Inside wall refinish back to factory look.

[garysol]

I guess I dodged what I thought was going to be a possible huge repair. Just last week I noticed 3 or 4 areas of pimples and bumps protruding from the inside back wall of our trailer. I was sure I had a water leak that was showing its ugly face but after much searching for a leak it dawned on me that during our last trip the 4 teenagers that were with us had been caught outside in a huge rain storm and when they came inside they hung their wet clothes and soaked towels from the back window curtain rod and from the bunk bed brackets exactly where the bumps are no present. So now what? I can sand the bumps out but then how do I refinish that back wall so it matches the factory finish? I really prefer not to wallpaper or paint the bunkhouse as that will probably kill some resale value down the road. The RV shops that I have contacted all say that I would need to completely replace the wall to make it look right but there has to be a better way. Any thoughts?

[bondo228]

I am going through the same problem. I used a wallpaper blade and cut along three sides of the "pimple" and pulled the wallpaper back. I found a very hard white substance which I can only assume is some kind of mold. I used Clorox Cleanup on a paper towel and applied it to the white stuff. With some gentle but firm scrubbing, it pretty much dissolved into the paper towel. I then took some white vinegar and applied it to the spot and let it dry. After it was dry I glued the paper back into place. You can't even notice where the cuts were made.

By the way, these "pimples" formed under a bedroom window. When I checked it out I found that two screws were missing from the window frame, apparently never put in at the factory. I replaced the screws, and after about a month so far, the pimples have not returned.

[Me_Again]

Some manufacturers are not sealing the edge of cutouts for slides and windows, so water is entering the walls on the edges. If this is near a window, I would bet that if the window is remove you will find a bare edge that was not sealed before the window was installed. Chris

[lee_worsdell]

I have the same thing on my rushmore Lincoln model just left os the front slide about a foot of the ground. So this would be a water leak from what iam gathering in this conversation. Its only about 4 inch sq area

[ksbowman]

I have a place on my back wall like that too. I found it behind a recliner. I checked the roof, lights and window and could find no problem. I wondered if it could have been caused by a moisture build up in the winter while heating the unit. It seems to be between the paper and the panel and everything is solid. My first thought was a water leak, but never found anything. That was 2 years ago that I noticed it and there has been no change.

[Drifter1959]

That looks like it may be paper coated paneling like most RV's have. It may be difficult to "sand" those areas down to be able to stain them. You may have better luck by cutting out each of the bubbled areas with a utility knife or an X-Acto knife and then peeling off the bulged area. Then the areas (each bubble) will be much easier to fill and match with paint. If it was me, I would fill the small areas with a color matching non sanded bath tile grout which is available in a caulk tube at your local tile or big box store.

[RollandB]

Is there a spot, maybe in closet you can simulate the wet suits? I'm not sure what to think of the pimples being hard afterwards and agree with Goducks10 post.

[goducks10]

I'd sand them down and see what happens next. Or not even worry about it for awhile. They could be from the suits or an exterior leak. If you sand them down and the next time it rains hard you get some more then you have a leak. If you don't then it would seem that the suits were the culprit. I would then find a contrasting colored wall paper that blends with the rest of the trailer and glue it over the sanded wall. Then finish the top edge with a simple piece of trim.
I'm not sure how big of an area it really is judging from the pics.

[garysol]

Old Duck wrote:
I think I would investigate one, try to peirce it with a small brag nail and see of water comes out. If no water comes out, can it be pushed back in with your finger? If so I might try to get some sort of needle you could fill with wall paper past to insert behind it and see if it can be reglued.

Pimples are completely dry when pierced but they are rock solid. No pushing it back in. I can sand it smooth but of course then the factory finish will be destroyed.

[RollandB]

I think I would investigate one, try to peirce it with a small brag nail and see of water comes out. If no water comes out, can it be pushed back in with your finger? If so I might try to get some sort of needle you could fill with wall paper past to insert behind it and see if it can be reglued.

[garysol]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I would bet you have a water leak. Those are not from hanging wet clothes. The only cure after you find and fix the leak, is to replace the wall paneling.

B.O.

It is always possible BUT it would be a huge coincidence that the "pimples" appeared only in those wall areas that had wet clothes laying against it and I did look at the roof seal, clearance light seals as well as the window seal and ladder mounts and everything appears ok. I guess without completely removing the ladder and window I really cant be 100% sure but if the pimples don't multiply anymore after the next hard rain i will have to be confident in my assessment. Fingers crossed 🙂

[B_O__Plenty]

I would bet you have a water leak. Those are not from hanging wet clothes. The only cure after you find and fix the leak, is to replace the wall paneling.

B.O.

[TakingThe5th]

I'm not your expert here but if it were my rig I would first verify that I didn't have a leak. I might actually drill a small hole(s) to inspect and verify. Maybe drill right into a damaged spot(s) that needs repair anyway.

Can you pound the damaged areas flush? Or create dimples that need to be filled? I would try that, then find a suitable sandable filler to make the wall smooth again.

I would then get two small cans of wood stain. One can would be the same as the lightest color on the wall and the other can would be the same as the darker color. Prepare the paneling to accept the stain and start touching up using the lighter stain as a base. Let that dry, then use the darker stain and a suitable applicator to duplicate the patterns in the paneling. If you cannot duplicate to your satisfaction, consider recreating your own uniform finish over the entire wall.

Finish the job with a coat of poly to waterproof against the next swimsuit.

Again, not an expert but I have used this technique on wood and steel surfaces in my S & B. Good luck.