My roof repair

[fleamarketer]

Capt Dan,
the shower stall is 17"x34".The total bathroom is 5'x 39".There is one skylight that has a finshed opening of 13 1/2" x 29 1/2".It has a roof opening of 14 1/2" x 30 1/2" which would fill the opening of the vent that is there already.Now it just a matter of mapping out the position of the skylight to the shower stall.The cover of the vent is broken anyways and I wanted to install a super vent in the MH.Got to consider the rail for the shower curtin too.I would have to weld 2 new 1"x 1" metal tube supports to each side wall of the MH and 2 of the same from the back wall to the next crossing roof bow.I keep saying roof bow,but it is really not curved at all,but just straight 1"x 1" tube that is the roof support.Other than the plywood,there is no wood for the supports at all.The next support closer to the roof A/C is metal tube 1"x 2" that is welded to each side of the MH.Each side of the MH by where the roof meets the wall is a 1"x 1" metal tube that runs the whole lenght of the MH that these supports are welded to.

[Wallaby Dan]

Sounds like they skimped on the construction!! Mine has those about every 4 foot but the rest of the roof had 2X2'S! If you can frame the opening and tie it to the metal studding with sheet metal screws. Thats better than nothing. i would try and put studding in so that thing is strong!

[fleamarketer]

Not to get off the skylight thing,but I got to say I have been in Baby during rain storms after I have strip 1/2 of the ceiling down and the only leaking I have seen was by the broken vent over the shower and alittle by the center seam by the roof vent over the shower.Strange because the amount of dry rot damage I found by pulling down the wallpaper off the ceiling.Most of the ceiling in the bathroom and passenger side to the roof A/C and then 1/2 of the ceiling from the roof A/C to the front of Baby.Yet again,the only drips(aside from me-LOL) of water I have seen is where I said.Just proof I guess that water damage does indeed travel a long ways.

[Wallaby Dan]

I think I told everyone and took pictures that the bedroom leak was from the A/C. I traveled,[even with studding], Almost 6 feet to where it leaked thru the ceiling! The skylight in mine was the other leak but only traveled about 2 feet before dripping thru the screws that held the vent surround in place. I also had a Stor-mor and it was leaking there till I removed it and fixed the holes in the roof. It only had to travel a foot or so to leak in the same place as the skylight!That leak into the bedroom was the one that got me. It seeped past four 2X2 beams and thru the glue used to hold the ceiling up. Its funny how water could do that! Anyway, You just don't know how the water will flow. Good luck on the roof and will check in later,

[Wallaby Dan]

Man, When are ya getting acamrea and find a place here to post them??

[fleamarketer]

Well the plan is for me to spend most of Sun on Baby.I collected all the stuff I need to drill out the rivets that sandwish the Plywood ceiling on the sides and got to find out about how it holds the plywood in the front and back.In the back there is a fiberglass pc the goes up each side and over the roof that has the taillights,trim lights on it and is screwed on the sides and the back.It has old caulk that I will have to scrape off.I'll have to get the tarps out of the big show trailer with bungy cords to cover what I expose.

Wish me luck that I don't have big problems opening up a can of worms.

Gary

P.S.:Got to get going with this.Getting worried my weather window is closing where I wouldn't have enough warm days to properly cure the roof reseal.

[Wallaby Dan]

Yep, A couple of months and it will be getting snow on that there roof!!

[fleamarketer]

Capt Dan,
I just can't tell you how frustrating it is not having a camera,port to post etc.I am currently working on a windows 98 old,old,computer.No plans of updates until I am ready to install a computer system into Baby.Given how much has to be done to Baby,that might be awhile.

[Wallaby Dan]

Ouch, That is a antique! I would say that nothing out there will work on that old a computer. I'm getting antsy waiting on the MH to be finished and am kinda sore and hurting because of the weather. I don't know what is like where ou are but the rainy season or monsoon is supposed to be over, but it is still here for a few more days and I can't wait! Right now my back and neck are trying to kill me. I will be around here someplace today to see the replys to the messages so good luck,

[Lorna]

Originally posted by Capt. Dan:
Ouch, That is a antique! I would say that nothing out there will work on that old a computer...

Okay, it's old but not that old! But then my 1999 Compac is dying (running Win98). I have a copy of Fedora 5 that I want to use when I upgrade to a new CPU. Problem may be getting online. I run Verizon's VZAccess Manager and it only comes on a Windows Platform. I do have a copy of one of the Linux WINE programs. I fear that I will "lose" many programs that I currently use (and alot of data stored within those programs). Yet another thing that I will have to explain to David after spending $$ to get a new computer (he thinks my computer should last longer).

[Wallaby Dan]

Tell him that a laptop can with great cooling laast about 3-5 years. Towers can last longer maybe but the newer stuff can make it harder on a oder model as it just can't keep up and they run hottoer because of that. I would say a Pentium 3 or something like that would be as old as I'd go! And newer if the money goes that way.I saw a brand new acer for $499.00. I know there are a lot of other deals. Walmart had a computer and printer and mouse and carry bag in a combo priced at $488.00! Good deals like mine in a remanufactured unit! Maybe you can find someone like Sanjay that can do the work for you and just redo your mother board. Thanks for the e-mail and will be checking that link out,

[fleamarketer]

Well I should have said this long ago.The biggest part of a RV repair is the disassemble.Here I am trying to repair from the top down and the HM was built from the bottom up.Those two things just don't meet very well.Add in kind of doing this blind because you don't have any guide how it was built makes the job even harder.So today I learned even more.The roof bows are curved some and are 1 1/4" by 3/4" and are alummin.So there goes welding any more supports to the roof.I search for the source of these leaks to do the job only once.Soooo,I dig deeper and have yet to conclude anything more than the seams have been leaking.Today I got almost all the rivets on the passenger side trim/roof support out.I found a heavy bracket under the plastic header in the front that seems to hold up the trim/roof support inside of the HM.The rear section I haven't figured that one out yet.It seems I got to take off the fiberglass tail section outside of the MH to see how the trim pc is attached in the rear cornners inside.Sooo the search continues and the learning curve goes on.I got the frig loose for I can get to the frig stack to reomve it to remove this angled trim pc that goes down each side with the rivets.More to come on todays work,but sandman is calling me with a shower to get all the rotted plywood off me.

[Wallaby Dan]

Hi, Sounds like you can use a pop rivet gun! They sale good ones at Sears, Ace Hardware or Home Depot.Also the Lowe's should too! You can drill holes for the wood framing for your skylight and all vent and A/C holes as well. All the cabinets used 1/2" plywood placed where any cabinets would screw into the ceiling the plywood was inlaid into the cross studding! All and all very strong! I would do that with new studding in that roof!
Good luck,

[fleamarketer]

Dan,
Any place I use the studing I won't be able to use blueboard there.Do you see any problems because of that in the long term?.