Community Forums

Sky318 · 09-18-2018, 12:24 PM

Hello, I need advice on how to fix this.

How would you go about to fix the front and sides of my RV walls? It had this water damage when I bought it and it is all around the front and sides. Do I need to replace the wood panels? I would also like to remove the storage cabinets. I attached a picture.
I did fix the leak on the roof already

Thank you!

jarata · 09-18-2018, 12:32 PM

That is hard once you have water damage do you think it's worth fixing most will say no

Old-Biscuit · 09-18-2018, 12:32 PM

Water damage is like an iceberg.......what you can SEE is only a small portion of actual damage

Have to 'gut' it to get at real damage and rebuild

tuffr2 · 09-18-2018, 12:55 PM

Way down in the travel trailer section look for 'New Roof Question' posted by Tcounty1. Read thru that as he put a new roof on his trailer and rebuilt much of it. You can PM him maybe for some pointers.

Good luck

Sky318 · 09-19-2018, 04:45 PM

Thank you, everyone, for your answers.

This water damage is frustrating and unfortunately, I have to make the best of it and am stuck with this camper for at least a year. Currently, Money is non-existent for me.

I am a single mom and we recently lost everything in an 18ft flood. Two weeks after the flood, during relocation, our Tahoe got stolen with all our leftover belongings in it including papers and documents. I was only three feet away from my Tahoe opening a driveway gate.
The kids and I have to start over from scratch. I had to borrow money to buy this 2002 Layton to live in and an even older beater truck to get around and work. This camper is our permanent home for the next year until I can get us into something newer and in better shape. Also, larger of size would be helpful.

I will remove the overhead storage and redo the walls. I already fixed the roof but will put an extra roof coating on it and probably an RV tarp to be on the safe side. I am going to check out the other posters suggestion of a roof rebuild. It rains a lot in LA and is humid, so water issues are common. This camper had this damage already but I could not see it when I bought it and i only had 2500.00 for a camper to spend.

keymastr · 09-19-2018, 10:52 PM

Just put some Eternabond on the roof seams and caulk the windows, door and clearance lights as those are the most common areas to leak. I would not bother worrying about rebuilding walls unless the interior is falling apart. If it is really rotten inside you may need to gut the walls and floor to remove moldy wood and insulation. It is always much worse than it looks so if you can live with it for a year you may be money ahead by just saving the money you would spend fixing this one and put it towards a better trailer.

Cat · 09-19-2018, 11:18 PM

I had similar damage from your description. Different trailer if your has the aluminum siding? but similar construction. My cabinets had screws along the edge of the cabinets and they also used silicon adhesive along the edges to help hold the cabinets. Remove the screws then take a razor blade knife and cut the silicone between the roof and cabinets, on the walls there are seems where the internal plywood sheets meet. They cover the seem usually with a decorative tape. Cut the tape with razor blade. Then take small pry bar and start prying and pulling the plywood in. Then you will be able to see how badly its been damaged and if needed replace the insulation. Good luck be patient take your time.

Sky318 · 09-23-2018, 07:54 AM

Thank you again.

Replacing the roof would be ideal but don’t have the means or time. Per all your suggestions, I sealed the seams, windows and everything else I can think off. I coated the roof with a professional RV roof sealant. Now I will apply Eternabond and coat over that. Then I have to paint the outside per my landlords request. Today I am removing the dining area to create more space so that I can start on inside wall repair in a week. So far no new leaks and inside is tried up nicely. It’s difficult to get much done here in a speedy manner. The heat and humidity is a killer plus the mosquitoes.

aclawlor · 09-24-2018, 09:05 PM

Hello, I have a similar question to Sky318. I have a 2007 Coachmen Captiva TT. I bought it used in 2012 from the original owners who kept it indoors and did not use it much. They made us a good deal to make some room in their garage. While I covered in the off-season, it still managed to have a leak that caused the slide floor to delaminate and get waterlogged, it seems due to the seal where the floor meets the walls. This was only noticed this spring when I uncovered it.

I have ripped out the rotten wood of the slide and installed a temporary floor (particleboard and too thin, but I had it available) just to use it recently before taking it in for a second opinion repair. The first RV center is estimating about $8K. I bought it for $8K in 2012 though it was probably worth $12K at the time. I could probably handle the replacement of the floor with the appropriate material, and thinking perhaps marine-grade plywood and applying expoxy on the bottom and outside edges may help it to last.

My concern is I think the floor beyond the slide also has some damage. It is "springy" in one place. My weekends are limited in time and I am not a carpenter so I am concerned that the more I start tearing into, the more work I am going to have to do and may get above my skill level (and patience!).

Now to the crux of my question. My wife and I plan to retire in two years and at that time, purchase a Class C at which point I no longer need the travel trailer. Do I fix it to sell or try to sell it as-is now? Unless I do it myself, at what point is the cost of repair taking a greater loss than selling it as-is? Is there a market for "fixer upper" TTs? I can live without having a camper for two years so that is not a factor in the decision.

The current "low retail" value on NADA Guides is $7950, and I see there is a similar model for sale, though slightly smaller, near me at a dealer (same year) for $7K. So, if I fix it up completely, I would likely get what I originally paid for it or at least something close. I have no idea what it might be worth in its current condition, however.

Thoughts? Any sound advice from the already initiated are welcome!

Regards,

Stuck between the proverbial "rock and a hard place" Andy

Sky318 · 09-25-2018, 09:18 AM

I would sell it as is since you have limited time and ones you start you will look into high costs and hours spent on repairs. You will not get the money back you invest for repairs and time unless you plan on keeping it for a longer term. Since you plan on getting a class c, I would sell it sooner than later.