My bone-head maneuver :(

[tjpolsin]

Following our wonderful 2-week trip from Puget Sound to Yellowstone in Aug, I got the trailer parked, cleaned out and left it to air out. Late October I found a weekend to drain the water, do a final clean up and winterize it for the season. Only to find out that I had left the window open over the sink. In case all you gentle readers didn't know, it rains a bit here in the Seattle area.

The small amount of standing water on my countertop was only the remnant left from what had already soaked into the countertop along the edge.

Jayco was kind enough to provide me with part numbers for new countertop material and edging. I now know what one of my spring projects is going to be.

Tim

[maromeo]

You may want to check with Lowes or Home Depot and compare prices for the countertop. I was able to order a part of a counter top for my previous TT from Home Depot and it matched beautifully.

Here is the site with the samples for my 2011. Mine was bronzed fusion. I am not sure if that is the same in your TT. My friends had a 2009 and it was the same countertop as ours.

http://floform.com/surfaces-collecti...ands=wilsonart

Hope this helps.

[DocBrown]

Being that these counter tops are just presswood with laminate over them, I'm sure you can have a better one made that won't swell when it gets wet.

[RVhiker]

Another approach would be for you to remove the sink, faucet and counter top. Replace the counter top with high grade 3/4 inch plywood. Then, hire a carpenter to apply laminate and edging of your choice. I believe the carpenter could best apply the laminate with the counter top intact, and after he is done you or the carpenter could cut the hole for the sink.

Maybe consider it a wonderful opportunity to change the faucet and the sink itself?

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by RVhiker

Another approach would be for you to remove the sink, faucet and counter top. Replace the counter top with high grade 3/4 inch plywood. Then, hire a carpenter to apply laminate and edging of your choice. I believe the carpenter could best apply the laminate with the counter top intact, and after he is done you or the carpenter could cut the hole for the sink.

Maybe consider it a wonderful opportunity to change the faucet and the sink itself?

Great example of turning a negative into a positive....

[wags999]

Plywood is not a recommended substrate for a laminate countertop. Any plywood with a grain will telegraph through the laminate over time. IF you have to use a plywood, use a luan or other fine grain wood. A commercial grade ( not the stuff at HD) IS the recommended substrate. You can get an exterior grade if you want, but it is not needed.
Plywood also moves more than a commercial grade particle board. Delamination is also an issue with most readily available plywood panels. Most of the plywood at HD or Lowes is from China...or more directly from a ship offshore the US where it is made. It has great movement over time, poor lamination, voids etc..

Also know that in many RV's the counters are a thermofused melamine, not a high pressure laminate. Thermofused melamine does not have the wear factor or impact resistance of a laminate.

I would not try to replace laminate with the substrate installed, it is very difficult to get a good fit against the wall. Build the substrate, fit it to the walls and then apply the contact adhesive and laminate, route off the excess laminate and install the countertop.

Typically a Tee molding edge is used by jayco on the edge of your counters. it is more resistant to abuse than a self edge laminate.

Having built 1,000's of laminate custom counters in my previous life, I may be able to answer most of your questions.

[tjpolsin]

Originally Posted by maromeo

You may want to check with Lowes or Home Depot and compare prices for the countertop. I was able to order a part of a counter top for my previous TT from Home Depot and it matched beautifully.

Here is the site with the samples for my 2011. Mine was bronzed fusion. I am not sure if that is the same in your TT. My friends had a 2009 and it was the same countertop as ours.

http://floform.com/surfaces-collecti...ands=wilsonart

Hope this helps.

I love everone's answers so far, and I have 'till next spring to figure a solution.
I will price out Jayco OEM replacement compared to a residential countertop.

My concern is to get it to match the rest of the interior tables/countertops.

I do like the idea of upgrading the sink/faucet.

More to follow.

Keep your window's shut!!

[schrederman]

When I broke the plastic sink in my last TT, I found a stainless steel replacement for about $100- less than the flimsy plastic sink... It was SOOOO much nicer.

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by wags999

Plywood is not a recommended substrate for a laminate countertop. Any plywood with a grain will telegraph through the laminate over time. IF you have to use a plywood, use a luan or other fine grain wood. A commercial grade ( not the stuff at HD) IS the recommended substrate. You can get an exterior grade if you want, but it is not needed.
Plywood also moves more than a commercial grade particle board. Delamination is also an issue with most readily available plywood panels. Most of the plywood at HD or Lowes is from China...or more directly from a ship offshore the US where it is made. It has great movement over time, poor lamination, voids etc..

Also know that in many RV's the counters are a thermofused melamine, not a high pressure laminate. Thermofused melamine does not have the wear factor or impact resistance of a laminate.

I would not try to replace laminate with the substrate installed, it is very difficult to get a good fit against the wall. Build the substrate, fit it to the walls and then apply the contact adhesive and laminate, route off the excess laminate and install the countertop.

Typically a Tee molding edge is used by jayco on the edge of your counters. it is more resistant to abuse than a self edge laminate.

Having built 1,000's of laminate custom counters in my previous life, I may be able to answer most of your questions.

We CLEARLY found our resident countertop expert! Thanks for the great explanation...