onelove
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Hi:
I recently purchased a 1997 24-foot Starcraft Shimera (24sk) travel trailer for a pretty good price. Overall, the camper is in really good shape--interior could use a little cleaning and exterior has few minor nicks--and I plan on using the winter to make some modifications to the camper.
One modification I want to do is to replace the front lower piece of aluminum siding with diamond plate. The aluminum is pretty beat up from rocks being thrown up against by the tow vehicle tires. It seems that it should be a relatively easy repair: unscrew the molding, remove the aluminum siding, install the diamond plate, and re-install and caulk the molding.
I'd appreciate if anyone can share any insight anyone may have on this type of project. I did find a brief description of this type of project but not much detail (link below).
Thanks
http://www.modmyrv.com/2008/06/30/rv-diamond-plate-rock-guard
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Cliford
Whidbey Island , Washington
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Joined: 04/17/2004
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I would look at the price first.
a piece at Lowes 2X2 is like $50.00
2003 2500 Dodge CD
2000 Damon 27R Hornet
2005 Chev 1/2 ton Silverado
2007 Forest River Cherokee Lite 18DD TT
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onelove
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Yeah, I found a 4x8 foot piece of diamond plate 1/16 inch thick on Metalsdepot.com for approximately $200 shipped. I got the camper at a pretty good price, so I am willing to put a little money into it. Thanks.
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dalehelman
Liberty Lake (Spokane) Wa.
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Joined: 11/16/2003
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Check your local phone directory for metal dealers. Retail stores like Lowes are very expensive. Metals dealers will have it in different thicknesses, and it is usually sold buy weight.
Dale & Sandi
2006 Jeep TJ 4.0 w/33s and 4" lift
Stay In Play Toad braking system
2005 32S Terra Workhorse 8.1
2007 Yamaha powered dune buggy
Liberty Lake (Spokane) WA.
Air levelers(DIY for around $20)
Sewer solutionDIY under $50
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Center Pin
Fort Langley, BC
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Joined: 04/15/2009
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If you put your location to something other than "?" someone would be able to tell you a local supplier.
Trailer: 07 Tango 299BHS
TV: 2004.5 Dodge 610 CTD 3500 QC 48RE 2wd Laramie SRW, FP Gauge, FASS 95/95, Rhino Lining, Hensley Arrow, Reese Signature Series 5er Hitch, Air Bags & Compressor, Canopy, AL Boat Rack.
Been running B100 home brew June 2008!
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PAPA K
Ridgefield, WA
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Joined: 11/03/2009
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I had a local sheetmetal shop cut one for me, about 130 dollars. Size was about 2' x 8'
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onelove
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Hi:
I'm in central South Dakota. I'll update profile. Thanks
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SteveRankin
Sequim, WA
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We knew that our travels last summer would trash the front of our TT, so we installed a 2' x 3' piece of 1/16" polished aluminum diamond plate on the front cap before the trip.
The fiberglass front cap on the Arctic Fox is primarily a cosmetic cap over the front walls that are otherwise identical to the side walls of the coach. There is roughly a 2" air space between the front cap and that front wall, so there's lots of room for a blind fastener between the two.
We wanted to avoid two possible snafus in the installation:
1. Standard pop rivets get their grip by expanding inside the hole drilled into the substrate. The problem is that fiberglass get stress cracks that can lead to problems with the fiberglass as well as the rivet coming loose.
2. The aluminum can expand much more than the fiberglass when it gets hot in the sun.
The solution to the first problem was to use a tri-fold rivet that unfolds behind the substrate (fiberglass cap) and forms a large tripod shaped grip on back surface of the substrate. We were able to get them in reasonable quantities from Grainger.
The second problem was solved by drilling a 3/8" hole for each of the 3/16" rivets so the aluminum had room to expand before getting jammed by the rivets.
We bought 2 - 2' x 4' sheets of the 1/16" diamond plate from Metals Depot online for $96.53, delivered. The rivets cost $32.71.
Drilling the mounting holes and other preparations:
- Cut the diamond plate to fit the front cap
- Mask the outside 1/2" of the front (polished) side of the diamond plate
- Drill all the initial 3/16" holes in the diamond plate
- Hang the diamond plate on the front cap with 3/16" dowels (drill bits or punches) {*}
Mask the front cap around the diamond plate with a 1/8" gap
Drill the corresponding holes in the front cap using the diamond plate as a template
Remove the diamond plate & re-drill the holes in the diamond plate to their final 3/8" size
Final installation goes like this:
- Run a bead of 1/4" to 3/8" bead silicone around the perimeter of the backside of the diamond plate plus around each rivet hole
- Hang the diamond plate on the front cap using 2-3 dowels, drill bits or punches again BUT do not press the diamond plate against the front cap yet
- Carefully move the top of the diamond plate against the front cap and lift it up and move around slightly as needed to the dowel in the top center hole is centered in the larger hole in the diamond plate
- Install the first rivet at the top of the diamond plate while DW holds the diamond plate centered over that top dowel
- Do the same thing in the center hole of the next lower row of holes
- Continue to install rivets in the center holes until reaching the bottom of the diamond plate
- Go back to the top and now install rivets working out from the center to one side, and then from the center to the other side
- Continue installing rivets from the top down and center out until all are installed
- Wipe up the excess silicone from the perimeter of the diamond plate
- Remove the masking tape
- Don't forget to give DW a big hug and thank her for her help!
Here's a few photos of the diamond plate job, before, after and . . . well, why we put it on in the first place.
The truck and trailer right after we bought them and before we began our preparations for the Arctic trip.
This photo shows off the highly polished diamond plate on the first night of this summer's trip.
This photo shows the installation a tad better, but also a tad dirtier as we've been on the road for a few weeks now.
Here's one of the photos in some of the shallower mud - I didn't get out to take pix when it was worse and it got a lot worse than this. FYI, this stuff is so slippery.
This image gives you an idea of why we wanted to protect the front cap from the thousands of miles we drove on dirt, gravel and mud. that mud is over 4" thick and the pock marks in the mud from gravel are over 1" deep.
The trailer is sitting on the dealer lot now. I neglected to take photos after we got home and after the dealer did their best to clean up the diamond plate. Let's just say it's not a pretty picture. The polished finish is long gone, it's dented and pitted and corroded from road salts. But, it did it's job of keeping the front cap from being trashed. A little over $100 and it would look like new again.
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
2009 Arctic Fox 24-5N
2005 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 4X4 Crewcab
PullRite 18K SuperGlide
Our Arctic by RV trip
Our Arctic Fox & Chevy web pages
Our Beaver motorhome Technical page
The Arctic Circle
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onelove
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Thanks for the post Steve. I'll likely give the project a try.
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BillB800si
S.E. MICHIGAN
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Joined: 01/09/2006
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SteveRankin.......
Steve & C. J.
2009 Arctic Fox 24-5N
2005 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 4X4 Crewcab
PullRite 18K SuperGlide
Our Artic RV Trip
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Boy am I glad I read about your Artic trip. No way am I driving through all that. Between Wyoming- Montana- and Southern Alberta I can see all the mountains and wildlife I could ever want without driving hundreds of miles on muddy dirt/gravel roads at 15 MPH.
We plan on an Alaka trip but we'll camp on the way from Michigan to Washington. Take an Alaskan Cruise and travel back home and stop at Glacier Nat'l Park and Banff & Jasper, Canada on the way.
Thanks for all the photos and monolog.
Bill B. (Michigan)
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab CTD
2007 Jayco Eagle TT Model 322FKS
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