Forum Discussion

willim's avatar
willim
Explorer
May 30, 2017

Areolite 1997 21 foot - please help- massive roof damage

I recently purchased a 1997 areolite 21 foot - for a my son (and his small family) who just relocated to live in, let me say first and foremost this was a huge error on my part and since most of the funds are gone, we only have one choice- fix it. There was a massive amount of water damage to the roof in the rear of the unit(which I did not know to look for, yes I know as I said big mistake on my part) so he is trying to remove all the damage- sopping wet, and the roof is starting to cave in. Has anyone out there had to deal with this before? the foam board is sopping wet. How can one go able doing this type of repair, he does not plan on camping it by dragging it down the road just living out of till winter- by then he should be situated with a house. please no lectures, but if anyone has any ideas on how to repair or replace the back half of the roof please let me know, and if you do have any ideas other than a match,we are at a loss of what to do. bless you
  • If you never intend to move it you may be able to cover the roof with thick plastic and seal the sides to stop further intrusion. Lap it down a couple of inches on the sides, If the roof is collapsing already you may have to put a couple of sheets of thin luan up there first and secure to to whatever is left of the existing joist. Then seal with both a heavy tape (gorilla) and maybe even brush a coat of a sealant over it.
    This is not pretty, and it will not stand up to any movement, but it should stabilize it depending on how badly its collapsing.
    I have helped Hurricane victims make temp repairs like this many times, and thats all this is,,,, TEMPORARY.
    Inside if you have a lot of water damage, mold and insulation become primary issues. If you cant seal off from them, scrap the whole thing.
  • Not sure about aerolite but most RV's are just 2x2's supporting luan sheeting covered by glued down rubber sheeting, with some insulation between the exterior luan and interior ceiling luan. If the 2x2's are still good then just screw on new luan and add insulation then paint the roof with EPDM rubber.

    If you must replace the 2x2 then you may need a good miter saw to cut angles and bracing to ensure the walls stay 90 degrees to the rafter pieces while you replace the 2x2.

    If you are just looking to keep the rain off and do not care about appearance or insulation, paint the roof with tar flashing patch, throw a tarp over the roof and hold it down with lath and screws.
  • I'm concerned with the mold issue as Kerri discussed. You can stop the water intrusion but the water that made it inside....dangerous.
  • Is this model Aerolite built with aluminum frame and steel roof trusses?
  • Ok, all is not lost. Not being there to see it, we may have to make a few assumptions, but it can be fixed up enough to stay in (don't expect it to be pretty).

    The Aerolite is supposed to have aluminum framing for the walls and ceiling. That gives you a starting point. Let the ceiling come down and remove it. Examine the walls to see if their foam is similarly water-soaked. If so, the foam should be dried out or, if too far gone, removed.

    Next step depends somewhat on what you have left of the outside and if you've removed the exterior skin or not. If the filon was trashed (I'm assuming it will be), replace the foam with XPS, extruded Polystyrene (Lowe's carries the blue stuff, HD has the pink... same difference) and attach exterior grade plywood on the outside. Foam can be adhered to the plywood with Titebond II, and gaps filled in with Great Stuff (foaming insulation in a can). For the ceiling, you can place the plywood first and then glue in the XPS.

    If you need to join sections of plywood, glue and screw them. Butt joints probably need an overlap piece, but 90 degree joints can be pocket screwed (Kreg jig). Why XPS? Well, it doesn't really soak up water... unlike EPS and some others... and XPS has good rigidity.

    Now to waterproof your plywood. Take a cue from the boat builders. Get enough canvas or some other medium- to heavy-weight cloth to cover everything. You'll need a few gallons of Titebond II. Dampen the cloth before starting, and it will shrink and tighten when it dries. Start your cloth and glue down low so it overlaps the lower frame, and work your way up on the sides with the Titebond, thinned with 5% to (no more than) 10% water. As you press the cloth into the glue it will not want to move any more, so try to keep it straight and unwrinkled. Go all the way up, over the top, and down the opposite side with your glue and cloth. Move the the next section fore or aft and do it again, with a few inches of overlap. After it's all on and dried, apply another thin coat of Titebond overtop the cloth, working it into the weave. After this dries, paint it (Glidden Gripper works well).

    The interior XPS, where showing, can also be gone over in this manner, but rough up the foam's smooth surface first with 60-80 grit sandpaper before adding the glue and cloth. Once painted, it will look quite decent.

    XPS comes in various thicknesses. The big stores usually stock 1/2", 1", and 2". But if you want 4" for the ceiling (lower heat bills and more comfort), you'll probably have to order it in. Not a big deal, just a couple of extra days to get it.

    There's actually a group of tiny-trailer enthusiasts who use these methods to build entire trailers. Many of the trailers they build do not have any wall/ceiling framing, yet the cloth-to-foam-to-plywood construction proves strong enough to tow at normal highway speeds and withstand decent snow loads. Plenty of info here if you care to wade through it: Foamies on TNTTT
  • Lwiddis wrote:
    I'm concerned with the mold issue as Kerri discussed. You can stop the water intrusion but the water that made it inside....dangerous.


    As someone who just escaped from an (unknowingly) moldy house and due to serious mold induced neurological problems is trying to learn to walk again, be very very scared of the mold situation. Could (will) cause long-term health problems for your family.
  • after much taking apart, we found no mold. just wet, we are removing what needs to be and working our way back up. Also thought that a sprayer with a bleach mixture might be a good idea.