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Is it water damage or normal wear and tear?

jvc456
Explorer
Explorer
Looking at purchasing a used 2011 starlight expandable travel trailer. we noticed about an inch up from the floor along the dinette back wall and along the back wall near the pop up the particle board is swollen. Is this normal wear and tear from humidity, etc? Or was there definitely water damage? I cant see any signs of water entry along the walls.
11 REPLIES 11

toedtoes
Explorer III
Explorer III
Here are the responses to your earlier post on this question:
Prior Post
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

Rookiecamper
Explorer
Explorer
I believe the Starlite has the laminated fiberglass walls, and therefore the laminated floor. Believe me, I am a fan of that type of construction, but repairing them is by no means just a little job in most cases. My personal feeling is to walk away and keep looking. Something had to cause that damage. Water will work its way down through the styrofoam insulation. When it gets to the bottom with nowhere to go, it will begin to saturate the walls and eventually the floor. I have personally experienced that from the smallest leak that went unnoticed in my previous trailer.
Me~Jim,58
DW~Patty, no comment

2017 Expedition
2014 Starcraft Launch 21FBS

deltabravo
Nomad
Nomad
jvc456 wrote:
Just didn't like that the owner said it must have been from cleaning.


THe fact the seller said "must", means they don't really know what caused it, and they are making up excuses to hide a bigger problem, something they probably didn't know about.
2009 Silverado 3500HD Dually, D/A, CCLB 4x4 (bought new 8/30/09)
2018 Arctic Fox 992 with an Onan 2500i "quiet" model generator

soren
Explorer
Explorer
Yes it's water damage. Yes, the owner is FOS. Nobody cleans the floor of an RV like they are swabbing the decks of a commercial kitchen, giant rag mop flying about, and a pail full of suds on wheels, with the built in wringer. I have bought several used RVs in the last two decades, and looked at hundreds of others. For me it's real simple, if I even think that it may have water damage, I move on. No rationalizations in my mind that it's "no big deal", no good story from the owner, no salesman telling me that's it's "just cosmetic" no nothing, walk away.

An owner of a repair shop gave me this advice, years ago. He said leaks are like icebergs, you only see a tiny bit on the surface, the real damage is hidden, and it's often huge and ugly. He told me that he occasionally gets a client who asks him to fix "a tiny leak at the shower skylight", or another harmless looking stain from a "small" leak. Once he starts digging, the tiny leak has gone on for years, the bathroom wall is moldy mush, and the floor behind the shower is starting to rot.

YnotTurbo
Explorer
Explorer
If you suspect damage,,, I would move on to another rv. Your own inner voice is telling you something. Too many rv's for sale out there to buy a potential issue.
Navy Chief (Ret.) Still working. 2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 4:10 Geared and 935 lbs. of Grunt..., 2011 Mobile Suites Lexington

midnightsadie
Explorer II
Explorer II
water damage is a red flag. why take a chance ,theres others out there.

eDUBz
Explorer
Explorer
Can be from cleaning like the seller says. My wife used to clean down our counter tops around the faucet and the wall a lot and over time we noticed a lil swelling. So now she just does a quick wipe down.
LBZ - Stealth TH - RZR 900 4 - Honda 450X - Paddleboarder - Fisherman - Kayaker

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Water damage is not normal wear and tear. It is a big risk for the used buyer.

Tyandkate
Explorer
Explorer
I understand that completly. I'd rather someone tell me they don't know over trying to come up with some idea. If the floor feels sturdy it's probably a simple solution. I purchased my 2007 jayco Travel Trailer a few months ago and I had all kinds of what ifs running through my mind. But I got a good deal couldn't find any soft spots in the floor and so far we've been out in it about 15 times with no problems. I did of course have the seller hook it up water and power to make sure there were no water leaks or electrical problems.

jvc456
Explorer
Explorer
window is next to dinette but back under table doesn't look damaged. Floor seemed strong. Just didn't like that the owner said it must have been from cleaning.

Tyandkate
Explorer
Explorer
Is there a window above the spot by chance? How does the floor feel? If solid it could have gotten caught in a ruff storm where some water could have came in. Not enough to damage the floor system.