Delamination: Your Worst Enemy

Delamination is caused by moisture getting between the layers of your RV walls. The walls of your standard RV or trailer are built like a sandwich with a fiberglass (or gel coat) outer layer, and a plywood or luan backing (with some extras here and there depending on the type). Unlike your brick and mortar, to lessen overall weight these walls are vacuum bonded together. Remember when you were a bored kid and you just started gluing pieces of paper together – it’s like that. 

Water can get between these layers and break down the adhesive in a few ways including (but not limited to):

• Cracks or tension caused breaks in the fiberglass or gel coat
• Tears in or loose rubber seals around windows and doors
• Tears in or loose rubber seals on roof seams

Delamination does not automatically mean there’s a structural issue! But, left untreated, delamination can go from a small cosmetic annoyance to full-on wood rot and mold. Therefore, it’s important to look for huge delamination issues when RV shopping. While it’s going to be more common in older units, new ones aren’t exempt and can be affected by a few variables no matter their age, like:

• Poor maintenance
• Lack of seal inspection/reseal 
  • A proper reseal should be done around every 5 years, but you should be checking the seals and seams of your trailer yourself at the beginning and end of the season at least
• Being stored outdoors in areas of heavy rainfall/snow
• Experienced many rapid/extreme temperature changes (this can weaken adhesives)
• Ignored or missed stress cracks
• Incorrect sealant used for repairs (usually DIY and not professionally done) 

Because delamination is most commonly caused by a lack of proper checks and resealing of seams, RV insurance and extended warranties rarely cover delamination repairs.