Here we go...I recently bought a 2004 Salem camper from a dishonest seller and later found severe water damage throughout. We are on the fence about gutting it and renovating it or just selling it as a fixer upper for someone who might want to take on a project. We could do the work and the idea of making it how we want it is appealing, but the time and $ is less than so. This is our first RV purchase and we need a little friendly advice from experienced campers (especially ones that might have taken on a project like this themselves). Thanks in advance!

A few years ago, when my wife and I bought our first RV, we bought it from a friend who's husband had died. We thought we got a good deal and were helping a friend. Boy was that a mistake. I think our other friend made money off of the deal, helping her get rid of it. With friends like him and her who needs enemies? :h :SMy advise is if you can do the work yourself do it. but if you can't do the work or even if you can and the damage is way beyond being worth what the end product will come out to be. Cut your losses and run.If my DW and I would have known how much it was going to cost us to fix the first RV we ever owned we would have parked it on the side of the road, signed the pink slip (title) and walked away. :M :SGood Luck

RVs are not rocket science and if you decide to fix it, you will end up with an RV that is reliable and that you know inside-out. You will also learn a lot of exciting new things along the way. If you want to or not.But be aware (lessons learned from fixing my first truck camper):The damage is always worse than it initially looks.It is always more work and it takes longer than you initially estimate.Do you want to spend your free time fixing or traveling?It may be wiser to cut your losses, but only you can make that decision for yourself.

Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately you learned the hard way that a RV should be inspected before purchase. A small leak can do a lot of damage if not fixed quickly.You will receive advice from different members and they can advise you of what they would do but, only you can decide which is the best choice for you.Keep us updated on your progress and don't hesitate to ask questions on the forum. Someone will have the answer.

If it wasn't water damaged it may be worth 4k 5k but could be much less depending on overall condition. You don't know how extensively it's damaged until you open it up but it's usually worse than it looks at first. Maybe you can use it as is after sealing up any leaks and get some use out of it then sell it.I do have experience with a project like that when I bought a small TT and ended up with it cut up and stacked in the back of a pickup headed to a landfill. I then rebuilt on the frame. Water damage can be missed by experienced shoppers so a new buyer is extremely vulnerable.

Welcome, and a lot of us have been there.My advice is like some of the others. If you think you'll regret keeping it (and it's a fine line) then you should drop it and move on.But if you're handy and don't mind spending a little money and a lot of time on a project, you will probably enjoy the work and like joerg said, you'll know your trailer so well that you'll be proud and confident in it.If you fix it there are lots of videos and forums and ideas out there. The hardest part is having a camper that you can't travel in while you're fixing it, but if you have a natural reason to stay put for a year it's not so bad.

Severe water damage: Reno or sell? | Good Sam Community

AppFire
Explorer
Jul 28, 2018
Agreed, not everyone would have the skill and patiences to tackle this. It is exactly how the wife and I wanted it, and its paid for. Thanks

Chris
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Jul 28, 2018
very nice. Big job but it's yours as you want it. Not an undertaking for everyone however.
PatrickA51
Explorer
Jul 28, 2018
azrving wrote:
Appfire
Fantastic job.

X2
Excellent job. Thanks for posting the photo's! :B
azrving
Explorer
Jul 28, 2018
Appfire
Fantastic job.
AppFire
Explorer
Jul 28, 2018
It can be done, here is my story...

Bought an '03 jayco quest a few years back for $900 from a guy who had bought it from his brother...one of those deals. Anyways, he just had put new tires on it and bought a brand new WD hitch and threw that in with the deal. So I basically bought new tires and the WD hitch. Long story short, I could not afford a new camper at the time and am very handy with my tools. Rebuilt the whole thing, new complete roof and joists, floors, gutted the inside, etc... Bought all new appliances and hot water heater, new electrical, plumbing lights, insulation, AC and so on. Took me around 4 months and I have around $4200 in it total. Not bad and I am not in debt for it. This last year I replaced the hubs and springs for a better ride and better breaking. Been on a dozen trips so far with zero problems...

Chris

Us in St Augustine Beach last week...
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 26, 2018
See it already paid off. That would have killed you to damage your new RV ;)

Unless someone is unusually sensitive I doubt any mold in the walls will bother anyone. Nothing wrong with selling if you can get past the money thing.

Don't worry, the kids will fall in love with the next one too.
myredracer
Explorer II
Jul 26, 2018
Restoring a travel trailer can be much easier than a car or house. Cabinetry is just screwed or stapled together. Walls & ceiling paneling is just stapled with tiny staples. No glue and few fasteners that can't be easily pulled apart. Easy to gut down to bare studs and floor joists. But replacing rotten studs, rafters and sub-floor will be a lot of work. There are some good youtube vids that show what some have done with total gut and rebuild projects.

If you're younger, full of energy and ambition and a handy type or tradesman, you might fix it all up. You'll end up with a much better RV in the end too. But that'd all be time away from your family - not good... Would take a LOT of hours in total. I'd rather put that kind of time into a vintage Airstream or Silver Streak. You *could* store it somehow and pick away at it over time. You'd also want a table saw, chop saw, compressor & air nailer, various hand tools and not to mention, will need to find various RV-specific materials to do the repairs.

I'd be inclined to sell it, take the loss, suck it up, and move on. The first house I built was during the 80s recession. When it was done, had to sell it at a loss and move to another town for a new job. Life is unfair sometimes but you get over it.

If it was bought as-is where-is, that's unfortunate. Too bad you didn't come here before the purchase. It's highly recommended to spend a few $$ to hire an RV tech to go through a used RV. There's so many things a person can't see or know what to look for. Even some new RVs should be independently inspected.

On the bright (-er) side, there are usually tons and tons of used RVs on the market, esp. CL but may want to wait until the end of the season to look for better deals
Devstar
Explorer
Jul 23, 2018
Thank you all for the replies. We thought about sealing what we can and using it for a while so at least we are out there camping, BUT we have small kids (the youngest is 2) so we worry about mold exposure. We recently backed into a tree and it exposed the inside wall and it literally looks like mulch inside. I think we are leaning towards selling just because of the time factor involved. It's just sad bc our kids have camped in it twice and have fallen in love with it. That really is the worst part!
ksg5000
Explorer
Jul 23, 2018
Fixing extensive water damage take skill, money, space, and patience (not a quick project). And you rarely recoup your investment. If your goal is camping then you might consider selling the rig "as is".
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 23, 2018
Seal the roof and other leaks and use it as is for a couple years. Forget the renovation and go camping. Have some fun and gain some experience on how you like the RV experience. NONE are perfect and will never quite match the quality of a regular house. So keep one eye closed for now and trade it in after a couple years.
JMHO

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