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Old 03-17-2018, 11:40 PM   #1
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Replacing interior wall

I bought a 1998 aerolite a few months ago, it had some water damage but was told all the leaks have been fixed, but not the damage. I've pulled off what I can of the old paneling, I really have no idea what to do at this point. I've bought 1/4 luan for replacement, can I use an adhesive and stick against the styrofoam and the aluminum frame? Or is there more to do. Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:04 AM   #2
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How was the original covering attached?
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:07 AM   #3
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I can only pull have the paneling off of the styrofoam so I think it's glued to the styrofoam and had Brad nails in the aluminum frame. I have some construction adhesive and a Brad nailer but don't want to miss anything I should've done.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:14 AM   #4
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I can only pull have the paneling off of the styrofoam so I think it's glued to the styrofoam and had Brad nails in the aluminum frame. I have some construction adhesive and a Brad nailer but don't want to miss anything I should've done.
They may have sprayed on an adhesive at the factory. Aaron could probably attest to that fact.

You could try a small area with your adhesive and see if it'll stick to the Styrofoam. The brad nailer should penetrate the aluminum frame with enough pressure.

My go to adhesive is Gorilla construction adhesive in the cartridge. It'll stick trim to concrete block quickly and stay there. I'll use that stuff before I pull out the compressor and the pin nailer.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:18 AM   #5
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Ok I'll test it out before I go ahead with it, the wall itself is very loose, the wood on the outside needs replaced also but I wanted to get the inside done first. Is there anything I can do to stiffen the wall up or when I do the outside will that take care of the problem?
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:24 AM   #6
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Ok I'll test it out before I go ahead with it, the wall itself is very loose, the wood on the outside needs replaced also but I wanted to get the inside done first. Is there anything I can do to stiffen the wall up or when I do the outside will that take care of the problem?
The best bet would be to get the exterior squared away. If you do the inside first you might undo it while working on the exterior.
I wouldn't even guess as to how to stiffen the wall without actually looking at it. You might have to remove some of the Styrofoam to shore up the sloppy wall.
With water damage no telling what it will take to get it good and solid again.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:40 AM   #7
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The wall got loose after I pulled the interior panel off, so hopefully once I get it back on it help a bunch, as far as the outside I have no idea what to do, reading and learning as I go.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:43 AM   #8
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The wall got loose after I pulled the interior panel off, so hopefully once I get it back on it help a bunch, as far as the outside I have no idea what to do, reading and learning as I go.
You have a job ahead of you but you'll learn.
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Old 03-18-2018, 01:07 AM   #9
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Not sure about a unit that old, but IIRC the walls were glued and pinned then possibly vacuum bagged. Mostly likely used a sprayed on adhesive. I haven't torn down a composite wall like that before. Test your adhesive on the foam insulation first to make sure doesn't eat it. Also check your framing connections while you are in there to make sure nothing is broken. Any compatible construction adhesive should work, just make sure it gets a good "bite". I also agree you need to exterior repairs first then go after the interior. The composite wall trailers like the Aerolites are a pain to work on because of the construction techniques used.

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Old 03-18-2018, 01:21 AM   #10
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The composite walls were what brought on the advent of the "ultra-lite" trailers. It also sped up the production lines in that they could pre-build walls then assemble trailers quickly. For a good example check out the youtube videos of Lance Travel Trailers being built. They are a bit different from your Aerolite, but it will give you and idea of what goes into one.

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Old 03-18-2018, 01:46 AM   #11
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Alright thanks, I'll look in to them, anything will help understand what is going on.
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