Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Shifty Dash Panel

I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler and I can smell the fumes from the generator that is mounted in the front of the coach. I removed the dash and found that there is a gap between the board under the dash and the front of coach which you can see down to the ground, the gap is about 3/4" in the front. What can I do to seal this? And should this board touch the front of the coach? It has a rubber seal around it.
Stan, (Aurora, CO)

Stan, it’s difficult to tell by your description, but it sounds as if the board has separated from the dash somehow. I would want a second opinion as to if the separation is a structural failure or a simple shifting of the panels. I’m curious about that rubber seal. If the panels have simply shifted creating the gap and no further movement is evident, you can seal that gap with canned spray foam available at any of the big box home repair stores. Make sure that you thoroughly mask the dash and any surrounding areas with tape before you spray. Also ensure you have plenty of ventilation during the repair. But first be sure other structural components are sound.