RV Exterior Repair

Your RV's Exterior Is Its First Line of Defense

Everything on the outside of your RV, the sidewalls, roof seams, window frames, door seals, and body joints, works together to keep water out. When any of those barriers fail, water gets in. And water inside an RV's walls causes damage that costs far more to fix than the exterior repair that would have prevented it.

In Jensen Beach, your RV's exterior takes a beating from several directions. We get an average of 54 inches of rain per year and roughly 240 days of direct sun. The UV exposure degrades sealant and gel coat. The rain finds every tiny crack. And the salt air from the Atlantic (Jensen Beach is less than 2 miles from the coast) accelerates corrosion on hardware and fittings.

According to RV inspection data, sealant failure is the leading cause of water damage in RVs, responsible for about 55% of all water intrusion cases. Delamination follows at around 20%, and cracked or damaged fiberglass accounts for another 15%. The remaining 10% comes from damaged doors, vents, and penetrations.

When's the last time you walked around your RV and really looked at the sealant joints? If it's been more than 6 months, it's time for an inspection. That one habit prevents more damage than anything else.

Exterior Services We Offer

Delamination: What It Is and What to Do About It

Delamination is the problem that scares most RV owners, and honestly, it should get your attention. It happens when the outer fiberglass skin separates from the plywood or foam substrate underneath. You'll see it as bubbles, waves, or ripples on the sidewall. When you press on the area, it'll feel spongy or hollow instead of firm.

The cause is almost always water intrusion. Water gets behind the fiberglass through a failed seal, soaks into the plywood, and breaks the adhesive bond. Florida's heat makes it worse because the trapped moisture expands and contracts with temperature changes, pulling the layers further apart each day.

Here's the important part: small delamination areas (under 2 square feet) can often be repaired by drilling small holes, injecting adhesive, and clamping the skin back to the substrate. This runs $500 to $1,000 and saves the wall. But if the plywood substrate has rotted, there's nothing solid left to bond to. At that point, the damaged section needs to be cut out and replaced, which pushes the cost to $1,500 to $2,500 or more.

That's why early detection matters so much. A delamination spot the size of your hand today could be the size of a car door in a year if the water source isn't fixed. Have you noticed any bubbles or waviness on your RV's sidewalls? Run your hand along the surface. If it's not perfectly flat and firm, call us.

Sealant Maintenance Saves Thousands

I'll say it again because it's that important: sealant maintenance is the cheapest insurance your RV has. A full sealant inspection and reseal costs $150 to $500, depending on how many joints need work. Fixing the water damage caused by failed sealant? That can easily run $2,000 to $5,000 when you add up interior wall repairs, floor replacement, and delamination work.

We use Dicor self-leveling sealant for horizontal seams and Sikaflex for vertical joints and window frames. Both are industry-standard products that hold up well in Florida conditions. The key is prep work, removing the old sealant completely and cleaning the surface before applying new material. Putting new sealant over old, cracked sealant doesn't work. It'll fail again within months.

Every exterior repair we do includes a sealant check of the surrounding area. If we're patching a sidewall crack, we'll also inspect the window seals, door frames, and body joints nearby. It's free to look, and catching a failing seal early can save you from a much bigger problem down the road.

Exterior Repair Pricing

Prices depend on the size and severity of the damage, materials needed, and the specific work required. We provide a written estimate after inspecting the exterior. No work starts until you approve it.

The Repair Process

Fiberglass and Gel Coat Repair

Fiberglass damage ranges from minor surface scratches to deep cracks that go through the laminate. For surface-level chips and scratches, we clean the area, fill it with gel coat, and sand it smooth. Color matching is the tricky part, especially on older RVs where the original gel coat has faded. We carry a range of gel coat colors and can mix custom shades to get as close as possible.

For deeper cracks or holes (from impacts, hail, or structural stress), the repair involves grinding out the damaged area, laying fiberglass cloth and resin to rebuild structural strength, and then finishing with gel coat. These repairs take 3 to 5 hours depending on size and typically cost $250 to $900.

About 85% of fiberglass damage on RVs in our area comes from three sources: low-hanging branches, campground obstacles (posts, awning poles, concrete barriers), and hail. If you've hit something or discovered damage after a storm, call us before water has a chance to get behind the cracked surface.

Frequently Asked Questions