High Country Outside Rear Wall - Montana Owners Club

MtnGuy · 02-23-2016, 07:01 AM

We viewed 2 High Country 293RKs last week, and both looked like the fiberglass laminate was not bonded to the underlayment (substrate). You could see where the ladder supports and window were pulled in tight to the underlayment, but the fiberglass was puffed out and not attached to anything. Is that a new way of building RVs, or were both of those units faulty ?? I have a picture, but can't figure out how to attach it.

MARK A · 02-23-2016, 07:26 AM

I was told there are things inside the coach that need to come out the rear if ever a problem occurs..Makes sense but I can't think of anything except the shower that would require that.

Mark

cw3jason · 02-23-2016, 08:10 AM

The rear wall is a hung construction verses a laminated construction found on the sidewalls. I had the same question when purchasing our flat back Montana. If you look up the two different construction techniques you will see that it is normal for the rear wall to feel that way.

MtnGuy · 02-23-2016, 09:48 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by cw3jason

The rear wall is a hung construction verses a laminated construction found on the sidewalls. I had the same question when purchasing our flat back Montana. If you look up the two different construction techniques you will see that it is normal for the rear wall to feel that way.

Are there any advantages or disadvantages for that type of construction ??

oceandansar · 02-23-2016, 01:12 PM

We had,a copper canyon it was the same way I hated the way it looked

The Erwins · 02-23-2016, 05:55 PM

I don't know if it is common across manufactures (sure it is) but the two Keystone units I have owned were the same "hung" rear walls. The Sprinter we had a pretty gnarly looking bubble near the bottom curbside that in five years never caused an issue or got worse, the Monte is "soft" but no noticeable bulging

cw3jason · 02-24-2016, 01:48 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by MtnGuy

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by cw3jason

The rear wall is a hung construction verses a laminated construction found on the sidewalls. I had the same question when purchasing our flat back Montana. If you look up the two different construction techniques you will see that it is normal for the rear wall to feel that way.

Are there any advantages or disadvantages for that type of construction ??

I think the best advantage to a hung wall, would be repair is easier as it is just a sheet hung to the wall joist. simple to replace and you do not have to worry about delamination or voiding, as it is not laminated.

Eagleback · 02-24-2016, 03:59 AM

Mine is a flat back laminate and it looks good, the window does come out for a 4 door fridge to go through. The fiberglass cap that many Montana people are used to seeing are wood construction and hung off the back of the RV, While the flat back laminate is aluminum construction and part of the frame cage though it doesn't look as good as the cap but IMHO its all around better way to go. and you get a bumper.

dieselguy · 02-24-2016, 04:12 PM

"The fiberglass cap that many Montana people are used to seeing are wood construction and hung off the back of the RV"
Could you elaborate a bit here???? All wall frames on any of my Montana's have been aluminum.

Eagleback · 02-25-2016, 12:24 AM

A Montana that was in our park had been rear ended and they were having it fixed. and when they took off the rear cap the cap had a wood structure. the unit was white and looked like it might be a 2010 or maybe a little older but that was my observation and my surprise. the rear window was screwed in to wood not aluminum.

dieselguy · 02-25-2016, 01:37 AM

The rear wall is aluminum framed ... there is a 1/2" (maybe 3/8") sheet of particle board over the exterior. The sidewalls are vacubonded together with luan, insulation, and filon (fiberglass). They just hang a sheet of particle board on the rear wall for added structure as what used to be a standard Montana has the rear cap ... no filon skin. There is fiberglass batting (insulation) between the particle board and the cap.
It's an older brochure, but not much has changed stucture wise other than the roof rafters. Enlarge the frame photo on page 4 and you'll get a better idea of what I speak of.
http://www.rvcountry.com/IRV/Files/262789_1.pdf

Eagleback · 02-25-2016, 03:29 AM

I see what your implying. as the brochure shows an aluminum frame. but on the one i saw when they removed the back cap it was open to the interior of the unit. and i didn't see any aluminum in the cap construction. but i didn't tear into it because the tech would say WTH. so i can only tell you my observations that the window screwed into what looked to be a 2x2 frame with the fiberglass laminate on it and what i saw behind the cap was was not particle board but dimensional lumber. Just saying.

dieselguy · 02-25-2016, 04:10 AM

I stand corrected with your example. So, you're saying with the cap removed and totally set aside, the rear wall of the unit between both sidewalls was like wood 2X2's with a window cutout? When we had the rear cap off my 2980RL, the cap itself was like a fiberglass pan that attached to the sidewalls and roof. The rear wall was aluminum framed with the usual luan panneling inside and a sheet of particle board on the outside with insulation in between.

Eagleback · 02-25-2016, 05:41 AM

When the back cap was off, (i didn't see that part when they took it off), But there was no aluminum frame just a big hole, you could walk right in the trailer. The cap came off in what looks like one piece and it looked like it was attached at gussets along the outside on the side walls and then the rear window was removed and the lights from the broken back cap and then reinstalled in the new cap. It looked as though there was no aluminum in that back cap only wood and fiberglass and steel for attachment then it was what i would call, hung from the side walls and screwed back in to the gussets, Im not real sure how it was screwed back in, ether from outside or inside and then all the trim replaced then sealed then the ladder reinstalled. i wish the unit was still here then i could find out what year and model it was. The owners only stayed as long as it took to fix and they rented one of the cottages from the park to stay in until it was done and the tech did it in one day with a few helpers. but that is really all i know. but there was no aluminum frame on the back welded to the side walls. I forgot to add the upper cabinets were removed and reinstalled after the cap was put back on.

shbcr1 · 04-15-2019, 12:33 PM

I have had the same issue with my 2018 HC 385 BR. However, it was tight and firm when I bought it and only discovered the "bubble" or playable area under the window after 11 months. Keystone says it is normal, yet I inspected the rear walls of about a dozen HC, Montanan, and Cougars in the lot of a local Camping World and all fo the walls are tight and firm. Still trying to figure out what is what.

Stix · 04-23-2023, 02:23 PM

My back wall also has bubbles which you can push with your hand. It is tight around the window but can be pushed in virtually everywhere else. I’ve been thinking of trying to remove the back wall exterior and fix it like I saw on the below video.

https://youtu.be/QX_XIDJymmc

The back wall portion starts around the 11 minute time of the video.

Daryles · 04-23-2023, 08:06 PM

We have a 2019 3130re with a regular rear wall (no fiberglass cap).
It was replaced last September under warranty by Affinity RV Group in Goshin Indiana for delaminating on the bottom left and right corners (water intrusion from the wheel well while driving in the rain). For my model there are two walls. An inner 2" thick wall the entertainment center and overhead cabinet is mounted to. And an outer 2" thick wall the ladder is attached to.
You can see on the inner wall where they have three 2x4 boards going across where the ladder screws mounts to.
Our outer wall is smooth and flat. No waves or bulges).

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