Underbelly work on a Keystone Raptor

[EricBu12]

Hey, anybody work on the underbelly of a 36' Raptor? Take the covering off and see what's what? I think my water tank is sagging in the middle so I will be adding steel support. .



does the insulation and all that stuff like wires sag down when the lower cover comes off? What would be a better fix? Use of House insulation or foam block and straps?. . Also the replacement cover, did you re-use the old or use a new material?



Also while I am under there I will be changing the tank level indicators with radar style ones that go on the outside of the tanks. Ones that read in 1/4th's !!



TIA For all ideas



Eric

 

[HBarlow]

Eric,

Show us the photos when you drop the covering.

I think you'll be doing a lot of upgrading to bring Keystone's work up to your standards.

 

[TLane]

I've had parts of the underbelly off on mine, doing some minor upgrades. I don't know if the construction is the same as your Raptor. I found that the screws they put in had rusted enough that the heads generally twisted off, so I bought a box of new screws and washers, moved over a little, drilled a new hole, and installed screws with grease when I put it back on. All of the insulation is on top of the frame, above the tanks, etc. with a layer of plastic below it; so the insulation was no problem. Wires were just laying everywhere, so I had to be careful when things went back. A bunch of that split plastic tube used to organize wiring would be really helpful under there. If I ever take the whole thing off I'd split it up into sections so I could get back into various places easier. With it in one big long piece, it's difficult to get into a specific area without removing a lot of screws. The only problem would be how to make the joints between the sections. Some kind of Z-channel might work that, I haven't figured out what I'd do there yet. Maybe replace the whole plastic thing with aluminum? Mine only covers the center section of the trailer, I might try to cover all the way to the outer skin as well. One side of my trailer has the gas line run under the frame, right in the way of removing the underbelly, I think I'd try to move that over and inch or two so it wasn't always in the way.

Re-engineering the underbelly is on my to-do list, but it's way down on the list.

 

[Wertles]

I don't have a keystone, but on my 2012 Voltage, the manual specifically has 2 paragraphs that state NOT to add additional support to the fresh water tank. It states that it is designed to lower some as the level increases. I can't remember the whole explanation and since the trailer is in storage for he winter, I can't get to it easily or otherwise I would quote it exactly for you. Not to say that you don't have a problem out there but make sure you actually do before spending time/money and possibly voiding a warranty on something working as it was designed to do.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Coachmen has all the wiring in split loom attached to the side of the frame. We had a draft problem air was coming in some place and when we had the CORE PLAST sheeting off to fix something? I put some pink panther insulation in every space I could. No more draft of cold air!!!!!

 

[JBallou]

If you put extra support on the bottom of the water tank, when you put water in the tank it buckle up the flooring and cabinets. The tank has to bulge, it is designed to bulge down.

Imagine filling up the tank then arriving at the camping site to see the floor buckled and cabinets wrecked. Rv.net has posted some cases of it online. Or if the vent line is kinked or restricted and you fast fill, same thing.

 

[RCarrillo]

Umgaawaa

Eric, Thanks for the help w/ the cap insulation help on my "95" 36' Raptor, pretty sure that was you! I can't believe you still own that thing ! After I added the insulation I got into other projects and one of them was underbelly work and yes all that insulation fell out as it was wet from the high quality craftmanship#@$%!. I slit the areas I needed to access and then used the extra wide 12" Big Fix duct tape made by Nashua I got at Camping World and it worked just fine. After constantly working on that Pile I traded it in for a new "98" Inferno 4012: and hav'nt had any trouble whatsoever !