Forum Discussion

gitpicker2009's avatar
gitpicker2009
Explorer
Jan 31, 2020

maybe add some heavy duty pressure treated lumber?

I recently had to remove the bottom of my AF1150 in order to find a small water leak. In doing so, I was surprised at how little there actually is between the outside and inside. Basically there's an 1/8 sheet of black painted wood, similar to a good grade of wall panel, painted black (maybe some sort of water proof paint?) and that's it. the next thing is standard insulation sort of stuffed between wooden slats. I was really surprised. The weight of the coach therefore seems to be supported by the aluminum frame, which I've notice has some minor deformity where it reaches the edge of the truck bed.
When I reassembled the TC, I replaced the wood with the same and painted it with the best waterproofing paint I could find. But still I was thinking that when it rains, this this is basically sitting in the water until the bed drains.
I'm still not happy and was thinking that maybe I would just add some pretty thick pressure treated plywood under the entire coach. That would keep the TC slightly out of water and would distribute the weight so as to not put the load at the edge of the truck bed. I wouldn't even bother to paint it probably.
Any opinions or advice? Has anyone ever done anything like this?
I realize it's maybe another 75 lbs of weight but I'm driving a 2008 Sterling 4500, which is a beast.

Thanks for any input.
Truck Campers
  • kohldad's avatar
    kohldad
    Explorer III
    Feb 03, 2020
    Kohldad, did you attach the frame to the camper? If so how? I need to do something like you did.


    Did not attach it to the bottom. I cut the foam board in half so easier to store. The foam goes in the camper, the boards lay beneath when I take it off the truck. In the last 5 years we've done 66 trips and probably loaded/unloaded the camper 62 times because of our HOA.

    I wouldn't want to attach it to the bottom as each screw hole you put in would be a place that moisture could be sucked up. You could attache it with some caulking though since there isn't much force on the wood or foam.
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Feb 02, 2020
    When human are subject to become paranoid with whatever somebody is trying to scare them with (like latest flue), most of the factors are based on facts.
    Think about it, why pressure treated wood is used for structures exposed to termites and dry rot?
    Why California landfills will not accept it?
    The description is misleading as it suppose to be called poison-treated, but who would buy it then?
    So even when you don't install poison-treated wood on your countertop, do you really want it on parts that you are going to touch from time to time?
    Not even saying that the chemicals eat most of the metals.
    My father in his memories lists 6 incidents that suppose to kill him for sure (like Nazis concentration camp).
    Yet he is still alive today, in relatively good health and looking forward to 100 years birthday.
    And yes, being electrician, he was playing with Mercury in palm of his hand.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Feb 02, 2020
    jaycocreek wrote:
    Just think of all the underground miners that are exposed to pressure treated mining timbers working there tails off 5000 feet below the ground with the only ventilation being pumped in...Not a single word ever about pressure treated timbers in an enclosed area...hummmmmm

    This thread is about pressure treated wood in a well ventilated area below the TC itself..

    The internet is amazing sometimes....


    The inner webs have caused more ignorant paranoia than solutions sometimes I think. Not to downplay real hazards though.

    However, a more serious observation, there are many different types of people and mindsets in this world. It's what makes us all differnet. There's do'ers, thinkers, solution providers, problem finders, the bold, the paranoid, dreamers, realists, in formed, uninformed, the weak, the strong, etc.
    This forum, not unlike society, is a representative cross section.
    This forum
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Feb 02, 2020
    Kayteg1 wrote:
    Grit dog wrote:


    Well, I should be dead by now then.
    Of course most of my exposure to cutting, carrying and building (mostly decks) with PT lumber was before the Internet was around to tell me how bad it is, so maybe I'll be ok?


    That might be explanation for your weird posting here.
    Did you at least used hot-dip galvanized fasteners for those jobs?


    No, everything's fell apart by now. It's called job security in the carpenter business, lol.
  • jaycocreek's avatar
    jaycocreek
    Explorer II
    Feb 02, 2020
    Just think of all the underground miners that are exposed to pressure treated mining timbers working there tails off 5000 feet below the ground with the only ventilation being pumped in...Not a single word ever about pressure treated timbers in an enclosed area...hummmmmm

    This thread is about pressure treated wood in a well ventilated area below the TC itself..

    The internet is amazing sometimes....
  • NRALIFR's avatar
    NRALIFR
    Explorer
    Feb 02, 2020
    I survived raising teenagers.

    Makes me appreciate cats.

    :):)
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Feb 02, 2020
    Kayteg1 wrote:
    I was exposed to Chernobyl radiation and am still alive.


    That definitely explains some things!

    (All in jest Kayteg, I am not downplaying the horror of Chernobyl one bit)
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Feb 02, 2020
    I was exposed to Chernobyl radiation and am still alive.
  • ajriding's avatar
    ajriding
    Explorer II
    Feb 02, 2020
    I was exposed to carcinogens and do not have cancer therefore the carcinogens are not carcinogens, but harmless chemicals.
    Anecdotal, but must be true because that is science.
    I also have weird spots on my skin, and have aged prematurely and have the typical health problems most people have, but that cannot be linked to any chemical I have been exposed to.
    Everything about my health would be the same if I had been exposed to chemicals or not, that is truth because I think it so.
    I drink water straight out of the tap and have not died.
    I sleep with the cell phone on, bluetooth on, wifi on right next to my head every night and I am still alive, so it must be healthy.
    I eat canola oil in every meal and hydrogenated oils are like candy to me, I am still alive.
    MSG is my middle name.
    Formaldehyde and mercury race through my veins, yet I can still walk upright, it must be healthy.
    I sniff the epoxy fumes a little extra when I make repairs and nothing has happened yet.
    As a kid I would run through the mosquito bug spray mist the county would spray out in the streets and yet I beat death.
    I disconnected the CO monitor because it would go off when I ran the generator, and yet I did not die in my sleep.
    Why, why , why
  • NRALIFR's avatar
    NRALIFR
    Explorer
    Feb 02, 2020
    I wouldn’t have a problem using PT wood for this repair since it’s not in the living area, although I would try to use some untreated white wood between it and the aluminum framing, and use the proper fasteners as well. I’m not sure PT wood is actually needed though, because I’m quite certain that I could rebuild the bottom so that the wood frame would never get wet.

    Glassing it in isn’t necessary either. Covering the exterior luan plywood with FRP would be a good thing though. In fact, I’ve done that to the undersides of the “wings” and the sides of the “tub” on my camper. Someday I’m going to cover the bottom of the tub with it as well.

    I wouldn’t recommend using the Trex type plastic wood either. It isn't thermally stable enough to use for RV framing IMO. It shrinks and grows too much.

    Just my thoughts after doing some extensive repairs on my wood framed TC.

    :):)

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