Converting a Sunline Que To Find My Home

[iambucket]

I've posted some miscellaneous questions here and and now I'd like to put up my actual conversion. 


I live in WA and after going to a cob building workshop last fall I realized my dream is to live in a self-sustaining natural community. So I decided to move into a trailer so that I can move myself and my 2 cats around to various communities until we find our home.  I came out to Indiana because my Aunt and Uncle kindly offered to let me stay at their place  (and use their TOOLS!) while working on this project. I originally envisioned turning a travel trailer into my truly customized portable home. But I ran into a major time crunch and let go of some idealism for the sake of realizing my dream. I found a 2007 Sunline Que 5.4. It was a travel trailer for sure but it’s also a way to realize my dream. More to come in just a minute...

 

[iambucket]

So far I’ve finished some woodworking projects including:

A bookshelf which doubles as a guitar support:

Separating toilet:

And Table:

One thing that is very important is keeping my cats in humane living conditions. Therefore, it's crucial that I installed a solar system in order to power the Maxxfan. Fortunately western WA usually doesn’t get outrageous hot but you still wouldn’t want to leave animals in a trailer without fans going. I decided 400 W in order to power the fan, lights, charging phones and computer, and maybe a fridge if it can handle it. 

I was starting to get concerned that I wouldn’t be able to install it quickly enough to meet my deadline of getting back to WA by the end of this month. I reached out this community for tips and actually received an offer of help installing them if I just made a small detour on the way to Washington! So I just wanted to say thank you not only to that individual but also this entire community - it really is a community and I’ve already received a lot of help from it. I hope to give back as I can

Besides the solar, I still have to switch in a MaxxAir fan (it’s been raining the last 4 days in a row). There’s a bunch of miscellaneous things too but I’m going to be hitting the road in about a week so the rest I’ll have to finish in WA. I’d like to line velcro along the windows and doors so come winter I can put up blankets.

 

[iambucket]

I did discover some water in the front left basement today and some spongy floor where the floor meets the wall  

It’s ten years old and didn’t have any visible water damage - but after the 4 days of rain here it is starting to pool, though it doesn't show up in the pics very much. Also, the floor is spongy in this spot. Fortunately, I couldn’t find anymore places where this is occurring, just this one spot. I’m not sure if it’s as simple as some sealant but I feel like I need to somehow verify it hasn’t spread farther. Not sure how to do that without removing the vinyl.

Anyway, that’s where the trailer is at so far. The project has consumed my almost every waking moment since early April with lots of various tasks but I just wanted to share a select overview. I’m really excited about doing this solar install next week. I’ve learned a lot about solar in an academic since but I know the real understanding will come after the install.

 

[ArtW]

I quite like the looks of that, especially your personalizing touches
Hopefully the leak issue is minor

 

[Gary68]

nice craftsmanship,all commercial built rv/tt have some type of water damage it's just a matter of how much

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Beautiful pieces you've made! Great job!

 

[rvpopeye]

Nice woodwork job, great pics too !

Since you'll be in Washington finding where that water is getting in is a priority.

Check all the places where there is something cut through the roof and around the perimeter too. (It could just be the compartment door.)

Resealing everything isn't a bad idea either.
AND..don't use silicone!!!!
Is the roof rubber or metal ? We'll help you pick the right stuff.

Check again every year or two.

You should pull up the floor covering to see how much damage needs to be fixed but stop the leaking first !

Ask about anything as you proceed with this fix.

Pics are helpful , save a thousand words post a pic.

 

[iambucket]

Nice woodwork job, great pics too !

Since you'll be in Washington...

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Nice woodwork job, great pics too ! [/font]

Thank you!

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Since you'll be in Washington finding where that water is getting in is a priority. [/font]

Very much agreed!

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Check all the places where there is something cut through the roof and around the perimeter too. (It could just be the compartment door.)[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Resealing everything isn't a bad idea either.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]AND..don't use silicone!!!![/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Is the roof rubber or metal ? We'll help you pick the right stuff.[/font]

Thanks, I've heard silicone is not the way to go. I was looking into Sikaflex or 3m 5200 and was leaning toward Sikaflex in case I don't want it to be totally permanent. So far I've yet to read about a situation where you would not want to use Sikalfex but I'm want to be sure one doesn't exist before committing to it. Thoughts? It's a rubber roof.

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Check again every year or two.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]You should pull up the floor covering to see how much damage needs to be fixed but stop the leaking first !  [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Ask about anything as you proceed with this fix.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Pics are helpful , save a thousand words post a pic.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I will put up some pictures I just took today. It's still raining (day 5) so unfortunately the light is not so good. On the plus, it reveals the water paths:[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Complete left front and closeups, water trail near front of window:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Gutter rail, the seal in front of the rib looks open:[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Front left corner from below, facing forward:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Compartment from outside:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Cargo door seam from outside. It's a little bent up although interestingly it's dry in the spots that are bent:[/font]

I just hit the image limit per post so I'll put up a few more in a second post...

 

[iambucket]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Cargo door seam from inside:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]This section of the seam was particularly wet, though I don't know if that's because that is where the seam is broken or because the trailer is slightly tipped forward and water pools here:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Equivalent spot from outside:[/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thanks for looking at this. I'm new to this community and am really impressed with how helpful everybody is. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I'm hitting the road for WA in about a week and don't think it will be drying out before I leave so I probably have to wait until it's not soaked before sealing. Fortunately the dry season is just now starting in WA so I can do it there.[/font]

 

[Gary68]

Geocel rv for sealing and sikaflex for construction adhesive

i tried 3m 5200 and it was thin/runny and takes like 10 days to cure but when it did,it was strong

 

[iambucket]

Geocel rv for sealing and sikaflex for construction adhesive

i tried 3m 5200 and it was thin/runny and takes like 10 days to cure but when it did,it was strong

Hi Gary. What's the reason that you prefer Geocel for sealing?

