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horton333's avatar
horton333
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013

Major Roof Repais Neeed/

So going camping with a friend for a couple of weeks, but when picking up his trailer yesterday it looks like there has been a bad water leak into the roof. The calking is opened up in a couple of places and he has not checked it for years .... the wood clearly is very wet (the fabric in the inside is wrinkling!) and a tap test says the rot is taking hold over a fairly wide area (couple of square feet? at least and wet far beyond that).
He is retired and so has much more time than money and if it seems feasible will try the repair himself. The unit is only a 2006 (Salem Lite 26') and he wants to salvage it if possible.
A quick on-line search show products and descriptions for replacing/patching the rubber roofs themselves, but nothing that would let us know what issues would be faced trying to replace the boards.
Any links or people with experience out there who could size up the job a little more? How are the roof boards fastened to the body etc for instance - can they just be unscrewed from the top (he says hopefully .... :)
  • the roof is attached from the top as is last thing installed anything from screws to staples holding it down ..older one had nails..so that is the easy part..roof deck is probaly 3/8 or so osb or plywood if lucky.. like westend stated the problems start if the walls have rotted..if he decides to repair it put it together with glue and screws makes it much stronger..
  • The biggest issue will be any bad side wall framing, top sill rot, and roof trusses that are beyond usability. Be forewarned, if leaks are allowed to go unchecked, there will be frame damage that is not visible until the user starts ripping into things.

    This kind of repair work is just basic carpentry, not at all beyond what most guys can tackle. A few of the most problematic aspects are removing fasteners that were installed in a different schedule than what you'd like to have (staples and screws underneath siding and floor), removing interior fixtures if necessary, and achieving a square and plumb installation of new lumber (the framework moves out of square and plumb as it rots and settles).

    Good luck with the repairs! You can check out the link in my signature line to see how I dealt with a full restoration. Also, when repairs have been done and all is sealed, complete a pressurized leak test to make sure there are no existing leaks.
  • Thanks, this definitely points in the direction he should try it himself.
  • I did the roof on mine. It was 3/8" ODB and stapled in place. Its not difficult, just time consuming. I put up scaffolding and would suggest anyone trying this to do the same. The material can be purchased at roofing supply co. It was $5.50 per running ft in 10' wide. So a 30' trailer would be $200 and change including the adhesive. You can probably expect all framing to be stapled as well. I used glue and screws and all seems well. The inside is tougher as its difficult to match what is there. I hope this helps. Any questions you can post or PM me.