{"id":2215,"date":"2014-02-01T20:48:33","date_gmt":"2014-02-02T03:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/minniebiz.com\/gmcmotorhome\/?p=2215"},"modified":"2014-02-02T15:55:27","modified_gmt":"2014-02-02T22:55:27","slug":"body-work-time-to-repair-some-smc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/minniebiz.com\/gmcmotorhome\/2014\/02\/01\/body-work-time-to-repair-some-smc\/","title":{"rendered":"Body work – time to repair some SMC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The classic GMC motorhome body is made up of aluminum and fiberglass-like material called SMC (Sheet Moulded Compound). The front and rear “caps” of the motorhome and the sides below the “waist” and made of SMC. SMC, like fiberglass, is somewhat brittle and when tires come apart, like they occasionally do on motorhomes, the SMC cracks and breaks when it is hit by the disintegrating tire. “Barbie” had some damage from a tire failure when we bought it – Uncle Dave had the right-rear tire come apart and make a hole in the propane door and the fender just in front of it. Since then we have had two more instances of tire failures – one on the same wheel as Uncle Dave’s and another on the middle wheel on the driver’s side. The driver’s side one did more damage there.<\/p>\n

This post is going to cover the repair of the propane door. I intend to take some more photos of the fender just in front of the propane door when I begin that repair next week. I worked a little with fiberglass when I was a starving student in Omaha and had to repair a badly rusted VW bus but I really didn’t know much about it. I read all I could from the various GMCnet sources, I watched a few youtube videos and went to Finishmaster, our local auto-body supplier for some advice. They sell the Evercoat line of products for SMC and, after 3 trips, one for each phase of the repair, I have a nicely repaired propane door. Total material costs so far are about $210 for the supplies which should be enough to fix all the holes in the SMC – I hope.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\"2013-09-14<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the way the propane door and the fender just in front of it looked when\u00a0we bought the coach. The tire had come apart on Uncle Dave and done this\u00a0damage.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"2013-09-14<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0Closeup of the damage.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0Once I had the door off I found that there was more damage than previously\u00a0visible. The rear corner and latch was almost completely broken off. Things I\u00a0saw on youtube suggested using a grinder and opening up serious cracks and\u00a0breaks so I did. I used some scraps of Formica-type material as backing, bent\u00a0them using a heat gun and then glued them into place using the epoxy resin\u00a0for the SMC.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is a view of the back side of the repairs showing the plastic backing\u00a0that was epoxied into place and shaped using heat. The curve was made to\u00a0match the fender-repair piece (next phase of the repair) that Fay Curtis\u00a0supplies.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0A closer-up photo of the back of the repair.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0Support for the “crack” at the rear of the door. It also was epoxied into place.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is after the first “layup” of epoxy resin and glass fabric was put over\u00a0the “crack” at the rear of the door and supported by the Formica backing.\u00a0I think that this was 2 or 3 layers of thick glass matting and resin.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"2014-01-29<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is after the first “layup” of epoxy resin and glass fabric was put over\u00a0the big hole and sanded off. This was after 2 – 4 layers of thick glass matting\u00a0and resin.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0005\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the second layup on the crack at the rear of the door. The objective\u00a0here is to bring the area up to near the finished level<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0006\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the second layup on the missing section. Also trying to bring this up\u00a0to the finished level – another 2 to 3 layers, more in one spot.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0008\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the SMC resin that I have seen recommended on the internet and\u00a0by my local supplier. The little white tube is the hardener – a very small\u00a0percentage is used in the mix.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0035\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0There were a couple of small cracks developing around the vent louvers\u00a0so I decided by reinforce the frame around them in the back. In the front, I\u00a0opened up two cracks with a sander so I could use some filler on them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0038\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the next coat as recommended by the Evercoat company and by\u00a0my local supplier. It can be used as an adhesive or filler. It sets up fast even\u00a0in (Arizona) cool weather but does a great job of filling. It took two or three\u00a0thin layers to get the low spots filled.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0039\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the door after the filler was applied the last time.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0040\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the door after sanding the filler for the final time.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_20140131_105444_310\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0I used a Forstner bit to re-open the holes for the latches. I ordered a set\u00a0of stainless steel latches from Applied GMC.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0047\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0I bought a can of beige SEM primer and gave the “finished” door a light coat\u00a0and was shocked to see lots of little pin holes and minor defects show up that\u00a0I could not see before. Another visit to the supplier resulted in the purchase\u00a0of this glaze that fills those minor defects. I was told that this was the normal\u00a0process – it takes a coat of primer to see what you have missed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0047<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0Here is a closeup so you can read the label.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0048\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0Here is the final product, ready for reinstallation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\"IMG_0049\"<\/a><\/td>\n\u00a0This is the fender repair piece that Fay Curtis makes. I used it as a guide to match the\u00a0curve for the missing piece. The next phase of the project is to install that fender repair piece.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The classic GMC motorhome body is made up of aluminum and fiberglass-like material called SMC (Sheet Moulded Compound). The front and rear “caps” of the motorhome and the sides below the “waist” and made of SMC. SMC, like fiberglass, is somewhat brittle and when tires come apart, like they occasionally do on motorhomes, the SMC […]<\/p>\n

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