'Squarestream Glue'

[P.Stehle]

Absent the usual rivets, my 1988 Argosy has it's skin bonded to the frame with some sort of epoxy? None of that stuff lasts forever, does anyone have an idea how long before it starts to shed it's skin?

[masseyfarm]

Welcome to the Air Forums.

The bond will last almost forever if you can keep it dry. Water will destroy it over a winter.

Dave

[Ganaraska]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

Welcome to the Air Forums.

The bond will last almost forever if you can keep it dry. Water will destroy it over a winter.

Dave

So... it's fine as long as you don't leave your trailer outdoors?

[P.Stehle]

Well, it's moving from PA to AZ in a few weeks, it had one or two leaks over the years, but as far as I know, that's under control. As it stands, the skin seems to be in nearly perfect condition, and I hope it stays that way when it hits 114 degrees next July. I assume the "water... over a winter" issue lies with trapped water freezing and pushing the panels away from the frame?

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by P.Stehle

Well, it's moving from PA to AZ in a few weeks, it had one or two leaks over the years, but as far as I know, that's under control. As it stands, the skin seems to be in nearly perfect condition, and I hope it stays that way when it hits 114 degrees next July. I assume the "water... over a winter" issue lies with trapped water freezing and pushing the panels away from the frame?

I think when it hits 114 you're supposed to be camping up around Flagstaff somewhere to avoid it.

[idroba]

Originally Posted by P.Stehle

Absent the usual rivets, my 1988 Argosy has it's skin bonded to the frame with some sort of epoxy? None of that stuff lasts forever, does anyone have an idea how long before it starts to shed it's skin?

Actually most of it does last forever. The famous GMC motorhomes of the '73 to 78 era had plastic lower panels bonded to the AL frame and there are virtually no reports of failure of the bonding adhesive, even today.

What does fail on sandwich wall materials, made of exterior and interior layers with some foam or interior structure is the interior adhesive. It was never meant to experience water, but does very often in RV applications. There are lots and lots of cases of de lamination of those systems. I don't know what the Argosy walls of that era used, or how well they held up.

[P.Stehle]

Yeah, I have a few areas of interior paneling that's not especially tight, but nothing like a typical 1988 SOB interior is usually like. When I was shopping for a real AS, I encountered several in which the entire surface of the interior paneling was sticky, but mine just has a bit of mold here and there from being closed up. I just regard it as "ambience"...