Repair or Replace a Rotted 2000 Rockwood Pop-Up?

[OldBlue61]

Sorry for the long post, just so please bear with me as I go over where we're at. The reason for this post is I guess I'm looking for opinions/options.

The wife and I recently purchased a 2000 Rockwood Premier 1904 pop-up camper. You may have seen my previous posts on sorting out the electrical system, which I'm happy to say is working fine now. Problem is this is our first camper, and when we went to look at it, we really didn't know what to look for, and we didn't do a lot of research prior to buying it. I take the blame for that - I should have known better.

The fridge didn’t work – ok, not that a big of a deal for us, already removed and the hole filled in, we can and planned to use a 12v portable fridge/freezer. Furnace doesn’t work – again, not a big deal for us as we don’t plan to camp in the cold. The water tank looks black-ish, and I haven’t addressed that yet. Water pump does not work. We do have a functioning sink when running on city water though.

We knew there were a few soft-ish spots in the floor, no surprise there, other than the fact of just how much of it was soft (a.k.a. rotted). I know the way to fix it correctly is to strip everything from the camper and replace the whole floor, but I'm hesitant to do that, not because of my lack of skills, but more the fact that I know that any "replacement" parts are more than likely made of unobtanium, and I’m not sure that I want to go to that extreme for this camper. But if that were the only issue…

The top also has a lot of issues. This I believe to be the biggest problem that I/we face. Both sides of the top are rotted to the point that I’m surprised that the top hasn’t collapsed onto the trailer once it was raised, especially taking into consideration the weight of the top mounted A/C unit. Not sure of the condition of the structure of the top itself yet. There are some smaller issues as well, like zippers that don't all work and some holes in some of the screens, some of which I've already fixed.

I’m at a decision point – I’ve already cut some of the rotted wood from the front trunk and plan to replace that (not quite sure how the front or sides of the camper attach to it yet), but there just seems to be so much more work that is needed before we can safely use this thing. I could always try building new sides for the top, maybe out of a Trex-like material, but I’m worried about how many other problems will reveal themselves if I pull the top off the camper. Will I be able to get any necessary caps or trim need to reseal it? Will I be able to actually do everything necessary without spending a gob of money, or am I at the point where I cut my losses and run for the hills?

I’m not worried about my actual skills to do the work. I’m ok with wood, and I’ve restored old motorcycles and cars over the years, rebuilt motors and manual transmissions and have most of the tools to do the work the camper needs. Just not sure if it’s worth it. If I can rebuild the top, get all the canvas reattached, and everything in working order again for $200-$300, I may consider it. Is that realistic?

I’m considering cutting our losses and maybe picking up a smaller travel trailer to replace it. Maybe something w/ a bathroom. Some of the new ones don’t seem to be priced to bad, but how long do they actually hold up?

--EDIT--

A camper with a bathroom would be a big plus for the wife. Something she would definately like versus trudging off to a latrine in the middle of the night...

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If I can rebuild the top, get all the canvas reattached, and everything in working order again for $200-$300, I may consider it. Is that realistic?

That's a reasonable $ benchmark but until you get into the roof rebuild you can't know how much effort and materials may be needed. However, I can pretty much guarantee both will be much more than you guessed before you started. It seems to be the nature of such things. You could fabricate an entire new roof from plywood and some TPO material but the cost of wood, fabric and moldings probably hits your estimate and who knows what else may be involved?

It's a hobby project, right? Until you start the actual restoration, you are only investing your time. Open it up and see what's what, then make your decision before you start buying materials. You can always tow it to the dump later, right?

But don't plan any camping trips soon, okay?

 

[Kirk]

The water tank looks black-ish, and I haven’t addressed that yet. Water pump does not work. We do have a functioning sink when running on city water though.

If the tank is a translucent one that should be light colored but now looks black inside, it may not be possible to clean it sufficiently to be safe for use. If the black is just the tank color, sanitizing the system isn't that difficult and the water pump is easy to replace and not terribly expensive. It needs 12V power and a good ground to operate.

I know the way to fix it correctly is to strip everything from the camper and replace the whole floor, but I'm hesitant to do that, not because of my lack of skills, but more the fact that I know that any "replacement" parts are more than likely made of unobtanium

The floor is probably made of particle board of the type used in sheeting for house construction. It should be readily available.

The top also has a lot of issues.

I would agree that this is probably the part that is most difficult to repair. The two popup trailers that we had were both in good condition such that I never had any reason to open up the sides but it is probably of material similar to the floor under the siding. There has to be some type of framework to hold it all together, but I have no idea of just what it is or how laid out.

I’m considering cutting our losses and maybe picking up a smaller travel trailer to replace it.

