So who is a counter laminate expert?

Originally posted by Budward But- I checked with a local RV repair business and to my pleasant surprise I found they do FR warranty work even though they aren't a selling dealer for them!

I don't want to hijack your thread, but there is one point that most of us don't know.  When I had my 2010 R-Pod, there was no FR dealer in my area to do the lighting recall work.  I contacted Susan of FR, told her my tale of woe, and she arranged for our local RV dealer to be designated as one of their service centers.  This worked out well.  My point here is that although you don't have a local RF RV dealer, there is an alternative.  My dealer was happy to have the additional work for its service department.

Bob

Well we found the source of the water that damages the counter this past week while camped in the Smokies-    the top left of the rear window had a gap where they cut the hole too big and then failed to caulk it....slopped caulk all over the bottom edge of the window and up the sides...skipped the top left corner!    I'm thinking someone spotted this issue when caulking and forgot to fix it properly. 
Believe it or not this was the first time we had been in the rain in the 6 weeks we've owned it..
I am highly disappointed in FR over their lack of QC.  Now I'm worried there is hidden damage in the wood paneling and framing in the back wall.   

Amazing they are still using particle board.  I complained about it in 2010:

I've done laminate application in the past.    I was just trying to save the existing so it matches the table..
I think I'll have the dealer obtain the replacement counter- if I get tired of waiting I'll just do it myself.  If I can find a match-great- if not..oh well.
BTW I looked at using Corian-  WOW! $400+- a sheet...I don't think so.

I have encountered problems with lack of factory sealing in the past and FR is no better.
Word to the wise-  pull your stove top off and see if they left unsealed HOLES in the corners of the counter where they mounted the stove.
See pic below.
 Boil something over on the stove, or have a spill and you too can be the proud owner of a swollen countertop.
 I found these and sealed them in the first few days of ownership. In fact I lifted the stove and caulked the entire perimeter, which is the small amount of sealant in the pic, then I went and filled the holes after the pic was taken.  I've had to do this to several RVs in the past.

BTW the damage to the counter that this thread was about was not evident when I sealed the stove top.

My current theory is maybe the faucet assembly was swiveled over out of the sink, the faucet was open, when during PDI,  the dealer attached the hose and turned on the water, thereby flooding the countertop.  It takes awhile for the swelling to set in, hence the reason we didn't detect it until after a week had passed.   And like someone mentioned they did not caulk the edge trim, just the perimeter of the counter....

Bud,I wouldn't bother saving the old laminate it is not worth the trouble. The problem with those counters is the edging, it is just a friction fit with no sealant, any water on the counter will find it's way to the edge and soak in, therein lies the problem. I never liked the dark laminate and wanted to brighten up the inside of our pod. I used 3/4" birch plywood put an oak edge on it, put on almond laminate and beveled the top edge. I did the same with the table and the counter back splash.