
What causes RV sidewall delamination?
Can I fix RV delamination myself?
How much epoxy does an RV delamination repair need?
How long does an RV wall need to stay braced after injecting epoxy?
Do I have to drill holes in the sidewall to fix RV delamination?
Is an RV delamination repair kit the same as a fiberglass repair kit?
Will the epoxy touch the foam insulation in an RV wall?
How to use this kit
Injectable thin epoxy that re-bonds a loose fiberglass sidewall. Every kit ships with this same sheet printed and in the box.
What is in the kit
- 48 / 96 / 192 oz Two-part thin epoxyresin plus slow hardener, mixed 2:1 by volume
- 2 / 4 / 6 Large injection syringes with flexible tubingthe tubing reaches down inside the wall
- 2 / 4 / 4 Graduated quart mixing tubsmeasure both parts by the marks
- 1 / 2 / 2 Plastic spreaderswork the skin down and clear squeeze-out
- 1 pk Wood stir sticks
You supply: nitrile gloves, eye protection, painter's tape, plastic sheet or wax paper, flat boards or plywood to press the wall, braces or clamps to hold them, a drill and 1/4 in bit if you inject through holes, and denatured alcohol for cleanup.
Mixing epoxy (2:1 by volume)
| Ratio | 2 parts resin to 1 part hardener |
| One batch | 8 oz resin + 4 oz hardener (12 oz mixed) |
| Plan on | about 4 oz mixed per square foot of loose skin |
Measure by volume in the graduated tubs. Off-ratio epoxy does not cure slow, it never fully cures. Confirm the ratio printed on your hardener bottle.
Stir 2 minutes scraping sides and bottom. Mix one batch at a time: a full tub of mixed epoxy heats up and kicks early.
Pot life is 35 to 40 minutes at 80 F. Work at 70 F or warmer and out of direct sun.
The job, start to finish
Stop the leak and check the wall
Delamination starts with water. Find where it got in (a window frame, marker light, corner trim or roof seam), reseal it, and let the wall dry out fully before you glue anything. Then press on the loose area: the skin should flex, but the backing behind it should feel solid. If the backing is soft, crumbling or black with rot, injected epoxy has nothing to hold on to and that section has to be opened up and rebuilt.
Open a path into the gap
Use the opening closest to the loose area. Best is one the factory already made: back out the screws on a window frame, baggage door or corner trim and ease the skin away from the wall. Where there is no opening nearby, drill 1/4 in holes just deep enough to reach the hollow, one at the low edge of the loose area and one every 8 to 12 in above it. Wrap tape around the bit as a depth stop, and tape plastic below to catch drips.
Mix and inject
Mix one 12 oz batch (chart at left), stir 2 minutes, and draw it into a syringe. Through an opening, feed the tubing to the far side of the loose area and inject as you slowly pull the tube back. Through holes, start at the lowest hole and inject until epoxy shows at the next hole up, tape the hole, and move up. Plan on about 4 oz of mixed epoxy per square foot.
Press the wall flat
Work the skin with the spreader or the flat of your hand from the middle outward to spread the epoxy and push the air out. Cover the area with plastic sheet, lay flat boards or plywood over it, and brace or clamp them so the skin sits tight and flat against the wall. Use firm, even pressure rather than a hard squeeze: too much pushes the epoxy back out of the joint. Wipe squeeze-out with denatured alcohol while it is wet.
Cure, then reseal
Leave the braces on a full day at 80 F and two days at 70 F. Pull the boards and plastic, trim cured drips with a plastic scraper, then reinstall the window frame or trim with fresh sealant. Fill drilled holes flush with a dab of thickened epoxy or sealant and touch them up to match.
If something goes wrong
Epoxy runs out below
The gap is open to a seam underneath. Tape the seam, then inject in smaller amounts and let each one settle.
Skin will not sit flat
Old glue or debris in the gap, or pressure in the wrong place. Use a wider board and add a brace at the high spot.
Still soft after a day
Under 70 F the slow hardener can take 2 to 3 days. Leave the braces on and warm the wall. Do not add more hardener.
Soft or greasy spots
Off-ratio or under-stirred epoxy. That batch will not cure. Open the area, clean it out and inject a fresh one.
The bubble came back
Water is still getting in, or the backing was rotten. Find the leak before repairing it again.
Sizing: 48 oz covers about 12 sq ft of loose skin, 96 oz about 24 and 1.5 gal about 48. A crack or hole in the fiberglass itself is a different repair: see the RV & Camper Fiberglass Repair Kit at boatsuppliers.com.