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Old 01-03-2021, 04:24 PM   #1
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steveha's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Siesta 24SR
State: Arizona
Posts: 45
THOR #1894
Help with Crack besides rehab

I have a 2015 Siesta 24SR that has many cracks in the back "bumper".
first question, is it ABS or some type of plastic, or fiberglass
I want to remove the bumper and fix the cracks and reinforce it.
Any Ideas???

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Old 01-03-2021, 04:27 PM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 24.1 AXISSIXxSIX
State: Arizona
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THOR #13932
Your title belies your content

If it's fibeglas you'll know due to it having fibers loose in the crack.
Fiberglas repair is not fun. It might be worth asking a shop to do it.
Its easy, and it's worth learning, but it's a tough road when it comes to creating an acceptable finish.

Unless you have a plastic specific weld you want to do the material doesn't matter.

Here's the easiest way to repair it.
Buy metal staples, the kind made for industrial staple guns. t50 comes to mind.
Drill a hole at the end of the crack so it will not travel further, then Heat the staple to a dark glow and push the heated staple through the plastic like a frankenstein stitch.
Then you can finish it with glazing putty etc, then primer and paint.

There are PLENTY of youtube videos on the process.

Plastic welding is a skill acquired. You'll need clamps and backing plates and a special gun which might or might nor require an air compressor. Nothing much other than staples will hold that crack except plastic welding and if you're capable of that, you wouldn't be asking what you did. I have all of this equipment and welding would still be my last choice due to skill and time and general suckage.

You might want to contact the maker of your coach.
The cost might be less than you think for a new bumper facade.

It would be a shame to fix this if a new one is $300.
https://www.amazon.com/MAPM-Primered...9697513&sr=8-3
The link is to an incredibly(without proof I'd certainly lack credibility at this cheap) Cadillac escalade front fascia. $140 and FREE SHIPPING on a part the size of an escalade front bumper.

Consider bracing that backside by making an internal structure, lest you step on it and break it a apart again.

I would probably repair it by removing it, drilling holes at the end of the cracks, running a brace along the crack where I could, fill the crack with
Tough As Nails
Then spraying it with a spray can bed liner so it has an even texture, then painting to match or leaving it bedliner black if the contrast is acceptable.
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Old 01-03-2021, 04:29 PM   #3
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Model: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
State: New York
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THOR #8860
I know that my Sprinter has a fiberglass body.
But to be sure: reach up under that bumper, and get a feel for the texture of the inside of that part.
Fiberglass will much less smooth. An ABS piece will feel the same as the outside...
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Old 01-03-2021, 06:15 PM   #4
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Model: Siesta 24SR
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THOR #1894
That's why I think it is some kind of plastic, both side are smooth and when I drilled a hole at the end of the crack a while ago it was the same material all the way thru. I filled one crack with JB weld a year ago, but it did not bond well.

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Old 01-03-2021, 06:29 PM   #5
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You're right, it's plastic.

Jb weld flexes but not well enough to keep up with the thermal things going on with that plastic.
AND
some plastics have a wildly high water absorption rate. You won't notice it by yourself without test equipment and a good scale, but it's one of the reasons things don't bond to them.
Try the
Tough As Nails(shoe goo or 6000 will work, but it doesn't finish well and doesn't like to be overworked)
For now.
It grips well and the absorption doesn't kick it off the plastic easily.

Sand the crack flat
Use a credit card to moosh it into the crack,
then water wet the card and use it to get a pretty good finish on the top.
It'll do nicely, maybe permanently, while you decide which way to go for a cosmetically pure fix.
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