Outftter Caribou repairs/refirbish 99.7% done !

Great job and now you can get back to happy camping.

Paul

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement!

Travelnutz:

You have a very extensive list of camper hardening protocol! However, everything you detail I think is absolutely necessary to implement when the camper is new (as you have done) if you want to be sure of longevity! I wish I had done the swap out of screws completely way back at the beginning.

Sabconsulting:

I thought hard about leaving a few "sacrificial screws" in as "scientific instruments" for periodic extraction and analysis, however, I created a "map" of the problem areas (there were very specific sections along which screws in catastrophic condition were extracted), and these areas were: the trim under the fridge, under the battery compartment and under the propane containment insert.

Hardening the 2 compartments the way I did I am sure completely eliminated (for perhaps 3~5 years) those intrusion routes; now the fridge is another story. A tin tray lays under the fridge in contact with the wing wood, but that area was rot-free (thanks to a large ~1.5 inch diameter vent hole with screen drilled into the under-wing wood by the manufacturer under fridge, which I will implement under the battery compartment this week!). So, I deduce that a small quantity of incoming rain (through fridge vents) collects on that tin surface, and flows outward to the camper aluminum frame member, where it finds its way into the aluminum frame tube through the near-by butt joint (the aluminum tubes aren't welded all the way around their 4 seams -- at least on all the tubes I have "uncovered" ). I may try and "inject" a non-volatile foam inside the tube member (via the screw holes under the trim)...but have not decided as yet.

I've just thought of something relating to screws.

When I rebuilt the roof I of course used high quality SS screws and bolts.

When doing minor repairs since I have been lazy and re-used the old screws, albeit re-coating them with sealant.

But thinking about it now, although SS screws are clearly superior, is there an argument for installing new plain steel screws so that next time you withdraw them you can check them for corrosion? An SS screw won't show up if it has been sitting in wet timber where-as a mild steel screw will show that clearly via corrosion.

Steve.

Good job Silver
Hope you have many many more years of camping experiences with it

You did a real fine repair silversand and you're much smarter now. Welcome back to the RV'ing life and RV world! A real shame an expensice poptop camper like yours didn't have SS screws used when built. About $20 US difference is the cost in a many thousand dollar TC so why cheap out??? But who even checks to see what the fastners are made of or if screws are sealed? Actually, I can't say that I remember mentioning to many about SS fasteners are a must that really listened and/or even checked as many replied that they only be keeping the RV for maybe less than 5 years before they bought a new one anyway. Another reason we don't and won't buy used anything. So much junk out there!


Replacing with SS screws everywhere possible is something I've always done with our new RV's if they weren't SS to begin with since the late 1970's. WE care! Always used phillips SS screws at least 1/4" longer than the original square drive steel screws so got some more screw bite. Usually used a squeeze tube of 3M type silicone sealant or similar and dipped the screw threads down into the opening as far a possible to coat the threads before driving them in and never have had any rot on any of our many RV's. Just squeeze the tube up from the bottom to keep the sealant to the top. Yes, some sealant always squeezed out around the screw head and that basically said it was really sealed well. Just wipe it off with a rag.

As I'd posted many times, I also always sealed all cracks and voids I could find with a good silicone or appropriate caulk both inside and outside. Also lined the shore cord storage box with reflective bubble wrap with the joints taped closed so they don't sweat which is water that drips down the inner walls. Never trusted a manufacturer to do sealing to my standards anyway. Now I only use Gorilla Tape to seal the liners as it's great stuff and doesn't break down over time like Duct etc tapes. Sprayed the lower wings of our TC's on the inside surface with Dupli-color premium truck bed spray liner and along with the sealed SS screws on the front edge and bottom, never had a wing rot either.

All this stuff is so simple and cheap to do and really pays off. Our first Lance TC is still being used today as we see it often and it's now just under 30 years old and still doesn't have wing rot as of this spring. We don't want or like air leaks/drafts/heatloss because we use our RV's in cold winters also and many times well below zero F. Certainly don't want to see any rot on our RV's.

Carriage Corp always used SS fastners everywhere whether they had a wood or aluminum frames. We had one of our 3 Carriage 5th wheels for 21 years and one for 16 years and still had zero rot or any rusted fastners or leaks and therefore never any repairs needed or done. I've actually been accused of being too fussy but maybe so but I've never had to do any repairs to our many RV's owned over the last going on 51 years other than the Fleetwood Caribou 11-1/2' TC purchased new that was a true hulk of junk and rot and had the rear wall and door so rotten internally in only 6 years that it was about to fall off. No hints of internal wall leaks were ever seen but when the door was hanging on only the top hinge, it was realized. Even Fleetwood in Edgerton Ohio where it was made wouldn't fix it, period.

Silver,
I truly admire the work you did on your camper and can see the joy you will have in it for years to come.
So many on this site do remarkable work and repairs on their campers. You being one of them. Many times I wish I had your talent as well as others but my talents will have to be in other areas.
But I will say that I have learned so much reading what good folks like you and others have shared and I am improving in my efforts in taking care of my camper.
Thanks for the report and " how to" .

Great to see the job nearly finished. I certainly know about those jobs that sap your enthusiasm and take you to the edge of throwing in the towel.

Cheers,

Steve.

Good work, Silver. Happy that you were able to get the camper fixed so well, and that you are now in a much better frame of mind.
Also glad that I live were the humidity is often in the 5-10% range ---

Exhaustipated wrote:
Now go and enjoy her as you put a lot of hard work into it.

....you bet man. A new lease on "camping life". We're off to the OE (Overland Expo) in North Carolina beginning of October...

I forgot to mention:

Both the steel battery compartment and propane containment was where the water came in. All 12 seams are now sealed in each containment...and all hatch frame and screws are fully bedded. I will be installing new gasket materials around the hatch doors (they are currently plastic sheeted against rain).

Excellent job you did on the rebuild. The extra effort you put into it will pay off in the long run. Now go and enjoy her as you put a lot of hard work into it.