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Old 07-20-2018, 05:09 PM   #1
DoWeRVandHow
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Replacement of Belly Corrugated Material with Sheet Metal

Has anyone replaced the corrugated belly material with sheet metal or something more durable? I have a 2017 Montana 3790RD 5th wheel and I would like to get rid of the saggy corrugated belly material and replace it with a tighter fitting belly panel.
 
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Old 07-20-2018, 05:33 PM   #2
jeffba
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If you use metal you will lose some of the insulation properties of the corroplast or what ever is the proper name of it.
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Old 07-20-2018, 05:39 PM   #3
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I was thinking on putting in some solid foam sheeting material to help bump up the insulation value.
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Old 07-20-2018, 06:18 PM   #4
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Although I agree the belly pans look sad especially in warm weather when it expands a bit and sags more, but Forest River, Jayco, and Heartland units all look about the same. If you pull enough of the pan material down to look inside, you'll find you don't have much room to work with especially under any of the 4 tanks or with furnace ducts, hydraulic lines and wiring. Some have added regular house insulation batting as best they could. Some newer units have gone away from screws to hold the belly pan on to fasteners similar to staples which are a PITA to deal with.
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Old 07-20-2018, 08:58 PM   #5
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I would agree. The way they put the belly on my 2017 I'm not messing with it until I have to.
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Old 07-20-2018, 09:26 PM   #6
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I am considering thick (as in ridged) aluminum sheeting supported by additional bracing as needed. I particularly like that idea in areas where having easyly removed panels would improve access to mechanical components such as sewage valves and water lines

Obviously not a cheap project but I think worthwhile early in ownership on a brand new rig

I certainly agree about adding insulation!! Perhaps foil backed styrofoam cut to fit between flooring supports?
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Old 07-20-2018, 09:37 PM   #7
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Like I mentioned earlier … once you get up inside the underbelly, you'll see that there is just bunches of obstacles to work around should you consider solid pieces of say Styrofoam. Tanks, straps holding the tanks, heater ducts, hydraulic lines, plumbing, wiring, push/pull cabling for tank valves all make it hard to just try to lay bat insulation up in there let alone a solid piece of something. Nothing is neat and laid out in nice bundled straight runs … floor joists (if ya want to call them that) are not equally spaced … it's just all over the place. Just trying to paint a picture for you from someone who has been up in-between the frame I-beams.
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Old 07-20-2018, 10:09 PM   #8
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If your going to use metal just buy it in 4x8 sheets and put in over the colorplast, and use self tapping screws into the frame rails to hold it up.
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Old 07-20-2018, 11:01 PM   #9
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If i were to use anything then i would use foil back 3/4'' 4x8 sheets of foam insulation. I've seen what's there and dieselguy is correct. There is just not enough room to do much under there. My thoughts are to leave well enough alone. I've to many more important improvements to do than to fool with the underbelly except for bracing the black and gray tanks which i have already done.
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Old 07-21-2018, 07:50 AM   #10
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Ok more than one way to skin a cat. How about spray on expanding foam? It can be sprayed like paint and will stick where it is sprayed? Of course could always go with the conventional fiberglass batting but I hate working with it and it is not as neat an installation

I’m extremely OCD and handy with both electrical and plumbing. I suspect some wire bundling and running in open ended conduit would be on my list. I have had the Corplast down in a couple areas already so I know of the mess you speak. If I went the spray in foam conduit would be essential to reduce the wiring getting to be an unworkable mess....

In fact looking at the water tank due to suspected leak on top of tank was one reason for looking in basement. I really want to install better support for tank and that got me thinking about better underbelly material. I don’t want to install it OVER the corplast as that wouldn’t accomplish much and would not allow for easy to remove access hatches in critical areas (like water tank plumbing area). When I said Aluminum sheeting I was talking the 4’x8’ sheets, just thick enough to be rigid. Think of it as working with something about like 1/4” plywood but without the worry for rotting and stronger plus more durable than Corplast
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Old 07-21-2018, 08:42 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DQDick View Post
I would agree. The way they put the belly on my 2017 I'm not messing with it until I have to.
Have to say that having owned four Montana units for over 16 years, one thing I have never had a problem with is the underbelly covering.
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Old 07-21-2018, 09:52 AM   #12
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Good grief guys don't you have enough to do without trying to fix something that dose not need fixing��
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Old 07-21-2018, 09:56 AM   #13
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I bought some 1/2 inch conduit cut it to length, flattened out the ends, drilled a hole in the ends and used it as a support.

Stretched across sideways, using the same bolts that hold the coroplastic up, works great.
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Old 07-21-2018, 10:07 AM   #14
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Waynemoore,

Well you know. We just cant sit around sipping our lala drinks all day long. We have to make "work projects" for the things that don't need fixen and put off the things that truly need to be fixed... LOL
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Old 07-21-2018, 11:26 AM   #15
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Lol sooooo true. I find myself doing the same thing.
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Old 07-29-2018, 01:18 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by mtlakejim View Post
I am considering thick (as in ridged) aluminum sheeting supported by additional bracing as needed. I particularly like that idea in areas where having easyly removed panels would improve access to mechanical components such as sewage valves and water lines

Obviously not a cheap project but I think worthwhile early in ownership on a brand new rig

I certainly agree about adding insulation!! Perhaps foil backed styrofoam cut to fit between flooring supports?
Your main concern in using metal is condensation forming on the inside of the metal. Even when insulated, the metal is cold on one side and warm on the other. The condensation will be on the warmer side.. This is one of the improvements realized when we changed over to the lighter core plastic. We always had dampness problems in our units and thought it was a leak from the drain pipes or condensation from the tanks. But then when the dampness disappeared with the new materials it was proven to be condensation. You might try glueing roll out heat reflective sheeting to the panels.
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Old 07-29-2018, 01:31 PM   #17
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Your main concern in using metal is condensation forming on the inside of the metal. Even when insulated, the metal is cold on one side and warm on the other. The condensation will be on the warmer side.. This is one of the improvements realized when we changed over to the lighter core plastic. We always had dampness problems in our units and thought it was a leak from the drain pipes or condensation from the tanks. But then when the dampness disappeared with the new materials it was proven to be condensation. You might try glueing roll out heat reflective sheeting to the panels.
I absolutely don’t think plastic is an “improvement”!!! Condensation won’t be a significant issue with ALUMINUM. If you used iron sheet metal to cut costs then yes I could see that being a serious problem!

Since the “warm side” will be the outside facing down it shouldn’t be a significant. Besides don’t they use Aluminum on Airstreams and they last forever!!!

I’m talking about Aluminum thick enough to be ridge (about like plywood would be). If I go to the trouble and expense it will be done right...
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Old 07-29-2018, 01:36 PM   #18
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Don’t forget, when using metal, you are adding weight and it can add up fast!
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Old 07-29-2018, 01:38 PM   #19
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Don’t forget, when using metal, you are adding weight and it can add up fast!
I’m talking Aluminum which won’t add significant amount of weight
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Old 07-29-2018, 02:26 PM   #20
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About 5 years ago I stopped at Colaw rvSalvage in Carthage , Mo.
thet had many rv in many conditions. Some were wrecked,rolled over,
They have a large storage area with used parts.
You might contact them and ask about the thicker tougher sheeting material that was previously used on the older rv’s.

Their contaci info is:
Colaw R V salvage
1-877-548-2125
Carthage, Mo.
I was impressed with the quanity of parts that they had.
I neither work for them, nor have any connections with them. Just passing along
Hopefully helpful info.
Bill
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