HAIL DAMAGE

Dennis,

There MAY be a reasonable way to fix the hail-dented roof of your TM. Aircraft supply companies (and possibly auto repair supply companies sell tiny glass spheres, also called "Micro balloons," for filling in voids and low spots in the wings and fuselages of fiberglass and aluminum aircraft before they are painted. The micro balloons are mixed with an epoxy resin to form a slurry or thick paste and troweled into the low spots or dents. After hardening, the micro balloons are sanded flat. If the low spots are still noticeable, more slurry is troweled in, allowed to harden and resanded. After an acceptably flat surface is obtained, light coats of Bondo or "Feather Fill" are applied and sanded. Because the micro balloons may be mixed with epoxy resin in various ratios (for example, 2 balloons to 1 epoxy to form a slurry, 5 balloons to 1 epoxy to form a "Dry paste&quot the net result is a filling compound that can be extremely light but very strong.

Repairing your hail-dented roof with this method will not require much skill, but, it will require a lot of "Elbow grease." A TM trailer owner may be able to do these repairs himself if he is physically able to. I first recommend, however, that you find out if any auto body repair shops or boat repair shops in your area are capable of doing this kind of repair - at a reasonable cost! If not, you might consider doing it yourself.

If you are wary about your own ability to do this kind of repair, you might seek help from someone with experience in fiberglass repairs or construction (friends who constructed fiberglass aircraft, boats or autos, e.g.) Another source of help might be through the Experimental Aircraft Association. There is a large number of experimental aircraft builders and Experimental Aircraft Association chapters located throughout the U.S.A. There is probably a local EAA chapter in your town. Most of these chapters have aircraft builders who are knowledgeable in the use of filling compounds such as micro balloons. You will find that experimental aircraft builders are some of the most helpful people on this earth. You should be able to find a builder who will help you with advice and, perhaps, even get you started on the repairs. You can locate an EAA chapter in your town or close by through the Experiemental Aircraft Association headquarter's web site. They are located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the location of the world's largest, annual fly-in of aircraft of all types - from the tiniest, single-seat airplane to the largest and fastest such as the Concorde and B-2 bomber.

I hope that this may be of help to you. ;D : ;D

[Denny_A]

Larry wrote:
>You can locate an EAA chapter in your town or close by through the Experiemental Aircraft Association headquarter's web site. They are located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin<

Dennis,

Here's the URL to help find a local chapter of the EAA, if so desired:

http://www.eaa.org/chapters/index.html

You will find an extensive list in several categories.

I live about 20 miles North of EAA headquarters. EAA folks are well organized and do good stuff.


Denny_A

Hal raises a good point regarding insurance.  After we bought our unit we got an tele. quote from our trusty State Farm agent but the premium back $40 higher when the TM's value was recognized by the insurance co.

I can see where problems might arise if the TM replacement value is overlooked.

Just wanted to let you people know that State Farm (A special disaster team was sent in) was very fair in their settlement with us.  After replacing several side running lights and the strip down the middle of the roof, (anyone ever done this?) we will be back camping in the "Pimpled Palace".  We may try the micro-spheres in time, but as we are building a new house, this will have to wait. Denny & Gailyn

I haven't experienced hail damage, but I did have a sizable branch fall from a tree onto my roof. It left a dent around 4" in diameter, with a 1" slice in the outer skin only. QUESTION: Short of bringing it to the factory for repair, does anyone have a reasonable solution for patching it? I thought about mixing some liquid plastic and pouring it into the cavity, then sanding it smooth. Does this sound reasonable?
Thanks,
stash77

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by stash77

I haven't experienced hail damage, but I did have a sizable branch fall from a tree onto my roof. It left a dent around 4" in diameter, with a 1" slice in the outer skin only. QUESTION: Short of bringing it to the factory for repair, does anyone have a reasonable solution for patching it? I thought about mixing some liquid plastic and pouring it into the cavity, then sanding it smooth. Does this sound reasonable?
Thanks,
stash77

That should do fine. You can get "Bondo" (plastic) from any auto parts store. As suggested above, this should be done in several coats to achieve a smooth finish. Don't try to apply it in one thick coat. It may crack if you do. However, don't do as the person above suggested.

If you use micro-balloons with epoxy resin, you cannot apply "Bondo" on top of it. "Bondo" is made with polyester resin. Polyester resin will not stick to epoxy. If you use micro-balloons, you should use polyester resin if you will be top-coating with "Bondo".

Because you have a crack in the metal, it may be best to apply a layer of 4-8oz fiberglass cloth on the crack 1st. Cut your cloth slightly smaller than the dent. If the dent is deep enough, you may want to make 2 F/G glass patches. One larger than the other. The smaller one, just slightly bigger than the crack and the bigger one just slightly smaller than the dent. Use polyester resin on the F/G cloth and lay them wet on wet. Allow to cure for 8 hours, then achieve your final finish with the "Bondo".

I would suggest finding an 18" sanding board to obtain an even surface.

[mkiley]

So we bought our TM used from a gentleman in Phoenix, AZ. In the mountains east of Phoenix, on my very first day pulling a camping trailer of any sort, I drive RIGHT into a hailstorm. The TM starts to wiggle back and forth on the slippery road. The TV starts to wiggle. I see my life flash before me. I just coast until both TM and TV decide to not kill me and stop wiggling.

A souvenir of the experience are some welts on the TM roof, but nothing more than cosmetic.

The hair I lost from the experience never grew back.

[Bill]

Any problems with the solar panel in the hailstorm?

Bill

[mkiley]

No apparent damage to the solar panel, the glass was unaffected.