Rotting floor in our 2008 Jayflight 26BH

Double_Haul wrote:
Make sure you know that the windows are the problem and not assume the windows are the problem.

Pulling two windows and resealing them is not a big deal and will only help down the road as the trailer ages. Even if those windows are still sealed (likely not), it will not harm the trailer to pull and reseal them. Resealing them will also not leave doubt in your mind that they are the source of the leak, pressure test or not.

Thank you all for the replies and assistance. I truly appreciate the responses as it makes me feel that, as others have experienced and overcome these obstacles, there is hope for my camper.

Were going through this right now too. 3 yr old summerland, leak from top corner going unoticed. We have only had it a year. Ended up taking the whole front cap off, taking the bottom 3 set of siding off the slide side. It was so disheartning to pay that much for a camper to have to work on. Insurance denied claim do to damage over long term...About to get it back togeher. Had to replace all wood on front end and slide side to the window. It is alot of work but ours is stick and tin..Nothing to it, just cut measure replace. It is a god send that we picked this kind, maybe lower end but easy to fix..

If I were you I would start taking some of the siding off from the bottom and seeing the extent to the damage, the frame rails are probably rotted, there is a 2x2 that the wall nails too that is probably rotted. This all has to get replaced..plus the insulation that is probably moldy too.

Not trying to scare you but it is always bigger than what it seems. Water runs.. when it gets in it will rot that immediate area but then run to another area depending on how the camper is tilted...

OP, pulling and resealing the windows is SUPER easy. Buy some butyl tape from your local dealer or online. Your windows are 2 piece with screws on the inside. Take the screws out from the inside and pull the frame from the inside. Have someone outside to support the glass from that side. Once the inner frame is off, push out the outer frame and glass. Then you can inspect the old butyl tape and possibly see where water entered. Put the new tape around the opening and push the window back in. I pulled the window back out and inspected the butyl tape to ensure that the window seated properly, then put it back and installed the screws again.

It fixed my leaky front bedroom window, haven't had a problem again. Cost me about $10 in butyl tape and an hour of my time.

For the floor, sounds like you will have some work cut out for you. Unfortunately the plywood floor goes underneath the sidewall. You will want to cut out all the rotted wood, including what is under the sidewall frame. Once its out, install new decking (usually 3/8" or 5/8" plywood) and install new linoleum flooring in the bedroom.

Good luck!

I would submit there is a reason things like cars, trucks, tractors,products that we have expectations to give trouble free service for a decade or more have no wood in the basic construction process. The RV industry is sloppy and from what I can see offering very little innovation. Just fluff and pretty, but really, 10 years and 200k miles later how many will really be useable? What expense and frustration will they represent to the weary owner?

I feel your pain on the leak. We had a 2010 Jayco FBS that leaked in the same area yours was leaking. I had to remove and replace the paneling which I was fortunate enough to find a match at a dealership in Kansas City, rebuilt the wall studs because of rot and replaced a 2'x4' chunk of flooring which all told took about 4-5 days. And FYI the tool I used was an Oscillating Multi Tool to cut away practically everything and it worked great in tight spots and cutting away the rotted floor, floor wall plates and studs. Also pulled all the windows over a period of time and resealed them with Butyl tape which to me made a tighter seal than the foam tape used in the factory. I also found out the leak was a caused by a small hole in the caulking on the bottom of the front cargo access door. The water ran off the top of the cargo door down it's side then entered in the hole and followed the floor wall plates causing a lot of damage over time. My opinion was that the leak was caused by poor factory caulk installation and started on day one on the assembly line. Also if you are interested you can view pics of the repairs I did on the Jayco Owners website under Agggghhh, discovered a water leak

First, find the leak or everthing you do will be for naught.
When I bought our '85 Wilderness (nearly pristine except for water damage) I knew it had water damage, but was surprised that 3 of the corners were so rotten the studs fell out in pieces and bathroom floor almost completely gone. really bad caulking jobs allowed the water in at the corners. Those leaks did not reach the bathroom floor. Took a long time to discover that the sink p-trap had been very slowly leaking (drop or two at a time when using sink), that the water over 29 years had migrated under the tub and in front of the sink. That was hard to find. Being very handy and a carpenter/mechanic, I repaired everthing during last winter (not bad in Pacific NW).

The surprising thing is that none of the leaks damaged or even showed up in the interior it was all hidden.

One reason TT's leak, is that going down the road the vehicle is twisting and shaking over bumps etc., this loosens things up and creates gaps. That's why you need to inspect the caulking at least once a year and maybe re-caulk every two. I wouldn't agonize over a leak, I say all trailers have leaked, are leaking now, and will leak tomorrow.