08' 21 fbs front cap question....

[rwl]

...my front cap on my 21fbs has small wavey look(not terrible,only see at certain angles) wandering if this is normal being fiberglass? hope everyone's havin a great season.

[Medic9016-4]

My 08 280bh has the same thing. My front cap has be taken apart twice. There is not a lot of structure behind the filon sheet. The filon sheet is not very thick itself, maybe a 1/4" thick. A few things you can check to see if you have a leak is inside the cabinets above the bed. See if the paper is bubbling up. Another is check the clearance lights and make sure the have a good bead of caulk. Take a look at this thread

[irvin56]

some were fixed under warranty.
some not.
mine was not done and still is dented in along front bottom.
Been that way from new. My dealer looked at it and said there's nothing they can do about it without Heartland input. They checked with them and only a few models that were bad were fixed. Heartland also responded to this saying the issue arised from heat, flex and way front is attached at bottom of frame.
They have been putting checker plate on front of units now made.

just make sure your bottom joint of fibberglass is clean out and rechaulk with a flexable water based chaulk.

I have used a chaulk for boating joints that the weather does not bother it.

Did mine the first year 2008 AND STILL GOOD.
the indent is there but does not affect anything and no one, other then me ever notices it

[TravelTiger]

We had an 08 21FBS. First we noticed a horizontal crease through the center of the logo. It would appear worse when towing. Then we developed a slight bubble, about softball diameter. We were under warranty, and Heartland replaced the entire front cap. They did not offer to install the diamond plate. Never saw the creasing or bubbling again. Sold the unit this spring, still looked good.

I would contact Hearland directly, ask if they can do anything for you. Take pics and send them.

Heartland has done above and beyond for many folks.

TT

[archbarb]

I read somewhere that the weather can play a part of this. One post I read stated that "he noticed a bubble one evening before dark and the next day he looked again and the bubble was gone".

I've also noticed this on mine. It would be there one day and gone the next. I stopped at my dealers one day and told them about what I saw and was told that fiberglass will flex with temperature changes.

I've kept my front running lights and other joints caulked regularly, and have not seen any signs of water inside.

One thing I did learn with physics is that everything expands and contracts with change!!!!!

Archie

[rwl]

Originally Posted by Medic9016-4

My 08 280bh has the same thing. My front cap has be taken apart twice. There is not a lot of structure behind the filon sheet. The filon sheet is not very thick itself, maybe a 1/4" thick. A few things you can check to see if you have a leak is inside the cabinets above the bed. See if the paper is bubbling up. Another is check the clearance lights and make sure the have a good bead of caulk. Take a look at this thread

....O.M.G just checked my yellow light's & looked for the riples & SURE ENOUGH same issue as Jen's. caulk cracked & leaking,ripples in closet & a few under closet. 1 mo. out of warranty.

[rwl]

.....have appointment w/dealer to inspect water damage. VERY disapointing to just now learn about this issue here & the fact it was in early 08' (apparently a few customers try'n to let heartland know as well as dealer's having to do warranty work) & i bought my 08 as a new leftover in 06/09. yet sold to me with VERY LITTLE & CRACKED caulking around clearance light's. seems like dealer having to replace the water damaged wood is quite a project. jennifer, or anybody else that had theirs repaired how happy were you with the results?????

[bb2]

We had the diamond plate installed last spring and it is fine. However, keep a real close eye on all the caulking. Our bulkhead above the diamond plate is a mess - wavy, indentations, creases. We had checked the caulk around all the lights last year each time we washed it and it appeared fine. But apparently it didn't hold up over the winter. We called Heartland, since the dealer where we purchased the camper was dropped by Heartland (according to Heartland, the dealer says they dropped Heartland), and were told that according to the manual the trailer should be taken to the dealer 3 times a year for a check of all the sealants and since we didn't do that we are on our own. Closest Heartland dealer is 2 hours away. We are looking for an independent close to home to repair it at this point.

[Jennifer2]

I am very pleased with my fix. The manufacturer fixed mine. Possibly because my front cap had been pulled back several times to fix the initial front cap issue where water was infiltrating the bottom seam and rippling the bottom of the front cap.

But I was reminded that you must check all caulking several times a year. I do that now. In the cooler months that is. Too hot around here to get on the roof right now.

Good luck with your issues.