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Old 05-03-2020, 04:25 PM   #1
a285726
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Cracks in front cap

I was waxing the camper today and noticed some cracks in the fiberglass front cap. This is a 2018 3721RL. Is this something normal? I will try to attach some pictures.
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Old 05-03-2020, 04:37 PM   #2
PeteandJoan
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I'm not a pro but I'd say this is not normal. I recall don't recall another post here concerning cracks in the cap. Someone will be along shortly more knowledgeable and can give you better advice.
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Old 05-03-2020, 05:22 PM   #3
Montana Man
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Did it ever connect with the tow vehicle in a sharp turn?
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Old 05-03-2020, 05:31 PM   #4
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No, I bought it new from Camping World.
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:04 PM   #5
Starman
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What kind of speeds you running?
Any signs of the cap being loose or flexible to you pushing on it?
Just went out and looked at mine, same model.
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:29 PM   #6
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We normally run around 65 mph. I have push around the cracks, everything feels solid and looks straight. Do you think this could be frame flex that I read about?
Taking it to Camping World tomorrow.
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:37 PM   #7
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IDK about frame flex. I’m just wondering if when towing it, you were running into a good headwind. Could have possibly happened passing by a tractor trailer heading the opposite direction going down a road. Somehow there was a lot of stress put on it or it was poorly made but I don’t think that is the case.
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Old 05-05-2020, 06:36 PM   #8
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The actual fiberglass on those front caps is really very thin. The slightest bump could have caused it to happen. Your trailer could have made contact with the truck bed rails and you never even knew it.

My trailer made contact with the bed rails of the truck and put a somewhat large crack on the bottom of the front cap. I repaired it myself by using a Bondo Fiberglass Repair kit (about $20 from any automotive store).

I wasn't sure how deep the crack actually ran, but when I started sanding to prepare for the Bondo, I found the crack was not very deep. It was just surface, as thin as the fiberglass was anyway, it was still solid. So my repair was simply sanding out the apparent crack till it was smooth again, then filling the low spot void with the Bondo. Sanding again, filling again, sanding again util the low spot was now built back up to the original thickness of the fiberglass. That Fiberglass Bondo stuff is pretty good stuff.

The hardest part of the whole process was finding a paint that would match. I never did, so had to do some creative painting with another color. I then used spray gel coat and got it matching the shine on the rest of the trailer.

I've not had any new cracks form anywhere since.

So chances are, I'd sooner believe you hit a bump and the trailer made contact with the bed rails of the truck, or somehow took a really hard headwind blast hit.

Frame failure? That a tough one to call.

Take the edge of a sheet of paper and try to slide it in the crack. See how deep the crack is. It's possible, it's just a surface crack.
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Old 05-06-2020, 04:31 AM   #9
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Are the cracks at the top of the cap or along the bottom? It looks like the top in the photos. Sun/UV damage seems extreme this soon. I cannot see anywhere where something may have struck the fiberglass hard enough to cause the cracks.
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Old 05-06-2020, 07:58 AM   #10
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It is not normal we had similar cracks although not as bad on our 06 3400 never any on our 13 3402. No use speculating as it could be any number of things. I would call keystone customer service and se what they have to offer.
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Old 05-06-2020, 01:15 PM   #11
Walt & Vicki
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A bird hitting that cap at speed will do damage, but the bird usually disintegrates with not much of a tell tell sign it even happened.
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