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Old 05-13-2014, 12:02 PM   #1
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Oops, poked a hole in the exterior front panel

OK, when we camp, my husband backs up the truck, and I line him up and lower the power hitch onto the ball. Usually works well. This time, for some reason, he leaned the stabilizer bars up against the front wall of the trailer vertically instead of having them lying on the ground. I didn't notice. So, as I lowered the trailer onto the ball, suddenly I heard "pop"! The stabilizer bar poked right thru the silver part of the trailer that looks like aluminum with all the criss crosses (but is actually some sort of plastic). Didn't go all the way through to the storage compartment, but it's a hole about 2-3 inches in diameter! I could see what appears to be insulation inside. I used a coat hanger to pry the plastic back into place, but there's still space for water, bugs, etc to get in What can we use to patch that?? For now, there's clear packing tape over it. We were thinking maybe a spray sealant?
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:06 PM   #2
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Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

You could try Eternabond tape. Its made for roofs but I can't see why it wouldn't work on something like this. Might not be a pretty repair though.
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:12 PM   #3
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Find you a square piece of aluminum diamond plate a little bigger than the damage you have. Drill a hole in center then drill a hole though the damaged area as close to center as possible. Fill hole with a water proof sealant. Put new piece on and bolt in through to the storage area then tighten till tight. This should blend in and not be real noticeable.
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:30 PM   #4
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Doc, Thanks, does that tape come in various colors? I'd like it to be as un-noticable as possible.

lx22f/c, Thanks for your reply as well! The hole does not go all the way through to the storage compartment. Seems like it would have to be an awfully long bolt to go that far, and I'd have to drill through the undamaged storage area to secure it. I think something on the surface is what we need. I'll try to post a pic...
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:37 PM   #5
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I would use that diamond plate patch method, but secure it with pop rivets. This is the way aircraft skin gets repaired when damaged. I would also make sure some waterproofing material was placed in behind the patch. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself I'm sure the dealer could figure something out for you.
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:49 PM   #6
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just added a photo to my original post. You have to imagine the damage, like a flap, before I pryed it back into position. You can see the part that is still open through the tape.
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Old 05-13-2014, 12:56 PM   #7
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I like the diamond plate idea better than the Eternabond tape.

You could use RV butyl putty tape behind the edges of the riveted patch.
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Old 05-13-2014, 02:13 PM   #8
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Ouch! Maybe one of those round reflective driveway markers mounted with plenty o sealant. Sorta like a badge of honor and constant reminder to remove all thing from the front before backing in. I tend to lean into my senior moments
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Old 05-13-2014, 05:08 PM   #9
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Looks like a good place for a JOF Sticker to me!....
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Old 05-13-2014, 05:46 PM   #10
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Line X the whole piece, not only will it look good but you will not have to worry about it leaking.

http://www.linex.com/
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Old 05-13-2014, 06:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sask934 View Post
Line X the whole piece, not only will it look good but you will not have to worry about it leaking.

http://www.linex.com/

After the patch.
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Old 05-13-2014, 06:12 PM   #12
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Line X the whole piece, not only will it look good but you will not have to worry about it leaking.

http://www.linex.com/
Isn't that stuff heavy?
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Old 05-13-2014, 06:24 PM   #13
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Isn't that stuff heavy?
Not sure but it can not be that heavy...lots of people are putting on lots of things.
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Old 05-13-2014, 06:33 PM   #14
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Perhaps you can remove and replace the plastic sheet of diamond plate.

Remove, patch hole with xxxxx, recover with new sheet.

http://www.kofflersales.com/p/diamon...-1.asp?cid=864
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Old 05-13-2014, 11:14 PM   #15
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I would use some 2 part epoxy. Drill little holes in the plastic and some bailing wire to pull them it back into place. Before you do, coat it with some 2 part epoxy. Fill the holes after with the same epoxy. It'll be as strong or stronger than it was brand new

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Old 05-14-2014, 05:08 AM   #16
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xkuzme1- do you mean to use the epoxy to attach a piece of plastic diamond plate like what was mentioned by JMooney?
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Old 05-14-2014, 06:29 AM   #17
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Sorry about your hole punch accident.

I'm just thrilled that someone finally spelled "Oops" correctly!
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Old 05-14-2014, 10:15 AM   #18
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Well, this is actually aluminum tread plate not plastic. (Tread plate isn't a particularly tough grade of aluminum but it is tougher than that used for trailer sides.) I like the idea of pop riveting on a new piece of tread plate. Be sure to caulk/seal the reverse side of the patch piece. Tread plate is rolled flat on the reverse side so you will have gaps if you don't seal it well.
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Old 05-14-2014, 09:05 PM   #19
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Thanks RossCecil! Interesting! What's the consensus on how large of a patch? Just enough to cover it with like a 1/4 inch to spare, or something like 6 inch square? Thinking about resale, do you think it matters?
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Old 05-15-2014, 06:29 AM   #20
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DonnaD,

From the picture, it doesn't look like the damage covers that big of an area. I would be inclined to pick up some epoxy putty from either the paint or plumbing dept. at Home Depot. It is a two part epoxy putty that comes in a clear plastic tube. After thoroughly cleaning the area, you just pull off as big a "plug" as you need, knead it with your hands for a couple minutes (until it's all one color and starts getting warm), and press it into the hole until it's level. You can use a putty knife to shape the surface to resemble the "diamond plate" if you'd like. It will dry in about 15 minutes; completely cure in about an hour. Once it's cured, it's as hard as rock and completely waterproof. You can dab a little silver/aluminum paint on it so it pretty much blends in. IMHO, that would look a lot better than a big old patch of diamond plate.

I recently put a hole (about the size of a quarter) in the back wall of my Eagle. That's what I will be doing to patch it.
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