Nice trailer. Looking at the pic's it has been leaking for a long time. From my experience rebuilding the Bonair to repair years of water leaks it gets into the insulation and finds it's way towards the floor. I bought Snoflake paneling from a lumberyard, not one of the big box stores after replacing most of the wood framing. Remove the panels and inspect for wetness. After six months of the trailer being covered when I removed the paneling the insulation was still sopping wet. Hope you fair OK in the walls/ ceiling. After all repairs were done I had my dealer put a new membrane on the trailer, and pretty sure they used self leveling sealer over the roof to metal joints.
I would recommend removing the caulk etc and remove all screws and clean the area putting sealer under the tin and then re-screwing the tin down then self leveling sealer inside track and all over joint.
Pic's of my rebuild on my picturetrail site link below.
-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Saturday 10th of August 2013 09:18:58 PM
Got it for a good price because it has had water leaks.....Asking Pete or whoever wishes to voice their expertise.
It seems that the seam on the roof across the front of the rubber roof where it joins the aluminum split and let water in over the winter...Here is the resulting damage to the interior paneling and insulation.
It looks like he patched it up with silicone and God knows what up there and it doesnt seem wet inside now. I havent run a hose up there yet to check it out, but it has rained a bit lately here and its dry in there where I can feel around. Questions......
Should I scrape out what he has there now?..Looks like a combination of clear silicone and some form of putty.
What do I use up there?
Can I buy some of that paneling to fix up the bad spots?
Other than that, the trailer seems pretty nice.....well used but not bad
That paneling is just 1/8 hardboard with a vinyl cover, and home depot used to sell it. I say used to because it's been quite a few years since I bought the stuff. Unfortunately your panels have some sort of coloured pattern to it which will be almost if not impossible to match. The panels I bought were a solid white, and I think an off-white was also available. If you go to Keystone to try and buy OEM panels, I think they will be 10 times the cost.
Pete's the best guy to ask. When I got my motorhome, the putty stuff is was he suggested, to seal all the seams, as that is what the factory uses. The frame work flexes a lot on those,with wind etc... so it's not a bad idea to go over the seams regularly.
As far as stripping it all off, and re-doing it ??? If there's no mold or wood rot, I personally would strip as little as possible.
That's a nice size 5th wheel, kinda what I'd like to get.
Pete's the best guy to ask. When I got my motorhome, the putty stuff is was he suggested, to seal all the seams, as that is what the factory uses. The frame work flexes a lot on those,with wind etc... so it's not a bad idea to go over the seams regularly. As far as stripping it all off, and re-doing it ??? If there's no mold or wood rot, I personally would strip as little as possible.
That's a nice size 5th wheel, kinda what I'd like to get.
Wait for Pete to chyme in, for a bump.
Yeah...just the right size for me, the wife and dog........Not too high to catch a lot of wind.
Maybe that putty stuff thats up there is the right stuff then, which I guess he added silicone to.....I seem to remember someone mentioning a self levelling sealer, whatever that means....will wait for Pete to give his nickels worth
Possibly just fasten the panneling back up "IF" you have stopped the leaks, then why not just paint the ceiling?
Much simpler than tearing it out and trying to find more.
Trouble is, there is holes in it...That stuff is really flimsy....I think I will get some 1/8 wood paneling and then build a cabinet or shelves in the corner to hide it......
I am not a pro at this,but I have had and still have a toy hauler,When it comes to water leaks,they are a bitch to fix,but the best thing I have found was a automotive seam sealer,it has worked for me on some of the repairs I have done,for some reason sillycone does not work that well,as for the int,pull it down gently and look for black mold on the insulation,not good,keep asking questions and we will help.Looks like a cool trailer to start with ...
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If it has Tits,Tires or a Track,your gonna have a problem with it.
