Forced to move into 5th wheel with issues. Need advice

So me and my girls moved down here to Oklahoma just a bit ago and we got greeted by a tornado just a week later. We just got here so nothing had time to take effect so we basically lost everything. My family gave me and my two girls a king of the road 5th wheel but it has tons of issues and this is what's lead me here to ask everyone for some advice!

First issue is the roof leaks. We went to floyds RV and asked them what we should do because it has a bunch of little spots that are kinda cracked, and the very front and the very back where the hard plastic meets the roof is leaking. They refereed me to this tape stuff that is supposed to fix any leak. Well I thought it was ok but then it stormed really bad. Come to find out it didnt do much of anything and we went to another place that deals with RV's and they said that was only supposed to be used on slide outs (I have one, and yes it leaks also).
THEY said we needed some self leveling calk and that's what should have been used on the front and back parks (sorry i don't know what its called)

So what Im wanting to know is whats the best stuff that i should use, and if anyone has any of this stuff laying around that's kinda scraps I would be very grateful if you would consider sending it to me! I don't want anything new, im not looking for a hand out, but im getting desperate to fix the water leaks up there. Anything for roof repair would be awesome. The tape stuff cost me 50 bucks for one roll...

Anyways, then I have a cracked tank (the one that holds dish water and stuff) Its about a foot long and on the bottom. Online says i can fix it, the shops say i need to buy a new one from them. Whats the truth there lol.

Last thing is the slide out has a damaged floor under where it rolls out so when its out it kinda sinks and the seal is off so water gets splashes in there also ( I HATE WATER LOL )

With the help of my dad we got some plywood shoved under there to hold it up some but I wondered if i could take it out somehow without a forklift and fix that floor properly.

Last but not least the carpet was super bad, so I pulled all that out and i was wondering if im making a mistake putting something like vinyl down instead of carpet. I could see the traffic of walking getting everything dirty where if i put flooring down i could just sweep it.

Were getting things with a another house worked out but that could be 6 months down the line if at all from what im being told, and because of what happened im as broke as a girl can get. I dont mind hearing about the million dollar way of doing this stuff, but im on a budget, so please keep that in mind :) Im doing all i can already, and just gotta make due with what we have.

Seeking Advice

Superpinky
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
Thought I would add the Heater doesnt work, the thing that turns is off somehow and scrapes and it kicks the fuse, the freezer works but the fridge is iffy, the stove doesn't work... Came on the first day but now i cant get it to light again. Any advice on that stuff could be nice also, but those things are small compared to the other stuff.
JJBIRISH
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
WOW you have a lot on your plate, and some not easy to fix…

PM JBarca…
he has some great post and threads about repairs he has done with a lot of pictures… a slide floor being one of them…

BTW welcome aboard and good luck…
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
Sorry to hear about everything, but that y'all made it out ok. Things can be replaced. As far as all that you mentioned that is wrong with the camper, i'm not sure if its even worth fixing. I know its your only alternative right now and is supposed to be temporary for you. I were you, I would buy a couple cheap tarps and tie them down over the top. As far as the carpet goes, I would rip it out and put the vinyl down as you mention. The gray tank (dish water and stuff), I would imagine can be fixed (sealed). At least a patch job to get you by for a while. You may have to repatch it every now and then. As far as the slide goes, if it works with the temp repair you did, then I would leave it. Put another seal or seal it up somehow around there to keep water out. Mayb duct tape something like that. You shouldn't need the heater right now. If you have power to the camper, you can always buy some cheap electric heaters. Matter of fact, that is probably what you will want to do so you don't go through so much propane. Speaking of propane, are you sure there is some in the tanks? Might be why the stove doesn't work. You may need to purge the lines some. Turn on one burner and put a lighter to it. If it blows it out, then there is air in the line. Keep trying to light it. After about 20 seconds, turn it off and then try again. Do you smell gas when you turn the burner on? As far as the fridge, maybe you can get a cheap dorm fridge. Check craigslist, you might find a used one there for $10 or so.
powderman426
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
It sounds like the tape they sold you was Eternabond. If so, that's as good as it gets for sealing leaks. It does require however that the surface be both clean and dry. Then when you put it down it needs to be rolled with some pressure on it to activate the sealant. Good luck to you
HappyKayakers
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
X2 on the tarps over the top. There should be plenty of scrap lumber around so you can prop it up higher than the roof. That way you'll have room to open your vents when it starts getting warm.

For your gray water tank, if you can see the crack, then I would use some Gorilla tape on it. I'm assuming you have a sewer connection so you can leave the gray dump valve open all the time. Without pressure, the tape should hold until you get into a new place. Good luck.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 03, 2013
If you have a lot of little leaks, you may be in need of a new roof.

However there are some products like "Snow Roof" and it's aluminum colored work alike, these are basically paint on roofs,, Have used to good effect in the past but never on a moving vehicle.. They do market one of them (Cool roof I think) at camping world though.

Long term I'd not recommend these, but they do work short term.. Long term your sticks and bricks should get rebuilt.
Vulcaneer
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
I am not sure I would want to live in an RV in Oklahoma. So for that reason, I would not consider fixing it and living in it there.

The trailer might not be worth fixing. Or at least putting a lot of money into. If the roof is reasonably clean and Eternabond can be applied properly, then that is a good repair and should not be real expensive. If Eternabond cannot be applied properly, as in around vents, or seams, or where end caps meet the roofing material, then non leveling caulk can work for you too. And not that expensive. If the roof is in bad condition, it could be replaced. But figure $6,000 for that repair. And before doing that, ask yourself what other water damage has occurred over time by the leaking roof. Any black mold inside the walls? Other rotted walls, insulation, and floors?

The tank can be replaced...but again...expensive. Get some JB Weld and try that. You got nothing to lose.

Bottom line, is don't spend much money on this trailer. It is only a temporary solution for you. Do not plan on keeping it. If you decide to use it temporarily, get it out of harms way. They don't hold up well in heavy winds. And offer no protection in a tornado.

BTW, Glad to hear you and your girls are OK.
RGar974417
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
As far as the cracked grey water tank goes,clean it up and use JB Weld.Follow directions.I used on on our old trailer's black water tank and it held up for years until we sold it.As far as roof goes,a good silicone caulk usually does the trick.Make sure you clean off as much of the old stuff as possible,Then clean with soap and water.Then make a nice caulk joint and clean up excess.
Superpinky
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
We tried JB weld on the tank but with its location my dad and i cant get it up there good enough to get any kind of bond. We think we may just be removing it and putting in some PVC until we can patch it and just bypass it all together as this thing isnt moving. As far as tarps and wood go we dont have either. We did look into it but tarps are way out of my price range for the moment.

As far as the roof goes yes thats the stuff, but we were told its not good enough to seal the plastic front and back to the rubber part because when the thing flexes in the wind it breaks the seals and leaks anyway.... and it did just that. lol.

Has anyone else sealed that part with some calk? That was the main question im really iffy on. Its like 8 bucks a tube for self leveling calk, and they said I'll need about 8 or 9 for everything I need. I was going to make this the first purchase. Its cheaper than tarp in the end if i try to cover everything.
resmas
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
For the tarps... there used to be a guy on OKC Craigslist that was selling used billboard signs (basically massive tarps measuring about 12'x40') for $30 or so. He posted pretty continuously - must have had a constant supply of them. I moved from Moore to DC in May 2012, so I haven't been checking OKC Craigslist lately.