Anybody ever tear into roof/sides to fix water damage?

[beitzpaddlin]

I've been warned several times to stay away from used Class C RVs with water damage.  I'm just wondering how hard can it be to pulll off that part of the roof or sides, repair the damage and then reattach/replace roof section or siding? 

If someone has posted pictures of a DIY fix, I'd be interested in the link.

And thanks! 

 

[cuts_up]

I found this link, it has lots of pics.

http://rvforsaleguide.com/trailer-repair/rv-trailer-repair.htm

 

[King]

A friend of mine bought a used class A Winnie with water damage. He decided to tear out the damaged wood paneling.  Guess what...  the entire structural was provided by panling/foam/aluminum sandwich.  There were no ribs.  There was no way to replace anything.
Art

 

[Shayne]

All depends on the unit.  You will find a variety of methods used in the construction, some good, some bad. Don';t think there is a list to inform us of which is what.  We replaced one on a Coachman a few years ago and got lucky on the roof and on the Passenger front area side wall.  2 other guys I know weren't as fortunate and had troubles.  But good luck should you tackle it.

 

[Shayne]

BTW? ?We purchased the roof material from Colaw RV Salvage in Missouri.? They shipped it to us? and you buy it by the lenial foot.? ?They sent about 20 extra feet to us cause it was a little dirty on one end.? ?Their are other places that carry it if you go to the Library and checki them out.

 

[Gnuman]

A friend of mine bought a used class A Winnie with water damage. He decided to tear out the damaged wood paneling.  Guess what...  the entire structural was provided by panling/foam/aluminum sandwich.  There were no ribs.  There was no way to replace anything.
Art

Art, what year was that Winnie? That sounds exceedingly ugly, from a repair standpoint. I guess I'm lucky. my 30 year old Class A looks like it uses paneling-> ribs-> plywood-> aluminum siding for the construction. There is not much to the rot either, a hole/leak in the right rear corner rotted that section of roof, and the side and rear near that corner. Some of the decking on the inside needs attention, the furnace is too old to get parts for, and a few of the light fixtures are worn out. That is about all that is wrong with this rig. Seems to me that the inside decking will be the hardest part to fix. Oh, and they seem to have used paneling as a ceiling material as well. well the bad part of that is they did not waterseal it in the bathroom (shower) area. . . Well, at least that is also where the rest of the rot is so it won't get lonely. . .

 

[King]

I really don't know...  The unit was stored outside for long enough for the aluminum roof to rust through in several places, and the paneling inside was de-laminating.  He started pulling off the paneling, and found no structure at all.
Art

 

[Gnuman]

Wow. . .
At the very least, that makes me feel a whole lot better about the construction of Felicity (my rig). I asked this in the motorhomes area, but did not get an answer that spoke to my actual reason for the question: Does anyone here have any opinions on the general level of quality for the coaches built by Overland Industries (Part of Mallard Coach, who went belly up last year)? It seems to my (very) untrained eye to be of fairly good quality, but how would I know? After 30 years of use, most items are still working. That may say something right there.

 

[Tom]

After 30 years of use, most items are still working. That may say something right there.

Not necessarily. I know nothing about Mallard/Overland, but virtually all RV manufacturers use the same appliances made by the same companies. Many other things besides appliances are also bought out, even the chassis in many cases. Basic construction, of course, is unique to each RV manufacturer.