Countertop replace in 2015 Eagle?

[lammerz]

I am buying a 2015 Eagle 324BHTS. It has the lesser quality countertops. How hard is is to get them replaced with the solid material countertops? I am thinking of doing this just with the island at least. Will Jayco sell me one as an after sale part?

[maromeo]

Our 2014 has LG Himac solid surface countertops. They look the same as the 2015. They can be ordered through Lowes and Home Depot. You may want to do a price comparison with Jayco.

Here is LG Himac website.

Lucca M203

One thing to consider if you replace the countertops yourself is the extra weight on top. You may need to add more reinforcement. You will have to decide if you want to keep the original sink or go with the undermount sink and covers that will need to be made, along with the room under the sink in the cabinet and plumbing adjustments to fit the new sink.

Hope this helps.

[wags999]

May want to go with a local fabricator rather than a box store. The box stores purchase from local fabricators anyway. A good local fabricator can help with the support system needed for your application. International Surface Fabricators Association : Home this is the trade association and can assist with finding a local fabricator. There are many solid surface materials, all are good. I would stick with an acrylic based product rather than polyester based for a number of reasons, which i won't bore anyone with Good Luck

[Brownie]

As a former kitchen designer (for 20 years), I have some experience with solid surface countertops. Maromeo is correct; they are considerably heavier than laminate (Formica) countertops. So not only do they require special support, they will subtract from your available payload capacity. They are typically sold only as 'installed" products, and the installers must be certified by the material fabricator. They will be priced at 2 - 3 times the price of installed laminate products.

Most solid surface countertops are either stone-based (granite/quartz), glass based, or acrylic/acrylic blends. The stone/glass based ones are much heavier than acrylic and are more rigid. The added weight and the rigidity of the stone/glass tops make them unacceptable for use in an RV, with the constant bumps, etc. Acrylic is a rather soft, flexible plastic that does lend itself to use in RV's, as wags999 recommends. They are durable, stain resistant, and will last for 30 years or longer. As mentioned earlier, acrylic is rather soft, so it will scratch and you should never cut on it or drag rough items across it. However, minor scratches can be buffed out with a Scotch-brite scrubber pad. Normal cleaning and wiping of the surface tends to "polish" it, so over time you will see "shiny" spots where it is cleaned most often. Those can also be buffed out with an all-over buffing with the Scotch-brite pad. Shiny, polished finishes are available on some colors/patterns, but scratches will be much more visible, so they aren't generally used on a kitchen countertop. Several brands are available. Jayco switched from Coreon to Himac several years ago (probably for cost savings). Due to special installation concerns and marketing restrictions, Jayco will not sell you a replacement top for your island.

Sometimes, a certified fabricator will have a "remnant" they may be willing to sell you for DIY use as a cutting board or table top. But as a countertop (especially if there is a sink or sink cut-out involved; probably not. As for sink options: Integrated sinks (solid surface sinks rigidly glued to the underside of the countertop with the seam buffed to be virtually invisible) are not an option in an RV, due to the bumping and twisting in an RV traveling down the road. Most RV's use specialized stainless steel sinks that are glued to underside of the countertop. The lighter weight of the stainless steel sink and the flexibility of the silicone glued seam make a good choice for RV's. Finally, a sink may be dropped into a sink hole from above the countertop. That is what is typically used on laminate countertops. The seam is made water tight by sealing it with acrylic/silicone caulk, plumber's putty, or butyl caulk.

Because of volume discounts, Home Depot or Lowes are excellent places to go for residential solid surface tops. However, they will not allow their fabricators to install in an RV. Some stores won't even do an installation in a mobile home. Therefore, your best bet is probably a local fabricator. If you make a simple, two-dimensional sketch of your countertops (looking down from above) - including the measurements along the back side (longest length on the island), and the depth from front to back - a local fabricator can give you a fairly accurate price estimate. They will have to schedule an on site measurement before they can give you a finished price and start actual fabrication.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but hope it helps with your decision.