Paint Crazing

Freddy · 04-14-2006, 12:01 PM

While cleaning and waxing the front cap, I noticed that the paint is beginning to craze around the driver's side windshield wiper assembly where it exits from behind the cap. The grommet around that hole on both arms have deteoriated. One wiper arm is still jet black while the other has faded to a charming

silver-gray.

I also noticed where a repair was made to the fiberglass near the WSW hole on the driver's side. It is away from the area where the paint is crazing.

The coach is 2-yrs old this month, and the warranty has expired.

Anyone have any experience getting Winnebago to take care of obvious work defects?

Freddy · 04-14-2006, 12:01 PM

While cleaning and waxing the front cap, I noticed that the paint is beginning to craze around the driver's side windshield wiper assembly where it exits from behind the cap. The grommet around that hole on both arms have deteoriated. One wiper arm is still jet black while the other has faded to a charming

silver-gray.

I also noticed where a repair was made to the fiberglass near the WSW hole on the driver's side. It is away from the area where the paint is crazing.

The coach is 2-yrs old this month, and the warranty has expired.

Anyone have any experience getting Winnebago to take care of obvious work defects?

rebelsbeach · 04-14-2006, 12:08 PM

Freddy,I would highly recommend either calling or emailing Winnebago Customer Relations.

Owner Relations email address-- [email protected]

Service Administration-... 1-800-537-1885

Freddy · 04-14-2006, 03:59 PM

Thanks! I've got it on my calendar for Monday.

AFChap · 04-14-2006, 07:05 PM

Freddy

Winnebago Owner Relations has been very helpful to me, especially with problems that were documented in some way before the warranty expiried.

The mystery with my coach is that it was VERY OBVIOUSLY repainted on the front passenger side area before delivery, but neither Owner Relations or the original dealer "has any record" of any paint work, nor will 'fess up to what was re-painted and/or why. I don't have any big gripe about it as the paint overspray was taken care of under warranty. I would just like to know what was done & why. Meanwhile, I have the only full-body paint coach I have ever seen with a painted entry door latch!! ...all the others I have seen are basic black.

Freddy · 04-15-2006, 06:10 AM

Just uploaded a photo of the affected area. Hope the URL is correct. I copied it from 'properties' after uploading the pix.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/data/5...rave_Paint.jpg

traveler of california · 04-15-2006, 11:56 AM

OK, what is paint crazing?

Nick, Journey '01

Freddy · 04-15-2006, 03:18 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by traveler of california:
OK, what is paint crazing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

A picture is worth a thousand words but, it's a fine crack in a surface or glaze.

doc · 04-15-2006, 04:49 PM

thanks for asking traveler. I sure didn't know and figured that either it was a misspelled word or some sort of local colloqualism (sp?)

Dgold2 · 04-15-2006, 09:36 PM

Freddy,

That's more than paint crazing! You are at some cracked gel coat which is causing the surface to appear that way. That is a bad area for stress, due to the windshield wiper hole and associated components behind the front of the cap. The fiberglass should have some type of reinforcemant to help stiffen the component in that particular area.

I would venture a guess and say that a stiffener was left out of that area or mis-located, which in turn has created a lot of stress to that particular area....and as a result, you see what happens.

BTW, good luck with your assistance from Winnebago.

Dgold2

Freddy · 04-17-2006, 02:58 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
I would venture a guess and say that a stiffener was left out of that area or mis-located, which in turn has created a lot of stress to that particular area....and as a result, you see what happens.
Dgold2 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That Winnebago forgot to do something would not surprise me in the least. After owning two of their products I'd say they generally make a good MH, but have lousy quality control.

Tom N · 04-17-2006, 05:59 AM

Do you "prop" your wiper arms? blades off the windshield when parked??

I used to place tennis balls under mine thinking this would extend the life of the rubber blades but I decided that all it did was stretch the spring that exerts force to keep the blades tight agains the glass.

Placing something under the arms to lift the blades off the windshield would place much more stress on the areas of the body where you have paint crazing.

Tom
currently home near Pittsburgh

Freddy · 04-18-2006, 03:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom N:
Do you "prop" your wiper arms? blades off the windshield when parked?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When I think about it, I use foam insulation for 3/4" (perhaps 1", I forget)tubing/pipe. I cut it to length, then slit it down one side and slide over the rubber portion of the wiper arm.

Seems to me tho that there would be more stress exerted by the mechanical action of the wiper than that exerted with the blades held off the windshield by the thickness of the insulation.

I cannot even count the number of times that I've lowered the mechanism in order to clean the windshield.

There is a thick reinforcing plate adequately secured on the inside of the cap thru which the wipers extend. Seems to me that in order for the thin cap material to flex, there would have to be at least a small gap between the cap and reinforcement.

If there was flex in the area, then both cap and reinforcing plate would have to move; then I'd expect to see some indication of paint failure on the outside and at the corners of the plate.

More than likely it's a matter of poor surface prep before painting.

Trek-Cyclist · 04-19-2006, 07:03 PM

So knowing the workmanship is less then desirable why would you buy another?
HUUUUMMMM let me ponder that!

FrontRangeRVer · 04-20-2006, 06:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ed/Full-time:
So knowing the workmanship is less then desirable why would you buy another?
HUUUUMMMM let me ponder that! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who's buying another one?

Freddy · 06-02-2006, 05:55 AM

Hopefully, this is a link to a photo that will show "paint crazing" on my coach:

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showph...what=allfields

Dgold2 · 06-03-2006, 05:49 AM

Freddy,

That is the infamous cracked gel coat. At some time or another, there was a lot of stress in that area that the fiberglass gel coat could not handle. I have a 2002 Journey and I just looked at mine and it is okay.

I did take a look at how the wiper mechanism was attached. There is a piece of piece of 1/4"x1" aluminum that is glued to the front cap which provides the support for the wiper assemblies. The 1/4" portion of the aluminum is glued to the cap, and would be parallel to the ground. There are some welded brackets onto the aluminum stock that also hold this wiper mechanism in place. The holes in the fiberglass cap are nothing more than clearance holes, which when everything is normal, there is no pressure on the fiberglass cap.

With that said, I would have to believe that some of the infamous glue has lost its bond, and therefore when you use your wipers, it is creating a considerable amount of stress at the location where you see the cracking. The other possibility would be that an aluminum weld may have broken off the 1/4"x1" aluminum.

Before the front cap can be repaired, the necessary steps will need to be taken to repair the reinforcement for the wiper mechanism.

Good luck with your repairs!
Dgold2

Freddy · 06-03-2006, 06:25 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dgold2:
Freddy,

That is the infamous cracked gel coat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for your reply and advice.

I'm going to look behind the cap this morning for the aluminum block you refer to. If it is glue that has failed it will be the 3d such failure on my coach in about a month.