Wood rot at front right jack attachment.

....I've just finished 2 coats of topside marine enamel on the repaired under-wings and complete tub area. I had to pack it in 40 minutes ago, as massive and sustained rains are moving in to our region (4 inches or more to fall in a few hours).

I also re-hung all the plastic skirting in anticipation the above. I thought I would have squeezed out another 4 hours of work on the camper today, but with this horrid rainy summer, 3.5 days is the longest run of sun we've had since April :E

I'll be back at it next Monday (when we are supposed to get ~2 days sans rain...I hope :B

I found some RV rain gutter extensions on the Net: here--> They may save you some design/fabrication time.

I may look for some high-strength plastic gutter strips, and will attempt to glue them to my aluminum roof fascia with marine adhesive (and try extensions, too) ...hmmm?

silversand wrote:
I am currently taping "plastic skirts" over the 4 jacks to the camper side-walls, to avoid water cascading down from the roof onto them, creating the destruction. A bloody ugly fix, but what else can be done ??

S-

That's funny. I just came in after taping a plastic sheet over the front right problem area at the front right jack corner.
Our heat spell is coming to an end with rain tomorrow so I thought it best to cover it.
I'm going to fabricate a gutter and extension that will direct water well away from the 4 jacks.
(Planned Obsolescence I Dare Say)

Combine this with the gutter is situated that the roof water drains directly on top of the head of the jack causing a lot of water spray...

....this is the process that almost killed our Outfitter Caribou: water waterfalling off the roof (at all 4 corners equally, and we have no eaves troughs, unlike you !), and landing directly on top of the HappiJac jack caps, then fire-hosing the side of our camper (and all the near-by hatches, trim, screws, door seams, windows!). The waterfall deflection I'M SURE is what is leading to the eventual destruction of every truck camper out there on the road today (at least the campers residing in the East and West coast rain-forests! Not so for campers living in the Southwest deserts, happily).

Happijac, Torklift, Attwood:

I WOULD BUY in a New York minute a set of plastic push-fit water deflector attachments (shaped like small pyramids, that hug the camper's side-walls should do the trick!) to put over each of the 4 jack caps (you can design these deflector caps in 45 minutes with Autocad, and output a prototype to a 3D printer, for sourcing !)

Are you listening Torklift? Happijac? Attwood?

These seemingly stupid little "deflector" caps for jacks could save your camper from CERTAIN water destruction. Gutters on Truck Campers are useless, as the water just cascades down onto the jack caps, and kills your camper over just a few years.

Camper Jeff: glad you brought this up! I've been working days and days on repairing the Outfitter Caribou water damaged under-wings, and should be finished in ~14 hours or so (2 more days). I am currently taping "plastic skirts" over the 4 jacks to the camper side-walls, to avoid water cascading down from the roof onto them, creating the destruction. A bloody ugly fix, but what else can be done ??

S-

Thanks Wayne,
We just got back from the Abbotsford BC air show which was very nice
That repair thinking is along the same lines I have.
Here is the Mountainkowboy thread with so much usable information.
Repair thread.

If after doing the repair, you put butyl tape as the sealant, I think you would have a better caulk. It is always exceptionally flexible, and will stick to all parts it is applied to.

You might consider having a plate welded to the underside of the jack mounting bracket, is there is room. Typically, the jacks rely on the shear action of the bolts/screws in the TC. The plate on the mounting bracket going under the TC corner changes that so the bracket lifts the TC. With this modification, the bolts are not relied on for shear, but simply to hold the jack/mount against the side of the TC.

Wayne

poncho62 wrote:
Should help....I would be looking in the bear future as to what is causing the wood to rot

It's a tricky location to seal. Because of the jack weight lifting the TC, there is force that shifts and breaks the caulk seal. Combine this with the gutter is situated that the roof water drains directly on top of the head of the jack causing a lot of water spray. I'm thinking that one of the better alternatives to seal the area is with Eternabond tape. It will stick and seal plus span the joining elements and be able to withstand the shifting forces while sealing out the elements. I'll have to think a bit more about a long term fix. I will refer to Mountain Cowboy's thread from when he rebuilt the same areas of his 11' S&S (Big Red I think it was)doing a mighty fine job of it too.

Should help....I would be looking in the bear future as to what is causing the wood to rot