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Old 06-20-2022, 09:14 AM   #1
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Cracks in fibreglass

When I stored my 17A trailer last fall, I noticed a small crack in the fibreglass over the wheel well. The crack was small and I filled it with clear epoxy as a preventative measure. This year, a much bigger crack has appeared just beside the first crack. I have included pictures of the two cracks. These cracks don’t seemed to be caused by rock impacts as there is no indication of an impact and the cracks are on the side of the trailer not inside the wheel well.

The trailer was bought new in 2021 and was only used for a few outings and never on gravel roads. I am worried that these cracks may be a sign of improper fabrication of the fibreglass shell or curing of the fibreglass. I purchased an egg-shell trailer thinking that these were the most resistant to water leaks. I am concerned that if cracks are appearing in the shell after such a short time and so little usage, I may face much bigger problem in the near future.

Has anyone other Escape owner experience these cracks? I would like to know what could be causing these cracks and most importantly, what can be done to prevent and repair them.
Thanks
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Old 06-20-2022, 09:34 AM   #2
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I have never heard of Escape selling an uncured fiberglass trailer before its time...nor of any trailer being improperly fabricated....hopefully, this is not the case. I will inspect my 2022 Escape and report back. On edit, I found no cracks in any of my wheel wells where it meets the trailer sides....
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Old 06-20-2022, 09:35 AM   #3
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Contact Escape. The shell should still be under warranty.
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Old 06-20-2022, 09:44 AM   #4
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Perhaps sending the photos to ETI may results in a different answer....?
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Old 06-20-2022, 10:12 AM   #5
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Gel coat crack?

That sort of cracking is very typical in fiberglass construction and is often a cosmetic issue and not a structural one.
Learn more at this site. It is referencing boats, and there are a whole lot more of them in fiberglass than travel trailers, but the info is pertinent to Escapes.

https://www.mintouchrefinishing.com/...ou-should-know

See what Escape says about it and warranty coverage. Fairly easily repaired.

The article above states the cracks can be caused by temperature changes with thermal expansion/contraction and not necessarily impact. If that is your case, the crack is purely cosmetic. You'll likely see a few more develop over the years. It comes with the use of gel coat, which cures more brittle than the underlaying fiberglass.
To speculate, your spider crack is on a surface transition area from the wheel well to the flatter body. There may be internal core stress in that area because the the transition. No biggie at all, just an artifact of fiberglass layup & construction.
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Old 06-20-2022, 01:25 PM   #6
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Thumbs up

Excellent explanation there, Tom......
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Old 06-21-2022, 05:49 AM   #7
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I have a couple that appeared over the years. One on top front, one toward right rear. Never grew, couple inches long. Will see what 10,000 miles of Alaska does?
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Old 06-21-2022, 09:17 AM   #8
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Thanks to all who replied to my post.
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Old 03-15-2023, 09:34 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivan Desjardins View Post
When I stored my 17A trailer last fall, I noticed a small crack in the fibreglass over the wheel well. The crack was small and I filled it with clear epoxy as a preventative measure. This year, a much bigger crack has appeared just beside the first crack. I have included pictures of the two cracks. These cracks don’t seemed to be caused by rock impacts as there is no indication of an impact and the cracks are on the side of the trailer not inside the wheel well.

The trailer was bought new in 2021 and was only used for a few outings and never on gravel roads. I am worried that these cracks may be a sign of improper fabrication of the fibreglass shell or curing of the fibreglass. I purchased an egg-shell trailer thinking that these were the most resistant to water leaks. I am concerned that if cracks are appearing in the shell after such a short time and so little usage, I may face much bigger problem in the near future.

Has anyone other Escape owner experience these cracks? I would like to know what could be causing these cracks and most importantly, what can be done to prevent and repair them.
Thanks
Hi Ivan,
would be curious to hear what escape had to say about the cracks?
thanks
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Old 03-17-2023, 08:44 PM   #10
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Yes Please report back with Escapes response,

I figure it is just a crack in the gel goat. My SeaDoo had many spider webs but that was from the fun.
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Old 03-19-2023, 10:24 PM   #11
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It would only be concerning if the crack went all the way through. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone experiencing that type of crack on Escape FG, though.
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Old 03-20-2023, 07:05 AM   #12
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Has Escape not responded yet. Almost 9 months since first reported
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Old 03-20-2023, 09:07 AM   #13
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The OP hasn't been on the EscapeForum for a while:
Last Activity: 11-23-2022 02:10 PM
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