Question:
I've got a 95 model Lance Truck Camper and just discovered a major (and
I mean bumper falling off major) problem in the rear end. Water has
come from somewhere and completely rotted the wood from about the door
level on down all the way across the rear end. The bumper is screwed
into plywood under the floor and when it got wet (over a long period of
time, it appears) it all gave way.
Lance says, sorry one year warranty - and also that they refer
people to their insurance company when these things happen, leading me
to believe it's a fairly common occurrence.
Unfortunately, this damage was not visible in any way until we started
pulling aluminum flashing off to get into the body. First indication I
had was when the rear holding tank fell off followed shortly by the
bumper.
Anybody got any ideas, suggestions, or similar experiences?
Answer:
I'm just finishing up rebuilding part of my 29' TT that also had a major
leak. I hope to be able to get it out a couple of times yet this year.
Last year we had it out 45 days and this year we will be lucky to get in
11. On the other hand it was a good excuse to get a couple of new
tools
I had to replace about 1/3 of the floor in my trailer.
As you have discovered, water leaks are the bane of RV life. I have
spent much of my summer seaking out leaks, fixing them and rebuilding
the damage. A summary of what I went through:
a) Determine if the unit is totaled (by your standards if not
insurance). In my case, my trailer is 9 years old and heavily
customized. I decided I wouldn't get out of it what I have into it + we
LIKE this trailer. We have looked at lots of trailers in various RV
shows and can't find one we like any better. It has a nice workable
floor plan and lots of windows for excellent cross breezes. I decided to
repair the damage. If you farm out the repair work expect BIG $$$. I
decided to trade BIG $$$ for time and smaller $$$.
b) The first time you really look into the inner guts of a RV you will
be amazed at how little material is there. They don't call the
construction method "stick and staple" for nothing :( You will obviously
need to remove all the damaged material. I was lucky in that I didn't
seem to have any inner wall damage. It was restricted to the floor where
water pooled (I poked a hole in the bottom belly plastic and got a
couple of gallons of water to run out...)
c) You may need to remove and replace material in a bit-by-bit manner
since there is so little structural material there. Otherwise it may
collapse.
d) Use a garden hose to discover the leaks before dismanteling the outer
skin (but after you have removed inner material to see the leaks!) You
need to repair the leaks before exposing new construction materials to
water. In my case I had three main leak points.
1) a window frame cracked where a ledge was attached to the frame. The
top 3/4 of this window is fixed glass and the bottom 1/4 slides up to
open. The ledge is what the bottom of the fixed glass was sitting on.
This ledge was attached to the main side frame with one single screw
from each side. The frame cracked around one of the screws and made
about a 1/4 inch hole. The ledge channeled water right into this hole at
an amazing rate!! I removed the entire window frame from the TT and took
it apart & then back together again.
2) An outside access utility door wasn't sealing anymore. The gasket was
missing in the two top corners and wasn't pressing tight in other
places. I replaced the gasket and tinkered with bending the inner lip of
the frame to make sure I had a good seal. BTW: water directed right into
the lock/latch via garden hose can get through both lock & latch! In
practical terms it is a small dribble.
3) My refer vent door. I've seen newer designs that look like they would
let less water in. I just may try to replace that - haven't done it yet.
A possible 4th leak point is the J trap under the kitchen sink came
apart a couple of times dumping the sink water onto (and into) the
floor. It will have a PERMANENT fix to this problem before hitting the
road again as well.
e) If you find any leaks in any seam, do yourself a favor and take the
entire seam apart and replace the sealent. DON'T USE SILICON CAULK!!
f) Since you are going to so much effort you may want to consider
redoing all the seams "just because." Also you may want to remove all
the windows/doors and make sure they are all sealed well. If your going
to rebuild it you might as well do a good job.
I have taken the opportunity to upgrade a few things in the trailer
while this is going on: power jack, better toilet, rebuilt suspension,
new carpeting (I had to tear up the old carpet because of the floor
anyway), new foam padding in sofa and kitchen seats.
I wish you well 'cause you have a real mess on your hands that will take
quite a little effort to repair well. By the time you are done you WILL
know a lot of things to look for when you finally do get another unit in
the future!!! I intend to get several years more service out of mine
before then.
