Leaky 88 Winnebago Elandan

[jayman729]

My new/old 88 Winnebago Elandan had a leak in the driver side rear corner, which is substanial enough to have caused severe damage to the corner cabinet, back wall and carpeting. I've removed all of the furniture, fixtures and carpet from the unit and am starting the rehab process. The vinyl covered paneling appears to be adhered to the foam insulation board which makes up the structure of the rear wall. Any insights into how to remove/ repair/replace the paneling without destroying the foam panel behind it? Of course I've repaired the leak on the roof so now it's time to redo the interior.

[The General]

Originally Posted by jayman729

My new/old 88 Winnebago Elandan had a leak in the driver side rear corner, which is substanial enough to have caused severe damage to the corner cabinet, back wall and carpeting. I've removed all of the furniture, fixtures and carpet from the unit and am starting the rehab process. The vinyl covered paneling appears to be adhered to the foam insulation board which makes up the structure of the rear wall. Any insights into how to remove/ repair/replace the paneling without destroying the foam panel behind it? Of course I've repaired the leak on the roof so now it's time to redo the interior.

Jay,

The paneling is called luan which is part of your wall structure.
DO NOT try to take the vinyl off.
I would cover it with wood paneling and find the studs to attach it to.
If you saw a cross section of the thickness of your wall you would find a vacubond, from outside to inside of:
Exterior fiberglass.
Luan backing
Styrofoam.
Luan paneling
Vinyl covering
The key is to find studs to attach new paneling and cabinetry to.
My friend had a 89 Elandan 36' I believe and it was a fine RV.

Good Luck,

Steve

[jayman729]

Thanks Steve....Unfortunately it's too late for the vinyl/luan paneling on the rear wall from the corner to the rear window.... as I was removing the fifty-leven attaching screws from the ruined cabinet in the corner, a soaked section of the luan pulled away from the foam. It exposed a similarly soaked and rotted 1 x 4 stud that I will have to carefully extract and replace. The unit sat in a storage yard for several years and must have been leaking for quite awhile before yours truly acquired it. It appears that the rear wall is definitely a vacubond of which you spoke, however it is aluminum/foam/luan/vinyl. The elandan has a one piece fiberglass "cap" rear end which completely covers the rear wall structure and provides a storage area for the spare tire. I would love to have a set of "as built" prints for this thing to show internal wall structure....probably tough to get from Winnebago 23 years later!
Are there any supply houses that cater to older RV's and would have info/parts available?
Thanks!

[The General]

Originally Posted by jayman729

Thanks Steve....Unfortunately it's too late for the vinyl/luan paneling on the rear wall from the corner to the rear window.... as I was removing the fifty-leven attaching screws from the ruined cabinet in the corner, a soaked section of the luan pulled away from the foam. It exposed a similarly soaked and rotted 1 x 4 stud that I will have to carefully extract and replace. The unit sat in a storage yard for several years and must have been leaking for quite awhile before yours truly acquired it. It appears that the rear wall is definitely a vacubond of which you spoke, however it is aluminum/foam/luan/vinyl. The elandan has a one piece fiberglass "cap" rear end which completely covers the rear wall structure and provides a storage area for the spare tire. I would love to have a set of "as built" prints for this thing to show internal wall structure....probably tough to get from Winnebago 23 years later!
Are there any supply houses that cater to older RV's and would have info/parts available?
Thanks!

Jay,

Yuck....Winnebago is your best bet; ask them who they recommend for used parts. The Winnebago club, on iRV2, should be full of help.

Good Hunting and have the time of your life,

Steve

[QuietWater]

If Winnebago made it, this company has it. You might give them a call. I have ordered some parts for my Holiday Rambler from them (that were just like the Winne parts) and they were very friendly and helpful to talk to. If they can't give you a diagram, I'll bet they could tell you who to call.
Winnebago Parts - Parts for all Winnebago motorhome makes, models, and years, including Itasca, Rialta, Eurovan - Specializing in the Renault based Winnebago LeSharo, Phasar, and Centauri Motorhomes

[duncan1]

A lot of repair centers use a router to remove panneling or luan. They cut the pannel in 2 inch strips to remove without damage to the styrofoam. They set the router bit to the thickness of the pannel which is usually 3/16 or 1/4 inch. It takes longer but it works.

duncan1