beazleybub
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Re: Furnace problem
Some newer furnaces use what's called a flame sensor. This is in place to keep the furnace from feeding gas to it in the event the flame goes out. The sensor is extremely sensitive and can "foul" with carbon deposits. They are easy to repair. All you have to do is remove the sensor and take some 600 grit sandpaper to the end of it and lightly sand off any built up carbon and reinstall it.487Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
I have some new information: I created a model of my camper in sketchup and calculated the square footage of the exterior panels minus the windows and such. Although my calculations are a rough guestimate, here are some figures for anyone curious about it. Crane Composites says their filon glued to luan weighs between 15.2 oz. and 18.4 oz. per square foot depending on the thickness. At 443 square feet, the total weight of the filon and luan on my rig weighs between 421 lbs. and 509 lbs. LP smartside says their composite siding weighs 20.5 oz. per square foot, so the lp smartside weighs in at 568 lbs. There is only a 147 pound difference between the two. However, I am not counting the added weight of nails/screws and trim. I can only guess the nails and trim boards will add around another hundred pounds or so. I have also created a sketchup rendering of the studs that will be used in the slide out. Sketchup allows me to create a future blueprint and also gives me a virtual space to experiment with reconstruction ideas. As you can see in the image above, I have chosen to replace the stock single pane RV windows with actual dual pane vinyl mobile home windows manufactured by Kinro.830Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
I have torn out most of the interior including the dinette and sofa. I have also torn out most of the interior panels and most of the cabinets. Five rear and two front trusses are toast. There is rot around the top of the slide out and the slide out itself will need to be completely rebuilt. The roof membrane and plywood will also need replacing. I have taken out all of the carpet and vinyl flooring. There are no current mold issues inside. The bathroom and kitchen area is in very good condition with no signs of rot. The entire floor is good to go throughout the unit. I will be able to rebuild this unit and make it nice again. I'm relieved that I don't have to demo the bathroom or kitchen. Here are a couple of images I took during the demo.829Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
DownTheAvenue wrote: If you Filon sides, like you claim, you are dealing with delamination. Your unit is not stick built. The walls are vacuum glued and the whole wall is one integral unit. You MAY have studs in the walls, but it is not built like you are envisioning. Now, if you don't have Filon, but aluminium siding, then stick built may be a more appropriate term. Good luck to you. In the end it does not matter how the wall was assembled. The only thing that matters is whether or not it can be re-sided. I did not intend this thread to become a who knows more contest. Everyone's opinion does matter here and I value any input, even if I may disagree. Everyone has their own experiences and wisdom that may or may not apply to a specific style of construction. Over the years, recreational vehicles have been built in several distinct and unique ways. I'm sure all of this information can apply in one form or another. In other words, thanks for everyone's input. :C829Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
Dayle1 wrote: The wall will have a top plate and each roof truss will be attached to it. You have to remove the rubber roof and plywood roof decking if any truss needs to be replaced or repaired. Wiring and A/C duct will run thru the trusses, so repairing will be much easier than replacement. What part of the wall is the top plate attached to? Hopefully the inside frame. I assume it will be due to the original skin being 1/8" or 1/4". I have seen construction images where the wiring passes through a hole drilled in a truss. I would have a solution for that if I were to be forced to replace a truss completely. It would involve creating a notch and reinforcing the notch after the wires are passed up and into it. The A/C duct can be cut in half then re-assembled.829Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
You are right, I do plan on pre-drilling the holes. I'll be using a pneumatic nail gun, so I will have full control of the beating I give the studs. This panel has to be mounted vertically, as it is not designed to be mounted any other way. And to be perfectly honest with you, we don't plan on moving this camper very much. It's likely we will stay put for several years. We plan on living on the North Carolina coast and there are literally dozens of RV sites up and down the shoreline. Regarding tiny houses and flex, please see my edit in the above post about seismic activity. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your opinion. Just in my particular case, this is way more cost effective for a 15 year old camper. I will have less than $6,000 invested for a total overhaul and I will be happy with that. Still, my question remains unanswered though. I'm trying to determine how the roof trusses are mated to the camper. I'd like to leave the roof repairs for dead last if possible. Do I have to repair the roof first or can I repair the walls and siding first? Common sense tells me to fix the walls and siding first, so I may have answered my own question. :D829Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
Found some new information. Dayle1 can you give me your source for what you said the filon weighs with luan backing? Dayle1 wrote: Actually, the "plywood" used is either a single layer or two layers of 1/8 in lauan plywood. A 4x8 ft section will weight about 22 lbs if two layers are used, so it is lighter than the panels you are considering I found some information from Crane Composits website (The people who make filon.) that suggests filon with luan backing weighs anywhere from 0.95lb/ft² to 1.15lb/ft² depending on which type you choose. (They make different thicknesses.) The lightest they manufacture is 0.95lb/ft² and a 4X8 sheet would weigh around 30.4 pounds. That's only 10.6 more pounds a sheet. So if the factory finished side of my camper weighs 267 pounds and my new side weighs 198 pounds, my new siding would only be 69 pounds heavier. By switching to LP SmartSide panel my rig will gain less than 200 pounds. I don't see enough weight difference to cause an issue.829Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
dayle1 wrote: Using the LPSmart panels that you are considering is not a good choice, RVs flex and gaps will open between the panels leading to new water damage Not to sound argumentative but, why then are hundreds of people in the tiny house community using LP SmartSide panels? The panel I chose is structural and suited for 16" on center framing. not to mention, Louisiana Pacific states the following disclaimer about this product. Ideal for homes or outdoor buildings in areas of high winds or seismic activity If it can withstand an earthquake, I'm sure it will stay put. Now that I know the campers luan is up to 1/4" thick, I actually am even more confident about using LP SmartSide panel. It's use will make my rig even more ridged and for me that's a plus. I'll take the 400 pound increase in weight. We got rid of the heavy, sleeper sofa and some of the other old furniture, so the added weight won't be an issue for me. Dollar for dollar, I'll take my chances with LP SmartSide paneling. ($600 vs $2,000+) Even houses "flex" on a daily basis. With proper installation and sealing, I do not believe it will be an issue. I will be also wrapping my rig with tyvec wrap. This will greatly reduce any chance of future water damage. The aluminum siding is too cost prohibitive for me. I'm not planning on spending 5K for aluminum siding. Thanks for your input. Even if I disagree with your view, I still respect your opinion. ScottG wrote: Do you have any pics of it partially taken apart? (We love this stuff) Not yet. I will try to document my work when it starts. :B253Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water damage and restoring my Forest River Sandpiper
I'm sorry but, you are mistaken. My rig is stick built, 2" studs, 16" on center. With that said, I have decided to break the mold and use an alternative method to re-side my rig. I know weight is an issue, so after much research, I have decided to use "LP SmartSide 38" panels. These panels do not require a backer and can be nailed or screwed directly to the studs themselves. The (0.315-in x 48.563-in x 95.875-in) panels only weigh 41 pounds each, which makes them lighter than the plywood they will be replacing. The panels are not expensive, at $26 each I can completely re-side my entire unit for under $600. The only issue installing them will be with the nose of the trailer. The panels cannot be bent, so I will have to either use a different siding for the nose radius, or reconstruct the nose to a flat profile.111Views0likes0Comments
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