Looking for opinions on repair. We have a 2000 294j Jayco Qwest. We purchased a few years ago from a dealer and have had a few problems. We have always taken it to the dealer for repair but now we have water damage. They gave us an estimate for almost $3500.00 in December and now want to increase rates for the same repair. My husband is very handy and currently laid off from work so time isn't an issue. Is it too difficult to repair on our own? Are we better off letting the dealer fix it? I would sure love to NOT pay the dealer a lot of money, but really want to fix the camper. We are really frustrated and don't know what to do. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/opinions.
water damage
- Thread starter homemaker
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Mavarick
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You don't really say what kind of water damage you have but the important part is if your hubby feels comfortable with attempting the repair to begin with. There is nothing more satisfying to me than doing your own repairs but part of that is also knowing when you are getting in over your head. You never really know until you do some research on the particular repair and this is also the best way of learning about your rig. There are some very knowledgeable people on this site that will be glad to offer tips, also do the research on the construction and type of repairs you need to do. As long as you go slow and apply common sense, most of the time you will come out ahead. Once you get into the tear down you will always reach a certain "point of no return". This is where you can still change your mind & bring it to the dealer as a partial tear down or just go for it and do it yourself. If possible, I would also get a second bid just for comparison before starting any repairs. Good luck.
Ernie Ekberg
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Go to ZuniJaynes thread in this section. Ron Marabito posted some photos of what was involved with her water damage.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
He can probably do it himself he he was general handyman skills. Hard to give much better advice without some description of the nature of the water damage, though. Delaminated sidewalls? Stain or crumbling panels on the interior? Soft floor? Stained ceiling? Does the roof need to be repalced? Any structural damage inside the walls or roof?
$3500 sounds like a lot of damage, but this sort of repair is time consuming and that's probably only 25-30 hours of shop labor.
$3500 sounds like a lot of damage, but this sort of repair is time consuming and that's probably only 25-30 hours of shop labor.
The estimate we had was mostly labor, 28 hours. We never saw any damage on the inside of the trailer. The back outside corner had the siding and corner trim pop out. Hubby reached under and it is rotten. Dealer said the corner trim is leaking and all four corners should be replaced. The back end needs to be opened to replace the wood. The roof is not leaking and there wasn't any damage in the front, but the corner trim is showing wear (per dealer) and should be replaced as a precaution. Again thanks for the helpful advice!
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
That sounds do-able with basic woodworking & mechanical skills.
