So I have been helping a friend

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Well for those of you aware of my lengthy delay in getting several project i have going done, here is the reason. Pointless having a shop if you cannot help a friend in need now and then. And i dont mind if the NN calls the Town or the Police they will just have to lump it.

So my friend has a camper trailer that is 10 years old. He bought it new and is the kind of guy that looks after his kit well. So we were both a little annoyed when he discovered that the walls at the back and the front were rotting.

Being DIY guys he took the aluminum siding off to reveal what was worse than we had thought. So WARNING to all campers out there check the external fixtures on your trailer for leaks. Where ever there was a light fixture there was rot taking place behind the siding without our knowing it. Was only when the siding got blown off one edge due to the screws rusting out and the rotting wood that he discovered it.

Here are a couple of pics to show the panels we have been building to replace the back and front walls. They are two parts each. Not the greatest woodwork project pretty basic we did not want to do anything more than duplicate what they had. But we used glue and screws instead of staples. Managed to find a piece of plywood that sorta matched the interior pattern from a trailer shop some way away.

This weekend coming we will finish the last one and hope he gets it all done in time to go camping for Thanksgiving which as you know in Canada is earlier than the USA.

So i thought i would post this as a word of warning to those with campers to be on the alert. The construction of these entities leaves a lot to be desired in terms of structural strength and quality of build but i guess that also depends on the manufacturer. The one that made this trailer is no longer in business and we could see why.
 

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Make sure you have a cover made for RV use don't just cover it with a blue tarp. My Dad has rebuilt a few that have been covered with a blue tarp or similar tarp they don't allow the RV to breathe & cause dampness & mold. The front & rear cap are areas the are likely to leak depending on how they are manufactured.
On through the roof vents & other items through the roof clean the roof real well & bed your covers in window putty then caulk with a good RV caulk & then if your using mop on style roof sealer on a metal roof coat the through the roof covers once again over the caulk. This gives 3 seals & you should not have a problem with leaks. Dad did this on several RV's that he repaired as well as his own & never had an leaks. I did it on 2 mobile homes & never had any leaks.
 
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