Potentially bad situation

[AmericaOverland]

I'm in a bit of a bind here in southeast Texas. I'm going to Elgin, near Austin in less than two weeks, maybe a lot sooner if I have a solution.

I have a hybrid travel trailer, the worst mistake I've made in buying a travel trailer. The foldout door leaks in water because of a break in the seal, near where the hinge starts. It happened because the dang factory cut the bed foldout door edge trim a little too long towards the seal, so when it would fold up, the end of that edge would gouge into the seal and bend, cutting out a chunk of the seal and letting water in. I tried to fix it by cutting that edge shorter like it is on the other side and putting some caulk in the part of the seal that was gouged out. Turns out it was the wrong caulk...

Now, I have water damage in the wood behind the sofa bed where the leak it, and mold in the storage compartment...

I also sprung a leak in the back right corner of the roof where the sealant failed, and I tried to fix it, but the yahoo at HD didn't know his sealants... It just came apart like rubber in places, and like cake icing in other places. I just scraped all this off, and I need to go into town and pick up the stuff that will let me chemically strip this stuff off without damaging the rubber roofing, before applying the right sealant.

I posted this here in TTs because I'm wondering whether I need to trade this off and cash in my ENTIRE life savings in order to start fresh and RIGHT for a used travel trailer weighing no more than 2700-2800 lbs dry. I will NEVER buy another trailer from a private individual again.

[jerem0621]

Well, you have a few options.

You could.....

Sell it as is and take a bath on the sale and use your savings to pay off the loan

Trade it in..as is...and take a bath on the trade and take on more debt.. (No judgement from me.. Do what thou wilt)

Or..there is the third option (best IMHO)

Fix the roof leak properly.... Replace the $100.00 seal...make sure there are no other leaks... Then bleach the moldy mess away...dry out the camper... Replace the few rotten boards if needed...and start saving for a newer camper.

travel trailers leak and rot too and they must be maintained... For a TT this means preventive maintenance and reactive maintenance... You can do EVERYTHING right from a maintenence perspective and still have something go wrong.

I kept my roof sealed and I still checked it after and sometimes during a heavy rain....once I heard what sounded like hail on my roof at my house... I also knew that I had an older roof vent lid...so at 12 ish midnight I went and checked on my camper...sure enough.. The hail busted the old vent lid. I dried off the inside of the vent, got some duct tape and made a temp fix on the roof vent... Replaced that vent the next day.

Remember there are three kinds of RV's

1) the kind that have leaked but are presently not
2) the kind that will leak but are presently not
3) the kind that are presently leaking...and need attention ASAP

How you deal with these facts will determine how well your RV will stand the test of time. Because your RV will be in either 1-3 at some point in time..

Your actions will determine if you have a heap in three years or a jewel in 20 years.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[westend]

A lot depends on how you perceive the situation. For some, two leaks and resealing the problem areas would be a monumental task. To others, it's really a small endeavor. I'm in the latter camp.

For the door, go to the hardware store and buy a tape type sealing gasket with adhesive on one side. It is easy to work with and will take care of your door problem.

For the roof, remove as much of the bad sealant as you can. 3M makes a caulk remover that will melt away silicone and latex caulks overnight. Seal the problem area with Geocel Proflex RV sealant or any other Geocell polymer sealant. I use Geocel's construction grade polymer sealant and it is very durable. You can also use Eternabond tapes, they are the best for roof seams.

I would suggest to invest a few dollars and a few hours restoring what you have. Even a newer or different trailer will require some maintenance. Learn to do it now, rather than later. Mold is best eliminated by removing the humidity. If you wish to clean the mold areas and kill the spores, use a dilute solution of bleach, Lysol Original cleaner, or original Listerine mouthwash.

Good luck with your hybrid, your problems are small.

[toedtoes]

Why not go to an RV shop and ask them what sealant(s) to use. I would never expect someone at Home Depot to know about RV repair. You'll end up spending a lot less money and can go on your trip.

THEN, you can start saving to buy a new TT in the future.

[Old-Biscuit]

Maybe now is not the time for an RV.

Priorities.

[Dennis_Smith]

How about not buying anything for a year and get out of the hole your in. Not a lot of fun but you will sleep better one day

[rbpru]

Based on what you say I would not be in any hurry to get into any new deal. If your hybrid did not leak would you still trade it?

Chasing leaks and drying out wet spots can certainly be very annoying but is it any more annoying than taking on more debt?

[jmtandem]

Try to spend your savings on things that will appreciate in value; an RV will depreciate and in most cases be worth half or less in five years. That is not smart use of your money. However, this is an RV forum not a smart money forum. There does come a point where the money pit to keep fixing stuff will exceed the value of the coach and that is not smart, either. You may be putting more into fixing the coach than a very modest payment would be on a much better and more reliable product. Think through your options carefully. Think long term.

[3oaks]

AmericaOverland wrote:
.............I posted this here in TTs because I'm wondering whether I need to trade this off and cash in my ENTIRE life savings in order to start fresh and RIGHT for a used travel trailer weighing no more than 2700-2800 lbs dry..........

I believe that would be a BIG MISTAKE!

I would never put my entire life savings into a new or used travel trailer. It will only go down hill from there. With depreciation, maintenance, etc. makes it a very poor investment in which to put one's ENTIRE life's savings.

[coolbreeze01]

I wouldn't rush spending my life savings on more junk. What is the hurry to throw good money after bad?

I hope you can find something worthwhile, but odds are against you.

Take your time.

[ksg5000]

Most roof issues can be fixed with Eternabond tape -- lots of info on the web and is permanent fix if applied properly. On vertical issues I use pro flex sealants. Most will tell you to avoid anything with silicon because it rarely works and other sealants won't stick to it.

Not sure what you have to "remove" from your roof but be careful about what you use to remove the old sealant as it can damage the rubber roof. Eternabond can be applied over most sealants.

Fans, heat and bleach can help with drying the rig out and mitigating mold.

[AmericaOverland]

Because there is no extra money for another loan in my budget. I'm still paying off my Jeep...

[DutchmenSport]

There comes a point a broken object just becomes too much to deal with any more. Sounds like you are ready for a new camper.

Don't know your financial position, but why not put some down on a new camper and finance the rest, so your savings is not wiped out. There's nothing wrong with paying on a loan.