a lot of them there and elsewhere, they are only going into the bottom shell most places.
The bomb proof fix is to fiberglass over the joint which carefully done could look fine. Remove the gel coat to a tight line just above and just below the bump (structurally you need more below the bump but aethetically you'd want it to be even), tab carefully inside that line, paint the stripe to match or a contrasting color. It already has a bump and trim all the way around. It would be more work but a little cleaner to cut off the upper shell overlap before tabbing, the tabbing could be narrower and the bump would be less thick.
If rescrewing instead, I'd go up to the next size screw so that the pilot hole cleaned the hole of dirt and old sealant, carefully - with a torque limiting driver - drive in the new screws, then remove them, coat them in 5200 or whatever, and drive them back. Other than the very front where wind might drive water up under it, the seam is unlikely to leak as gravity is very dependable. It is the screw holes that leak. I've thought about removing the screws, wedging the top away from the bottom slightly and cleaning out the seam then resealing it with 5200 prior to putting the screws back but it would be probably as much work as just glassing over it. Would maintain the factory look though.
It's too bad the factory doesn't tab the shells together on the inside prior to installing the interior. It's probably half a days work for one guy at that point and would make the product far better.
โMay-06-2021 09:16 AM
โMay-06-2021 05:30 AM
โMay-06-2021 01:21 AM
adamis wrote:
I can't answer your question but as a fellow Bigfoot owner, I would ask that you please document your repair process as much as possible! You appear to be headed were few have been before and so your experience (and pictures) will be an invaluable resource to the rest of us that may oneday walk the same path. Also, might be a great resource to send back to Grant at Bigfoot. Maybe they already know of this issue and have change procedures but having this type of feedback is always invaluable.
Thanks in advance... Fellow Bigfoot Owner
โMay-05-2021 09:49 PM
โMay-05-2021 06:18 PM
โMay-05-2021 01:50 PM
HMS Beagle wrote:
If you have the fiberglassing skills, do that. I never like plyood embedded in fiberglass, it is just a time bomb, particularly if it has any screws driven in (which is usually the reason for it). A non-embedded plywood backing pad can at least dry if given a chance.
When you say center seal, do you mean the seal between top and bottom that runs all the way around? That can be an ingress point, particularly the way they sealed them at the factory. The top overlaps the bottom, so if left that way it would never leak. But then they put a piece of trim on it, drill a million holes drive in a miilion screws (which used to be steel but they do use SS now), then seal the trim top and bottom with a fillet of silicone. The last bit is the coup de grace - usually the top fillet, being exposed to more sun and weather fails first, allowing the bottom seal to collect a pool of water behind the trim, which has no place to go but through the aforementioned million holes with rusty screws. Would have been much better to let the water run out the bottom, sealing the top (though the top seal is useless after a year or two).
I think it is practically no possible to reseal the actual overlapping seam, but also not necessary. Pull the vinyl trim strip, remove all the screws, seal the threads themselves with a good marine grade caulk as you drive in new SS screws. Clean all the failed silicone off the top and bottom of the trim and do not replace it. All the trim does is hide the screw heads, it has no sealing function at all.
โMay-05-2021 01:41 PM
โMay-05-2021 09:23 AM
โMay-05-2021 09:02 AM
noteven wrote:
Can you source Azdel panels to use in place of plywood?
โMay-05-2021 09:01 AM
pianotuna wrote:AH_AK wrote:
I am going to install a soft start on the A/C and then use a 2.2kW portable generator modified to run on LP.
Power on propane is derated about 10 to 15%. I suggest jumping to a 2.8 kw portable such as the Champion 3400 inverter/generator with remote electric start.
โMay-05-2021 07:04 AM
โMay-04-2021 12:12 PM
AH_AK wrote:
I am going to install a soft start on the A/C and then use a 2.2kW portable generator modified to run on LP.
โMay-04-2021 10:38 AM
HMS Beagle wrote:Geo*Boy wrote:
Instead of plywood, use Coosa Composite for your repairs. Itโs impervious to moisture.
Coosa board is not a very strong structural material. I'd suggest G10 fiberglass sheet. It is reasonably available in almost any thickness, consistent, strong, bonds well, will hold self tapping or tapped machine screws as well as aluminum, and will not rot.