After rebuilding quite a few campers one thing I've learned very early on is
not to mess with damaged wood... Just replace it. There is no easy way to do
this believe me I've tried everything you could possibly imagine and then
some.
I usually start by taking off any portion of the interior where I can
examine the damaged sections and decide how to replace it from there. The
last one I did had a section in the front along the top that had just gotten
wet and rotted. after removing the ceiling and everything else I could get
out I found that the part of the ceiling support I needed to replace was
custom rounded to fit the outside curve of the top. I found that by placing
a 2X6 the full length of the front edge that I could reattach all the bolts
etc to that and it has been holding for 7 years now.
Some other ideas that work if you have a void behind the area where the wood
is bad try injecting "Great Stuff" or some other foam into the area this
will fill the voids and hold everything together. Plastic wood can do small
to medium repairs but like anything else this may only be a temporary fix.
Above everything else make sure you get the leak fixed. On Tops that no
longer seat correctly try putting a piece of weather stripping that is about
1" or a bit larger that will overhang the edge from the top or another piece
from the bottom to help seal the area or divert some of the water issues
that you may have at those points.
Good luck...
Post by KenHey,
The compartment has access from the top via a top hatch. The damage is
near the top on the front of the compartment. As far as I can tell, there
is no crack or damaged area where the water may enter. The manufacturer's
instructions suggest the front of the camper be cranked as far down as
possible to reduce the potential for leaks. We do that religiously.
My thoughts are that the water may be coming in under the weather
stripping during storms with heavy rains and wind when the pop-up is
closed. Otherwise, I don't have a clue.
Ken
Post by Jim RedelfsPost by KenI have a 2003 Coleman Cheyenne pop-up and just discovered a water intrusion
problem. The particle board material on the inside of the front compartment
has absorbed water and has swollen.
Is it the FLOOR that is swollen and damaged? How extensive (feet, inches) is
the damage?
Post by KenHas anyone had this problem before?
I mounted a bike rack to the roof of my (bought new) 1987 Starcraft Galaxy
only to have the roof leak. Before there was enough damage to repair, I
removed the bike rack and had a rubber roof (overlay) installed. That stopped
the roof leak. Unfortunately, there was another leak that I didn't discover
until it was too late.
There was a "belt-line" leak at one corner of the camper, perhaps an improper
top/bottom seal.
The floor literally rotted-out beneath our feet. A professional, PROPER fix
was more than TWICE the value of the trailer, so we made the best of it for a
couple more seasons. We ended up with a 2x3-ft piece of boiler (steel) plate
duct taped to the most DANGEROUS part of the rotted floor where we walked.
Most of my RV repair and upgrade work has been (and is) done by a professional
so I can't help you much with DIY input.
Always remember that your TOP priority is to stop the leak. Then you can
address the damage.
Good luck.
:)
JR
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2000 Skamper Ultra 249 TT
2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
Vortec 8100 - Allison 1000