310 Overhead cabinets

[jkleven]

Has anyone ever repaired or replaced the overhead cabinets in a Classic Motor home?
I was looking at a 310 'for sale' that was in good condition, however the overhead cabinets had a few cracks. Not sure of the name of the material, but it is the normal stuff you see when they are not made of wood (which I would really prefer).
Any thoughts on repair, or replacement cost? Does Airstream still stock this stuff?
Appreciate any comments
Thanks
Jack

[ALANSD]

This has ben mentoned in the forums before, you might do a search to see the posts. From my experience some cracking due to expansion and contraction, vibration,etc. is somewhat common. My own MH has small cracks near the reading lights, and had one or two in the front dome over the driver's area. I tried numerous things to repair, without removing the panels, which is probably the only way to do it right.
I have had some success with a flexible caulk from Home Depot, that had a mottled finish which was less noticeable than other types. It has held up well in the dome area, and on some spots, but my co-pilot (wife) - was not very happy with the appearance in some spots, and I pulled most off, trying to just leave a bit in the crack itself.
Once again if anyone else has had success repairing the plastic panesl let us know what you used.
By the way if the cracks are the only real problem, I personally would not let that stand in the way of owning a very well made Motorhome.

[jkleven]

Thanks for your response, Alan. I agree, I would not let a couple cracks deter me from owning the Classic. I think, like you said, the only way to totally fix the problem would be replacing the cabinets. Wonder what the 'investment' would be? Anyone have any experience with that?
Jack

[ALANSD]

Depending where the cracks are, I would thnk you could pull the affected panels out, repair them from the rear, and reinstall. Andy from Inland RV said awhile back somehting about mixing plastic with a small amount of a solvent to create a paste and repairing with that. maybe he will elaborate.
My cracks are in the panels under the cabinets,I have considered covering that area with a vinyl applique, I have seen some that look mighty close to the colors.
Another thought is to repair with a bondo type stuff, and then sponge paint to match the surounding surface.
It all depends on the budget ( mine is very restricted...I teach school)!!!

[Alice]

I would be careful of using self-adhesive plastic---It shrinks and looks terrible after a while. The heat in a stored unit could speed up the process. Hope this helps.

[JW84345]

I think the cabinets are made of some sort of ABS plastic. The cabinets in my '84 have have cracks in several places, as do the front and end caps. I read a post on somewhere to drill a small hole at the end of a crack to stop it from spreading. I did that last year and it seems to work.

I agree with the earlier post. Probably the only way to repair the existing cabinets is to glass them from behind and calk the front. I have not tried it ... yet .. though. I'd be interested to hear from someone who has.

I also saw a post (again, I do not recall where) where someone removed the plastic cabinets and replaced with wood.

[kzener40]

I would call some Car detailing shops and try and find a person who works on interior leather and plastic. My 310's plastic in the driver and passenger area were all faded. A local detailing company gave me the name of a person who will come to the location of of your MH and do the repairs on-site. This guy showed up with all of his formula's, paint and airpaint equipment and within a few hours my entire dash (the plastic part) and sides looked like new. He did a perfect match on the origiinal color. I didn't have any cracks but my guess is had I he would have had the stuff to fix it and touch it up to make the patch blend in. I'll give him a call today to find out what he would have used to repair the cracks. I just have to think these repair artists have what it takes to repair such items.

[ALANSD]

good suggestion I think.I spent quite a few years managing auto dealerships, and i had forgotten about the interior jobbers. We had a guy who could fix almost any interior plastic, vinyl or leather problem. Also the paint touch up guys, the body dent removal, the windshield specialists, and so on. All helping make a used car look more presentable.
I will try to contact the guy I used, and see if anything can be done for the cracks.
I remember Inland RV Andy saying you mix the ABS in small pieces (shavings) with a solvent to make a paste, force it in the cracks and so on....do not know the details though.