New owner questions on plywood edge finishing and wet bath caulking

BandB

We picked up our 2022 tab 320S boondock last Friday. I noticed that the cubby under the Jensen radio is not finished like all the other plywood cutouts. There's just the raw edges of the plywood, no edge banding. Our dealer says that's the way the factory does it. Is that true? Also, the Thetford toilet unit seems to have some caulking but not where the seat section and the vertical section above it meet the walls. Is that something we need to address?

dragonsdofly

@BandB, although we have an older t@b, I think that raw edge should be finished. The area just above the toilet is an access area for the plumbing under the sink. If you caulk it closed, it will have to be cut open to get to that sink plumbing, so previous suggestions have been to leave it uncaulked. Yours is a brand new trailer and that unfinished cubby edge should be adressed as a warranty issue. Good luck.

Dutch061

Here is a photo of the same general area of our 2020 400 BDL. You will notice it is the exact same as yours.



Brad

[Deleted User]

I've had three T@Bs, 2015, 2019, and now 2022 and the 2022 (400) is the first one I've had that has the edge banding to hide the plywood layers every where except the bathroom cubbies (sanded nice and smooth though).  Its probably too damp in there for the edging glue to stay in place long term.  The 15 and 19 were all left unfinished in the entire camper, but sanded nice, so it never stood out or bothered me. 

Denny16

The edge should have a clear coat seller/finish on it as the rest of the ply has.
The tear out on the top layer is a defect/damage that  should be fixed/replaced, also, this does not seem to be Baltic Birch, at leas on the inside bits?
 see circled area and red arrow below:  

There also seems to be an extra bit of regular ply behind the Baltic ply face, not sure what is up with that?

Gherzig

That does not look like a properly finished cut nor does it appear to be top quality Baltic Birch plywood.  Clearly different from the photo of my 2021.  Disappointing quality control and disappointing dealer shrugging it off with that's how they make them.  
Perhaps NuCamp is unable to get the Baltic Birch and is substituting a cheaper plywood.
I would ask to have it fixed as it does not represent the cabinet craftsmanship that is so proudly advertised.

bergger

I agree with @Gherzig.  Our 2021 looks like his photo and not yours.  They may be substituting lower quality materials and the cut itself looks poor.  A few months ago I had the opportunity to look at a 2022 400 at a local dealer and notice several places where the quality was not as good as my 2021.   I think Baltic Birch plywood generally has something like 12 or so layers to it.  Yours certainly does not.   I'd contact NuCamp and ask about the wood they appear to have switched to. 

scott14

I have not heard any comment regarding the caulking around the toilet surround.  I understand and agree that caulking around the access panel is probably not a good idea because of the need to access the area from time to time.  The Alde reservoir is behind the panel for example on our 2022 320 S.   What about the seam between the toilet surround and the wall?  I have noticed a gap or slight opening in a couple spots.  If/when water gets in there,  where will it go?  Should additional caulking be added?  Thanks for your thoughts!

Scott

Basil48192

Regarding caulk....I would not (and did not) caulk the vertical seams on the panel behind the toilet.  I plan to add a vertical strip of low-profile weather stripping, behind the panel, at each end.  I don't think much, if any, water will make its way behind that panel during a normal shower....but it's easy insurance.  I did, however, re-caulk the horizontal seam between the wall and the toilet.  I also added some caulk around the sink platform.  Both these areas had very little or no caulk and were prime spots for water to collect.  For the most part, I am very happy with the quality of my T@B.
Due to movement and temperature extremes in a camper, caulk is something that will always need to be monitored and maintained, so I just started a little early.  I used a white, 100% silicon and it seems to be holding up well. 

scott14

@Basil48192 thank you for the information.   I believe I will also re-caulk the horizontal seam.

fstop32

I too agree with @Gherzig.  Good cabinet grade plywood will have 10 to 12 layers of ply in a typical 3/4" layup and Baltic Birch should have 13.  I have been noticing recently (last 2 or 3 years) that "good, cabinet grade" plywood has been coming with fewer layers and the finish layers have been getting thinner and thinner.  The photo below is of a 3/4" piece of maple veneer "cabinet grade".  I had to travel up to Nashville to get this from a plywood supplier and it cost $110 8^(   As you can see not only was the finish veneer like a piece of paper but it also had minimal layers and voids immediately under the finish layer.  The pic posted by @BandB and highlighted by @Denny16 looks to be a poorly routed cutout.  The finish layer is easily torn out or chipped when cutting or routing when it's that thin, even with sharp bits and blades and going slowly that can still happen (but it shouldn't have come out of the factory looking like that).
I feel nuCamp is running into the same supply, cost and quality of material issues as everyone else these days.

BandB

I really appreciate all these replies. Very informative! Now we just need to act on all this good advice. We're happy with our little "stuga" overall. This Friday we're going camping nearby to try things out. It will be cold and rainy...but that's why we bought our Tab!

CamperQue

Wanted to check to see if there is any confirmation of any plywood changes due to supply issues.
Scheduled to pick up a new 2022 400 in the next couple weeks and would like to know the best way to determine if possible changes have been made.
thanks

bergger

I was able to check all the cutouts and cabinets in our 2021 400 today and every surface is smoothly cut and all are finished with poly.  There are no raw edges.   

manyman297

As a hobbyist woodworker I’m wondering if the price of Baltic birch is pushing Nucamp to use cheaper plywood. Where I’m at it’s costing $160/sheet retail for a 4x8 3/4” sheet. It used to be $70 before the pandemic. 

Also, that CNC’ed cutout looks very wobbly and I don’t see a rounded over edge or any polyurethane.

CamperQue

Scheduled to pick up a new 400 in a couple weeks and will definitely take a look at this for the possibility of changes. Product quality was a main reason for our decision.