I suspect that the cost would be shocking but if you want to continue, I would do as Gary suggested and also consider the floor. I have worked on a lot of RVs over the years and unless you have a lot of time and talent as well as a big repair budget, I don't think I would expect it to be useable in the near future. If I was looking for a hobby to stay busy for a long time, I might take that challenge but if looking for something to use this year, absolutely not. And expect the repairs to cost far more than the trailer will ever be worth.

 

[OldBlue61]

Thanks gentlemen, I appreciate your responses. I was hoping to take it out this summer, but I don't think that will be happening. The OSB (which is what I believe the floor is made from) is a terrible material to make these things out of, which is why I was thinking of a Trex-like material - it theoritcally should hold up for a very long time and isn't overly expensive in itself. Just not sure I want to tackle it or dump it and buy a single axle travel trailer.

 

[Kirk]

I was thinking of a Trex-like material

I imagine that OSB is what the floor is made of and probably the sides of the top as well, but something of that sort is almost certainly what it is. As far as Trex or similar products, I have never seen those in sheets, but it would be more durable. and I would be surprised if your material costs didn't exceed $300.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Another perspective is to run the clock out on it the way it sits for some period until you find a replacement. That way you're not spending valuable time and money on it, when it likely isn't a keeper anyway. These aren't heirlooms or collector items, get it 'good enough' and down the road you go. Meanwhile you're getting some value out of it and learning what you want for the next one. Resist the urge to be buying new parts for it, instead figuring out what actually failed and fixing it. You learn that way and often with a bit of thought you can return things to service for little or no money.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The roof "box" in old pop-ups is pretty simple, just a leak-proof shell. It has to be stiff/strong enough to anchor the upper end of the roof lift mechanism and carry the a/c weight, but that's about all. Some insulation and a channel for 12v & 120v wring, and something presentable for the interior ceiling.

 

[TheBar]

It sounds like its not worth any money or work. As Mark said use it as long as you can and close to home in case it falls apart.

After it gets worse I would suggest a complete teardown to the bare frame. People will even buy the nonworking stuff on eBay for parts. Put a wood deck on the bare frame to make a flat bed trailer. Use it to haul the rotted mess to the dump. Then sell it for a few hundred dollars to help buy one in better shape.

 

[OldBlue61]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I’m going to replace the rotten wood in trunk, return the few things I had purchased for it and let it go. Time to look for a replacement and/or determine our next move.

 

[DutchmenSport]

This is a judgment call only you can make. Everyone can give their thoughts, but in the end, it has to be your decision.

Based on your description, you are facing an expensive repair bill. And, if doing it yourself, a lot of time. You may become frustrated at some point doing the re-build. There is a point where the repair cost prohibitive. What that means is, the money and time invested is too much to give up, yet to complete the project will cost much more than the entire camper costs if you were to sell it, even if it was complete. When that point is reached, it's daunting thinking about the money spent and simply throwing everything away. (Not to mention your time).

I have no clue what you paid for the original purchase. I have no clue what your future plans are for this camper. I have no clue what the final cost of repairs will be. And I have no clue if you will even enjoy this camper once it is complete. It sounds like you are already re-thinking your purchase, the impending cost, and the time to do it all right. It's possible, even after you complete the project, you may be so burned out with it, there will be no joy left to actually use it.

These are all the things you must figure out yourself.

Now, on the other hand, .... , ANY RV purchase does not make sense if you look at the work, time, and cost they ALL entail. It's a hobby, regardless of how much or how little you use your camper. And with any "hobby", price is no object. We do "hobbies" because we enjoy them, and no amount of money or time is too much.

If this is your approach, then you have your answer. If the former (any one single item mentioned above), then think it through carefully or you'll experience nothing but frustration, anger, and irritation until the camper is someday gone, out of your hair! And even then, you'll still forever have an irritation the rest of your life over it.

It's your decision, and the decision is ... is this a true "hobby" you will enjoy, no matter where it leads or what it costs? Or, is this a foreseeable headache that will cause nothing but irritation for you? There is your answer.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Camping is not major repairs going on month after month. I bought a trailer and completely replaced the wood and rubber of the roof. I learned a lot and it went rather quickly. I also replaced the awning fabric while it was off. Again, it was an education. I used the camper twice, and discovered more water damage in the floor, front left under cabinets. I set about repairing it and got bogged down. A former co-worker came over and looked at it, bought it and within a couple of days had it back together (probably not like I would have done but he is a get it done person (build his very nice house by himself while working an 8 hr shift at work).

While bogged down I bought the current trailer and have done several things to it. I don't mind smaller repairs, modifications, parts replacement, etc. but total rebuilds are not what I want to get involved in.

Currently planning a trip to the Big Bend region of Texas with my travel buddy. Just ordered some printed maps.

 

[OldBlue61]

Yeah, this is as big as I want to do. The SO and I kicked around the idea of buying another pop up or a travel trailer in the 17-21' range, but decided to continue with the rebuild/remodel of this one. We still want to get out and try it a few times before we commit to buying a more expensive camper.