Water damaged floor. Repair tips?

[laneybop]

I have a 1985 shasta travel trailer which I am renovating to live in during the warmer months. We got the camper at an extremely (and understandably) low cost, knowing there was some water damage in the bedroom floor. As we have begun demolition we are realizing that it is a bit worse than we were expecting but are up for the challenge!

It seems that pretty much all the 2x4 supports and joists are rotted along with the subflooring, etc. What we weren't expecting was the bottom sheet of metal to be so rusted away. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Should we try to somehow patch with aluminum flashing? We are planning to put in extra 2x4s this time around for added support but are a bit lost in how to reseal everything at the back of the camper. See image attached.

]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzUzypz9Y2j4NGxEVHM1YUdPLUFrN0N4QXNtVG9PVFlVTUU4/view?usp=sharing[...

[westend]

I took the opposite tactic than most mention here (junk it). I looked for a trailer with damage so I could restore it and configure it the way I wanted. The restoration effort, with pictures of framing and floor rehab are in the "Cowboy/Hilton" link in my signature line.

The chances that you don't have water damage inside the walls are slim-to-none. Remove the wall paneling (you will need to do this anyway to rehab the floor) and inspect for leaks from above. If you have a metal belly panel, they can be repaired by installation of new aluminum sheet attached with fasteners into the new floor joists you'll be adding.

The usual nature of TT construction is that the walls are fastened onto the floor sheathing. This necessitates a bit of screw/nail/staple removal. A reciprocating saw and a small grinder will be your new best friends. The new subfloor can be reinstalled (slid) under existing wall framing and the walls reattached.

The project is totally doable and anyone that can build a doghouse can restore a TT. Heck, a good Farmer can fix anything! Good luck with your project, you can message me or post here if you need any help.

[TriumphGuy]

It can be done but you're going to spend some time on it. I've had to repair leak damage and it wasn't nearly the magnitude as what's in your picture, but yet spent all my free time over a spring to get it ready for summer camping.

As said previously Rot Doctor makes great stuff.

Gut as much as you can and replace/rebuild at a minimum for two reasons ... weight, and to make it look the best you'll add lots of extra hours just for looks and not for structure. I'm guessing you'd be happy with enough repairs for it to be useable so get it so you can walk on the floor and close up holes. Use Rot doctor products to harden up (CPES) and build up if necessary (2 part epoxy). But do most of the gutting and replacing with real wood as you can as the Rot Doctor stuff can add up quick.

Good luck!

Edit: Your walls don't look too bad in the pic. I think I would try plywood / OSB for the floor and then seal with flashing like you said underneath.

[wbwood]

Since you don't plan on moving it, why not construct the flooring on the ground and put the camper on top of it? Secure the camper to the new base and then rip out the old.

[laneybop]

Pics would be great.

Right now we expect that much of the water damage came from the faulty fresh water tank/pump in the bedroom... and possibly a window leak. Hoping thats it but will inspect further to see if there are roof leaks. We up there the other day shoveling snow off and it seemed fairly sturdy, but the metal was rusted.

[RVcircus]

It's a lot of work, but it's a doable project. How's the frame? Is there any rust/rot that can't be repaired? Are any of the appliances working? Being a farmer I'll assume you can fix just about anything. If you have a solid base I wouldn't let the water damage deter you.

Our trailer wasn't as bad as yours, but we replaced the rear 6' of out trailer joists, floor, walls, & rafters along with sections throughout the trailer. I would assume there is much more there that needs repair, but it's only wood. Most of our repairs were low cost, but the roof can get pricey.

Good luck with the project.

[azrving]

I tried to find a bunch of pics I had of my rebuild but have to dig deeper. If I do find them I'll message them to you.

[DrewE]

If you want livable temporary housing, I would suggest constructing (or purchasing) a decent-sized shed and moving the RV appliances and other desirable bits and pieces into said shed as desired. I think it would be a lot easier and faster and give a better result. Zoning, if applicable, may be a bit harder—although technically you may need zoning permits to use an RV long-term for housing, too. In at least parts of Maine, it likely doesn't matter much in practice.

rjxj has given pretty good advice too, IMHO. The side/end walls are probably junk, and quite possibly some of the ceiling structure. To do things properly, you'd be building the end of a trailer. If you aren't moving, the metal on the underside is probably less essential; any sort of a sheet of something should be more or less adequate to keep critters and weather out if you keep the grass mowed down from it and have some sort of a drip edge to prevent rain from running down the wall and around the corner.

[laneybop]

Thank you. I should have mentioned that we do not plan to take the camper on the road. We will be living in it on the farm during the season. We have to take some more time to really asses the damage (it's been a little difficult with the constant snow dumping on us here in Maine). Our main goal is making it livable, clean, and healthy by the time we move in at the end of April. All advice is appreciated!

[bsinmich]

As you add those extra 2X4s think of how much extra weight you are adding to the axle, tires and brakes. That means carrying less inside. Most of these were designed with weight as one of the criteria during construction.

[azrving]

There was no judgement on occupation or income but as I said, I cut one up and scrapped it that was in much better shape because of the method in which in was originally built. My tip is to do some form of side work or extra income and then use that money to find another TT. It will work out better in the end. If you insist on using that one, basically start at the frame and build a new trailer. If you do that, my next tip would be to use a 2 part epoxy product like Rot Doctor to seal all wood that has any chance of contacting moisture. Maybe you can jack the whole shell up and build a new floor but I'll bet that the walls are weak too.

It can only make me also wonder about the frame integrity and the safety of putting it on the road. I cant see the frame or axle and you mentioned rust so it probably indicative of the whole rig.

While you are at it reinforce the frame as it will often times weigh more than the original product. Also check into your state title system as it may violate the weight limit when finished. Mine finished off at 2430 lb with a sec of state limit of 2500 lb not needing a title. It may not matter now but it will if you ever want to sell it. I didn't think I would ever sell mine but I did and got half of what I put in it. There is a pic of it in my profile.

I'm sorry if you are offended by this but I may just be the guy who is doing you the best favor. Which ever way you choose to go, good luck to you and post pictures and ask questions as there is a lot of help in here as far as wiring, water pumps, tires etc.

[laneybop]

This is not a joke! We basically got it for free and want a project... both for the learning process and to make it our own. We have access to lot's of free wood and great salvage and second hand stores. Can't just buy another one... we are farmers with a very low budget. Looking for useful advice, not judgement. Thanks in advance.

[azrving]

Sorry to say this but it's often said on the Craigslist auto forum....CLIFF IT. The problem with rv's construction is that the floor goes down first and then the walls are set on top of it. The walls are probably not much better as the water damage most likely came from the roof down. I wouldn't mess with that, junk it and buy something without water damage. I did an old Jayco project that was in far better shape than that and I basically stuffed the whole thing in the back of a Chevy pick up and took it to the dump. I then reinforced, cleaned and painted the frame and started building a new trailer. It was just a winter project but I would never do it again. It almost makes me want to puke just thinking about all that work.

Maybe you are just joking with us? Are you?

[downtheroad]

delete please...