Jayco Storage Compartment Doors Leaking

Question

My current TT is a 2002 Jayco Qwest 324G. We've loved it for many years but this spring I found I've had a leak in a storage compartment causing the floor to rot. It appears the door has absorbed water over time and split in the winter. That has allowed water to leak in through the door and enter the compartment. It must have been doing it for a couple of seasons but I just never caught it until now. The seals on the door look fine, maybe a little stiff from age, but it looks like they still seal. As I was looking things over it seems the door on the other side is leaking a little too and door is splitting the same way.

Has anyone had their compartment doors fail like this? One other thing I've noticed is the doors look smaller in the opening, almost like they've shrunk. I don't know if that's possible or if I just never noticed the gap around the door frame.

I may be getting lazy in my middle age, but I'm not so sure I care to tackle this problem. To fix the rotted floor I'll have to dismantle most of the bunk area. Who knows what kind of damage I'm going to find as I might have to get up in the side walls and who knows how much flooring is wet now. I have the skills and the tools to do the work. I just don't know if I want to spend the time.

I don't think the doors can be salvaged but I'm certain I couldn't get new ones from Jayco. If I do make the repairs i'lll have to make new compartment doors and thought about using Star Board for that. It's the product used to make marine access hatch doors.. Beyond that I have no idea what I'll get into.

So, please give me your opinions if you've ever run into this kind of door failure and what you did for repairs. Honestly I'm leaning toward just selling the TT as-is and upgrading to a 5th wheel.

KJ

mobilefleet · Answer

You can buy just about any size door on eBay for RVs- but sound like too much repair work.  If you have full coverage insurance put in a claim for water damage

like2build · Answer

mobilefleet wrote:You can buy just about any size door on eBay for RVs- but sound like too much repair work.  If you have full coverage insurance put in a claim for water damageI already talked to my insurance agent. This damage is not covered because it isn't related to an accident event. If a tree limb fell on it and started the leak or vehicle accident made a dent that leaked it would be covered. In this case it's no different than your home roof leaking due to worn out shingles.  I was definitely bummed out when he told me that. It's definitely a lot of work. Low retail value on the camper it $5500.  If I had a shop do the repairs i bet it would be around $2,000 for all the work. I just can't see spending the money on a TT this old.  And, I'd rather go camping than to spend my weekends fixing it. KJ

myredracer · Answer

One source of RV compartment doors is Challengerdoors.com They make custom sizes. There may be other manufacturers.

We have a 2 year old TT and the slam latches have been leaking and allowing water into the foam insulation and onto the floor inside our pass-through compartment on each side and there is some minor damage. :M I would assume you have keyed latches tho. I imagine fixing the floor would be a lot of work but it's possible but when you start it you could end up finding other things that need repair. If you did tackle the job, you'd have to change your username to LIKE2FIX... :D

bobndot · Answer

Only you can decide this and if walking away from it works for you, then do it, walk away.

If not, if you have the time and money to invest, you can make this TT solid and give you the security of a better than new TT and at the same time , give you a feeling of accomplishment and something worth a lot more than $5000 because you won't have wear rubbers as slippers anymore.

If you like the trailer and floor-plan . I would do a seal-tech test to locate all potential leaks and take it from there.

Jayco might be more expensive than buying from a vendor , I don't think Jayco makes their own doors.

http://www.rvautoparts.com/Interstate-Baggage-Door-wCam-Lock-11-x-14-Aluminum-CW-11-X-14_p_962.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwpfC5BRCT1sKW2qzwqE0SJABkKFKRZPOlWZfVOCk2THdKXe6Bj3uRpr4l_I0bg2738pNyqhoC4SXw_wcB

make sure its the doors.
water will often seek the lowest level.
I had 2 low level accumulations of water and found both times, the water intruded from above and up to 20 ft away. I traced the water stains along the interior moldings.

RV's usually never park perfectly level . On both leaks, the water traveled along the edge moldings to settle at a low point, then drip onto the ground. The genius in me noticed it after 5 sunny days of having water on the ground. :S

If the seal around the door is good, it might be water intrusion from another area like clearance lights etc.
for under $200 you can do a seal tech test of your rv . Its a pressure test for roof vent seals, clearance lights, seams etc.

seal tech rv test

If you like your floor-plan and everything else works well for you in the TT, it might not be a bad idea to dig into this and repair it then you know what you have, a solid dry TT .
Just remember what was said when we dive into buying some new rv or used-new rv ..... mama always said , RV's are like a box of chocolates , you never know what your going to get. ;)

like2build · Answer

bobndot wrote:Only you can decide this and if walking away from it works for you, then do it, walk away.    If not, if you have the timeand money to invest, you can  make this TT solid and give you the security of a better than new TT and at the same time , give you a feeling of accomplishment....TIME is the key word in all of this.  We've spent the entire school year chasing our kids to school events, scouting events, and everything else in between.  Basically, for the last 9 months I've had almost ZERO free time, and the little bit I've had needed to be spent putting out other more important fires.  Now that school's out and I have more free time we're into camping season and a TT with a rotted floor.I don't intend to sound negative and I certainly appreciate the encouragement.  I'm really on the fence whether I want to dive in and tackle this beast or just let it go.  I'm guessing the problem won't take more than $500 in materials so the investment isn't an issue.  The big question is do I want to spend time fixing something, or do I want to spend time enjoying the RV with my family?  I know for certain I don't want to pay to have the work done, if for no other reason I hate pay someone to do something I'm capable of doing myself.  As I stated previously, I'm certain it will cost quite a bit and I can't see spending that money on a 14 year old TT.KJ

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Jayco Storage Compartment Doors Leaking

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