A summer bubble that turned out to be six feet of failed core
2014 Class A gas coach, 34 foot, West Covina owner
Short answer. The owner noticed a soft bulge below the awning rail in July that had not been there the previous fall. By the time it reached us it measured roughly eighteen inches across and flexed under thumb pressure. Tapping revealed a hollow area extending far beyond the visible bubble, running forward toward the entry door and down toward the floor line. Prior owner records showed an awning arm replacement four years earlier.
What the job involved
- Tap tested and moisture mapped the full passenger sidewall on a grid, marking every hollow and elevated reading
- Traced the entry point to an awning rail fastener line that had been resealed over rather than rebedded
- Opened the outer skin along sound laminate boundaries, ultimately removing a section roughly six feet long
- Removed saturated block foam core and cut back two soft framing members, replacing them with matched stock
- Bonded replacement core, laid new fiberglass mat and vacuum bonded the skin flat under controlled pressure
- Rebedded the awning rail on butyl with new fasteners and correct sealant at the termination
- Refinished the affected panel with blends into the adjacent panels front and rear, then reapplied graphics
How it went back out
The wall came back flat with no ghost line or reflection ripple at any angle, and the awning rail was rebedded rather than resealed so the entry path is closed rather than covered. The owner had been quoted a lower number elsewhere for grinding and filling the bubble, which would have left the failed core and the leak path both in place. The repair was covered as a comprehensive claim after documentation.
Ready to get a written estimate
We write estimates at the shop and bill your carrier direct. 30 to 45 minutes from West Covina on the 57 and the 91.