What I've used for waterproofing is called "peel and stick", it's a roofing product used to seal valley flashing, looks like dynomat, foil one side with a black adhesive on other side, just roll it down. Home Depot or Lowes carry it.
it will never stop leaking no matter what you seal it with, membrane the whole roof with one piece, something like what oldkoot is saying. i used to build freezers and coolers and they are a byatch to get sealed up in outdoor enviroments. the space age sealnts that the rv manufacturers use are hard to come by. the only other sealent that will work 100 percent is called sikaflex, its like 20 dollars a tube and is industrial. i can hook u up with a source in my area
i have the same problem also. bought a 30ft from a trailer park in florida, cheap, and used it a couple of times for golfing, bike week etc. figured i would use it more up here so i hauled it home. not being the sharpest knife in the drawer, nobody mentioned that trailers that sit for quite awhile don't really handle a road trip due to the all the twisting and vibrations. probably just going to part it out, hint-hint, and see if the frame and running gear can make a useable trailer of sorts.
i would be leaning to the membrane on the whole roof avenue. once they start the chances are there will be other spots coming along behind the first one.
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- good luck ponch on whatever route you take. this will be interesting to watch.
Sorry guys been a bit lost the last few months. PONCHO for your roof self leveling sealant is what is used only after you confirm all moldings are properly sealed with a buytal/putty tape. Never use silicone on a rubber roof membrane. Why back we discussed the use of Sikaflex this product is not recommended if its used on any part of an R.V. that may need to be removed for any reason in the future. The proper way to install a roof panel is to install it from the open roof down. That means to remove the complete roof. This is usually way to cost prohibitive. The quick way is to cut roof panel at wall edge remove damaged panel cut and install new panel and use 1/4 round molding at wall ends.Most people wont notice if the moldings are run the complete length of the wall ending at the cupboards or where ever the wall runs into the next 90 degree angle.
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I had really good results using a product called White Knight Flex Coating. Can be purchased at Home Depot for about 40.00 You just spread it on with a roller or paint brush.Worth a try...
Sorry guys been a bit lost the last few months. PONCHO for your roof self leveling sealant is what is used only after you confirm all moldings are properly sealed with a buytal/putty tape. Never use silicone on a rubber roof membrane. Why back we discussed the use of Sikaflex this product is not recommended if its used on any part of an R.V. that may need to be removed for any reason in the future. The proper way to install a roof panel is to install it from the open roof down. That means to remove the complete roof. This is usually way to cost prohibitive. The quick way is to cut roof panel at wall edge remove damaged panel cut and install new panel and use 1/4 round molding at wall ends.Most people wont notice if the moldings are run the complete length of the wall ending at the cupboards or where ever the wall runs into the next 90 degree angle.
Thanks Pete and others....So, I need to scrape and clean up any silicone thats there?...then put this buytal/putty tape on and the self leveling sealant on top of that?.....Any brand names?....I guess its available at most RV places?
get rid of the silicone. Silicone should only be used as a thin top coat around windows and outside moldings to allow water to run away from any 90 degree angles where it might puddle or seep behind moldings or trim. Silicone needs to be checked twice a year for lifting.Our temperature changes are hell on all R.V. moldings if water get under them ice will lift them in the winter thus causing leaks as the snow melts.
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Bought some self levelling sealant today, going to have a look at the roof on the weekend
Pete....Next question.....Water heaters....This one has a Suburban 6 gal water heater....both electric and propane....I cant seem to get any part of it going. I have 120 volts to the unit, but nothing at the element. The gas side doesnt seem to do anything. There is a switch and light on the kitchen counter for the gas side of the water heater, but I have no clue how all this works. Bottom right of the picture
That little red light is always on....if I push the bottom of the switch, the light gets brighter....still nothing seems to happen at the heater.....I am at a loss here.
I am thinking of going with just a straight propane heater....a lot less hassle I think...Good idea?...Too much to go wrong with these combination ones?
Neither should be a big hassle but can be a little tricky. I would recommend taking all propane issues to a licensed shop as there can be serious repercussions to small mistakes.
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Neither should be a big hassle but can be a little tricky. I would recommend taking all propane issues to a licensed shop as there can be serious repercussions to small mistakes.
On my water heater there are two switches, one in the kitchen area and one at the unit it's self. I would check that the electric element is not broken by checking the resistance. If you are going to run the heater make sure it is full of water. We run the electric side whenever we are plugged in to save on propane. I do most of my own propane work myself however I have been doing tradeswork all my life and worked with licensed gas/ propane guys at work. Not a job to take lightly, no pun intended.
If you have to change out the tank do it yourself and then take the trailer to a licensed shop for hookup and testing.
