Our new AC, Driving home yesterday back seam opened up!

[2Travelers]

 Hello Everyone,

Jim and I just purchased a 78 AC rear kitchen with dinette and sofa yesterday.  Everything but furnace seems to work just fine, including the dash air.  There is some leaks around vent in Bathroom but we think that can be sealed and fixed in a couple of months. 

It needs some interior decorating but everything else was the best we had seen until we arrived home from the seller's home and a trip to DMV where we discovered back drivers side, where bathroom and leak has been, the outside seam of the fiberglass panels has split open.
It is currently held together by the trim piece and a few rusty screws half out of bottom panel of fiberglass.

Any ideas on both a short term fix so we can drive it about 600 mile safely and a longer term fix when we get there.  All ideas and suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks, Jim and Cynthia

[JerryT]

Welcome Jim, Cynthia, and Cinamon the cat.
I have a 78 rear kitchen and I had the same issue that you have. Quick history, the Clipper fiberglass panels are overlapped then screwed to the inside frame thru the aluminum trim on the outside that has the filler strip (black) in it. On mine that corner was not overlapped properly, leaked, rusted the screws and rotted the wood a bit. I also found that the screws that go into the edge of the floor via aluminum channel and filler strip, missed the floor edge in that same area. To fix the floor edge was easy, I just angle screwed into it as the floor edge was still solid. As for the vertical, I cheated. I screwed all the way thru into the bathroom wall paneling, then I ground off the points of the screws and doctored up the wall inside the bath. You could add a piece of wood on the inside to sandwich into. That held until I did a better fix, I latter removed all the screws and aluminum trim, got a tube of white urethane caulk from a boat place and bonded the seam back together. I used the same screw holes and screws, no aluminum trim, but added a washer to help pull it all together until the caulk cured, then I reinstalled the trim minus the washers with the same screws. I took some pics of my repair but there is not much to see. I hated to screw into the bath but I was damn glad I could because I don't know how I would have anchored it all back together with the wood inside rotted. My repair was low, all under the sink/counter next to the toilet. You can use a heat gun on the filler if needed. The Clipper club sells new black filler, I changed over to all white filler's after I painted mine for a cleaner look. I have done many improvements on mine and we love them all. You can search my posts for pics of my progress. Ask lots of questions and post pics of your progress, thats how we all learn.
JerryT   

[dboling]

JerryT

Are you talking about the seam in the rear of the clipper where the side fiberglass panel connects to the rear fiberglass panel ?

If so mine is starting to come apart too
Since I don't plan on moving it, I figured I'd clean up the area and use some good 3M duct tape to seal it and hold it together until I can figure how to fix it.
I'm guessing the best time to fix it right would be when I start rebuilding the inside rear coach area.

I figure that if Myth Busters can build a boat out of duct tape and lift a car with duct tape, duct tape should protect and seal the area for now.

[JerryT]

Yes that is the one, I sealed both sides while I was at it. I used 3M 5200 marine sealant. Here are a few pics.
JerryT
P.S. I own the Red Green Movie, Duct Tape Forever!!!

[JerryT]

more pics.

[John Eversoll]

Jerry, You are toooo Good!!!
I have rescrewed all of the screws in the back with a little longer and wider screws and it seems as if they want to stay.  We will see after she is back on the road..

"and I am still checking on that Cruise control"  I have not given up yet!!!!
John

[dboling]

is there any reason for the seam to be there ?

I was thinking a grinder and fiberglass, although from looking at the clipper, it looks like the whole fiberglass body is removable which could make it a lot easier to repair rotten wood and structural damage.

[John Eversoll]

Rotton wood on a CLIPPER??? Naaaa

someone pullin my finger??   

Get  the rotton wood around the upper escape hatch!!!

We atarted to tear down the over head and noticed a lot of 2x2 that will be getting replaced,,,!!!! O' Loard, What have I got myself into now>>>>>!!!!!
John