punctured epidermis/water intrusion/UPDATE

[jefe_4x4]

The camper has been on since February and been on several trips. I noticed a slice or puncture in the driver's front of the cabover about 6 weeks ago and did nothing about it. It's about 2 inches long by an inch wide. Looks like a tree branch did the deed. We had a terrific rainstorm whist the TC was out of its stall and I did nothing about it. We packed up for a recent trip to the N.W. U.S. and when I got the rig tilting to the right, water started pouring out the splice on the underhang of the metal sheathing. This is while we were leaving on the trip. I leaned the TC to the left and more water came rushing out the same seam on the other side, right above the truck window. Each side, it ran for a few seconds and then stopped with no further drips. I thought back to the way the TC was parked in anticipation of the trip and could see that the runoff trajectory was straight to the hole! I stopped and looked up at the gash and thought the best would be to drive with it open to help pressure some dry air through there until there was a threat of rain. And that day came. I put a couple strips of waterproof duc tape over the gash. (see my recent T.R.)
All this begs the question: Where do I go from here? I'm worried about dry rot and mildew, a constant threat to an old woodie. I can
1. Take the front (cracked) window out altogether and let it air dry for a couple months. We rarely get precip here in the summer and the days are warm and dry on the west slope. I would then replace the window with a lighter plastic window or even a sheet of aluminum, cut to fit and installed like a window.
2. Use a heat gun or hair dryer through the hole to dry the innards.
3. Take one sheet of siding off entirely to make sure the insides dry sufficiently.
4. This is where you come in: your ideas.
Am I making too much out of this and just ignore any solution, or should I pursue a real fix asap? Wood frame, you know.
After reading about all of your trips that just started your TC season this month, I'm about ready to take the TC off as most of our TC season is over, just as yours is getting started. By design, because we can. Except for a week on the OR coast in July with our kids, our next TC outing will have to wait until September.
regards, as always, jefe

[jefe_4x4]

After 10 days or so of twice-a-day (leaf) blowing in the interstices of the camper walls/floor are completely dry with no deleterious effect. I wrapped the edging up in place with several ratchet straps around the cabover and drove the rig to my guru, Edward Sparhawk. It will be a few days before he can expertly put it all back together. I told him he could use the original ss screws. He said, "what stainless steel screws?"
These are not stainless? No. Not ss. Keeping the costs down, you know. He will use ss screws upon buttoning it up. He has no time to take the window out.
On another subject, it is bazaar that two titans of campers/RV's live in the same small town in Northern California, and they've never met. Precision RV and XPCampers. I'll try to fix that, when they are not busy. That may take a while.
regards, as always, jefe

[bighatnohorse]

polarbare21 wrote:
If you have to replace any of the paneling on the interior ceiling or walls, I found 4x8 sheets of textured 1 side/smooth the other plastic.
Looks like it is used for walls in stand up showers, and its is maybe 1/8" thick.
I found it at Menards and think it would make a great replacement.

I'll bet any Lowes/Menards/Home Depot would carry it.

I believe that you're referring to FRP panel (fiber reinforces plastic) and yes, that's good stuff.

[polarbare21]

If you have to replace any of the paneling on the interior ceiling or walls, I found 4x8 sheets of textured 1 side/smooth the other plastic.
Looks like it is used for walls in stand up showers, and its is maybe 1/8" thick.
I found it at Menards and think it would make a great replacement.

I'll bet any Lowes/Menards/Home Depot would carry it.

[Stars101]

I second the bora care. We use it all the time and it works great for termites, wood bees, powder post beetles. And it's pretty safe to use.

Didn't know it worked on dry rot - that's a +

[bigfootford]

Me think's ya got it.... If you would have waited another few months the story would have been sad!

Jim

[ramses355]

If your worried about rot and mold spray a liquid borate solution such as bora-care on the wood members to stop and kill mold and dry rot . We use this in termite, or dry rot fungus control in the pest control business. Replaces the nasty copper green we used to spray.

[whizbang]

Jefe,

I am sorry to hear about your problem. You did exactly the right thing by tearing into it.

My experience is that water leaks are ALWAYS worse than you think they are. I see you are drying out the cab over.

I would be concerned about water having run into the corners by the front jacks. Maybe it's a good idea to remove a jack screw or two and check for moisture or rust?

[silversand]

Jefe:

Your approach looks pretty good to me.

As the others have written, air flowing through the affected area (as soon as you discover the water infil) is a great start.

I cut the rotted plywood out of the under-wing of our camper, and let the cavity dry (it is still drying 3 weeks later). I'm thinking of installing a permanent screened vent (hole) there, keeping air flow constant.

[jefe_4x4]

Today, I blew some cross wind into the cracks with my leaf blower on low. Everything seems very dry already. There was a very small amount of darker discoloration at the seam where the side OSB wall met the plywood floor of the cabover. Jeanie suggested a bleach mixture which will kill any mold or mildew. So went around with a narrow paintbrush and slathered it on, which evaporated almost immediately. I'll do another round of blowing-on-low later today. You can feel the air coming out on the other side when using the blower.
So, onward and dryward.
jefe

[jefe_4x4]

You know, you keep pulling on that string and one thing leads to another. Jeanie and I had a chat tonight about the future of Cabeza de Vaca and decided we're going to ditch the front window and add some block insulation. If my guru has the time we just keep pulling panels off and reframe the front without a window and re-skin.
jefe

[jefe_4x4]

After synthesizing your recommendations and talking to my local RV guru, I removed the screws and staples in the bottom side molding strip and stripped off the molding allowing the aluminum bottom piece to drop down a bit. A small amount of water came out of the low side and i stuck some shims between the bottom piece and the bed floor plywood. No dry rot smell. I even ran that by the girl with the nose. I can see daylight between the two layers so the warm, dry air of the West Slope should dry things out within a couple weeks. We'll make a determination after that to see what else needs attention. j.

[polarbare21]

What has worked for me...
If the underbed area has screws, pull them.
If no screws can be pulled, then on the bottom of the nose I have drilled some 1/4" holes to drain any water.
Wet/dry vac the holes, then use an air compressor to "slightly pressurize the cavity, pushing the water out.

Do this every couple of hours as water will again pool up.

If you have cabinets in the nose portion where you suspect the water maybe you can buy some 2"-3" round plastic vent louvers.

Drill your 2"-3" hole inside the cabinet, then put a dehumidifier up in the bed area run the drain hose to your sink, close up the camper good and tight and run the dehumidifier for a long time with the cabinet doors open.
I'm talking like a week or more!!

Caulk or putty the 1/4" holes you drilled, pop in your louvered plugs which will now always let the cavity breath. If you don't want that cavity to be exposed to the cabin area, use a threaded PVC cap and it should thread right into the hole.

I had no delamination as I caught this leak early and got right on it.

Good luck

[JoeChiOhki]

In the same boat, mine started to leak somewhere during the winter and I discovered that there was water in the floor when I spotted a rust stain on the side of my truck where it was weeping around through a seam.

Gonna take the skin off the bottom of my cabover and check the damage and likely just rip the floor out and rebuild it thicker anyway as it already had a permanent bow to it from supporting my weight.

[pftate1]

So sorry that you have gotten into such a bad situation. After my experience earlier this year if you can't see under siding assume it is wet. With all the maintenance I did with mine water still got in without my knowledge. Mine ended up with dry rot that was so bad I gave camper to son to play with and replaced it. Good luck to you and hope you can get all of the water out.