dented white siding

[Flagman]

Hello,
I'm a brand new owner of a 1985 8 foot cab over model. The bottom white siding is dented on each side. Not the bottom only exposed when the unit is raised but the bottom of the upper section. It looks like someone tried to raise it from the bottom and it looks bad. I have added some touch up paint which helps slightly. Has anyone replace just sections of the siding or even put a metal or plastic rail along the bottom to hide their dents? With that cosmetic question comes another; inside wood that has signs of old water damage looks bad. Has anyone ever screwed veneer over the top of the wood to cover the ugly damage? It seems that veneer covers would make the top too thick to slide down to the lowered position?

Would a general RV store be able to repair the white siding on my alaskan or would it require new siding from Washington?

Thanks

Mark
Flagstaff.

 

[CougarCouple]

Hello Mark
Welcome to WtW, sorry can't help with your question. I'm sure you will get an answer from a knowledgeable Alaskan owner.
Russ

 

[thisoldcamper]

I re-glued my veneer and added some drywall corner bead to hold it down. The bead doesn't show with the top and bottom re-connected and it isn't thick enough to interfere with anything.

I have some dents on my aluminum panels from the old style camper jacks, that may be where your dents came from, too.

My dents weren't bad enough to make me replace the aluminum though. Enjoy your new old camper.

 

[Flagman]

thanks thisoldcamper and cougar couple. this forum is a great source of info for us new owners!

 

[hangster]

welcome aboard flagman..
I know what you mean, when I first got mine I cleaned every inch and got to know every nook and cranny.
There's a couple vintage RV shops that can probably match the siding but
I tapped my dents back in with a smooth face and called it good.
I think a interior wall veneer would be too tight on mine.
Maybe just veneer the lid and patch/paint the sides?

 

[enelson]

I'd try calling Alaskan Campers and ask them for the source. I'd guess the present day siding is pretty close to the same as yours.

 

[PackRat]

Replacing the existing is a major operation and sometimes all those screw heads and joints are better left alone as water intrusion is the biggest killer of plywood and particle board that some Alaskans have.

You don't want to mess with the bottom edge as that is where the Pirelli seal is attached to the top section either.

You might get away with buying a section of the painted side panel from Alaskan and just adding it on top of the existing siding but it would have to be REALLY waterproofed to do that.

So..rather than major costs or surgery to the camper that it may suffer from with a panel replacement...your hammering and paint touchup seems to me to be the best solution without seeing how extensive the damage is in the first place. Look at it this way; you will be subject to branches scratching it, hail hitting it, rocks thrown up on it and unless it is covered, there will be fading from sunlight.

No different than finding a small scratch on the truck....not worth bothering with if you intend to hit the back country and just parking it in the Safeway parking lot will guarantee a few door dings and such. In otherwords, it ain't gonna stay cherry forever if you go where the truck and camper were designed to take you anyway....the outback as well as Safeway!

Order some touch up paint and knock out the dings and enjoy your Rolling Hilton!

 

[Rusty]

4" pattern siding is difficult to find....in the late 90's Alaskan went to a 3" pattern....for what reason?????? The 73 I was working on needed some of the very repairs you're talking about...ssooooo...I found a donor for free....drove a very long way....brought her home and disassembled her....the siding was perfect but the 58 frame was toast.....it held the siding out of the way until I needed it a few weeks ago and I carefully removed it and began applying it in as large a section as possible.
Vertical seams are the killer so if you're replacing any piece, try and go side to side hidden or vertically folded joints on a corner. Horizontal seams can be accomplished by using a steel straight edge and a utility knife with a new blade. Make repeated passes on a seam until you're through. Cut the repair section leaving about 1" above the seam. That tab will slide under the seam and the remaining seam on the repair piece will align with your cut. Dry fit to make sure all is well with the fit.....then apply 3M 5200 sealant to the top of the 1" tab and as carefully as you can...a bit messy...slide the piece into place and press together. As pack rat pointed out, screws are the Bain of our Alaskans but in this case #6-1/2" SS screws are placed 6" on center...about 1/2" above the cut...they will go through both pieces and lock them to the plywood easily. When you're done you should see a few screws but the repair, done neatly will disappear.....don't forget to clean the excess 5200 off where it squeezes out.....when it dries you won't be able to remove it without tearing the siding......after all is dry and cured...several days....pull the screws out, add a dab of silicon to the hole and replace....now your ready for a bit of touch up paint if you wish......don't do this with a vertical cut....only horizontal where you can lap the siding.

As for the veneer.....you can get away with door skin material without obstructing the movement of the sections....anything thicker may cause you some grief down the road. Keep in mind....the frame under those sections will often look much worse and eventually some kind of repair may be necessary.

Old, cable and crank type jack should be piled up and melted down....the late fires took care of 6 which I had kept off the market ....they are now, thankfully.....toasted. Bottom edge damage can be repaired....but take the entire bottom edge on..make it a one piece repair with a. 1" aluminum angle, 3M 5200 again and as few screws as possible to hold the piece in place while the 5200 cures....when it's cured, take a tube of white polyurethane caulk, the tip cut so small a 12 ga. Wire will just barely pass through and caulk the top edge of the aluminum angle neatly.....any excess can be cut off with a razorblade when it's cured in a few days