 

[Gary68]

Hi Gary. What's the reason that you prefer Geocel for sealing?

thats what it was made for,it was recommended to me by people who have had good results and i have had good results

i used it like a exterior caulking/sealant around the vents and stuff and will use it when i clean up all the marker light and windows

i will use the sikaflex as an interior construction adhesive upon many recommendations

 

[iambucket]

I thought I'd be spending my last week in IN getting the trailer all packed and finalizing stuff before heading out to WA. But this wet floor is more extensive than I thought.

[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I originally thought it was only in the front left basement because that's where I saw water. However, I just pulled back the vinyl and saw it's on the right side too:[/font]
[img=480x359]http://i66.tinypic.com/rigspf.jpg[/img]

[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]And here is the left-side with the vinyl pulled back:[/font]
[img=480x359]http://i68.tinypic.com/24guln6.jpg[/img]

[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Realizing I might need to pull up quite a lot before finding the border I got my Uncle's Moisture Meter (wish I knew those existed when I looked at this trailer at the lot)[/font]

[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]It is at 22%+ through the entire slide out lounge section as well as an equally wide section at the front in the picture below. It's also by the right wheel-well under the sink, but surprisingly not the left wheel-well bathroom:[/font]

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[font=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]So that's where this is at. I'm concerned that being a fiberglass body, the wood IS support and that it could come crashing down at some point given that I'm living in an area with 9 months of rain. I have to leave for WA thought in a week so it will be in this trailer. I'm wondering if it's possible I can still plug the leak at this point or if there are many many leaks.[/font]

 

[rvpopeye]

Good batch of pics , almost like being there ...
Checking while raining is a great idea to see the leaks while they are in action !

I would do a temp repair asap on that hole up on the corner .
You can get some tape at Wallyworld that is aluminum on the outside and has a blue peel off plastic layer on the sticky side ,I think it's called Waterproof Repair Tape. ~$7 a roll.
Just dry the area with a towel and slap it on.
I've used it many times ...and keep a roll for quick fixes like that.

Look for loose /cracking sealer around roof vents , windows and hatch doors.A window or vent is best removed and replaced with new putty tape .
Two kinds of this good grey and great black.

The Air conditioner also has a gasket that you can check by taking off the inside cover and look up inside for 3 or 4 bolt heads that use a 9/16" socket to turn.They frequently are loose due to the gasket compressing from bouncing down the road...........

The rubber roof is best repaired with something compatible with the rubber used , there are two main types . check at an rv supply/sales place to figure out which yours is and the correct sealer for it.

Geocell is pretty good stuff if you're not near a rv place.
I use their in a can brush on version for my metal roof , called Pro Flex.

Oh yeah...
Check the weep holes on the bottom of the windows and make sure they are clear.

 

[iambucket]

I would do a temp repair asap on that hole up on the corner .
You can get some tape at Wallyworld that is aluminum on the outside and has a blue peel off plastic layer on the sticky side ,I think it's called Waterproof Repair Tape. ~$7 a roll.

Look for loose /cracking sealer around roof vents , windows and hatch doors.A window or vent is best removed and replaced with new putty tape .
Two kinds of this good grey and great black....

Thanks for the tape rec. I picked some up and put it over the both corners (turned out the right side had some too). There are also some places were the seal is dried out cracked on multiple windows. There is also some places here the roof meets wall seal is in similar shape.

 

[rvpopeye]

Typical on all RVs.
Baked by the sun while twisting , turning and bouncing on down the road........(sounds like a song?)
Tree branches scraping and dropping on it.........still , less work than a house !
That's why annual inspection is recommended.
One at a time and you get 'er done!

 

[iambucket]

I'm still working on the leak and found some roof and wall seams that could be contributing.

Today I installed the Maxxfan. It's replacing a fanless vent without any wires. I'm not sure how to power it but there is an AC nearby as well as a light. I need to figure out how to find the wires to one of those and connect the fan to it.

In any event, power or not I wanted to get the fan in today because it stopped raining after 5 days and I'm hitting the road in less than a week. I can figure out the power later but I wanted to get the fan in before leaving so it didn't take up cargo space.

Here are some pics from the job:

Removing the old vent:
[img=260x200]http://i67.tinypic.com/11b6vba.jpg[/img]


Before and After removal of goop from from old fan:
I used a snow scraper and heat gun
[img=236x178]http://i66.tinypic.com/vskz0x.jpg[/img]   [img=225x191]http://i67.tinypic.com/2ep7odf.jpg[/img]


Maxxfan in place with Dicor (just finished before running out of light!):
[img=350x340]http://i64.tinypic.com/2hykyn8.jpg[/img]

Not sure if this is how it should look. I've never caulked anything before. There so many sealants to choose from. I was going to go either Geocel or Sikaflex based on recommendations from this board but the store only had Dicor and I was in a rush. It goes against my nature as a patient person who'd rather take the time to do it right then get it done now. I wasn't sure if I should get self-leveling or non so I got non because the cashier said so but couldn't explain why (also going against my nature as somebody who wants to understand WHY I'm doing something)

I pushed it down after applying since its name indicates it will not do this on its own. I hope I did it right and didn't add anymore leaks. I'm thinking about ordering some Eternabond tape for the leaks because it seems easier for the dexterity-challenged

I ran out of light and will install the cover tomorrow. I'm happy I got this in before leaving though I'd feel better either knowing the caulking was ok or how to repair it.

Any tips for caulking neatly and effectively???

 

[Gary68]

if it doesn't leak,you win

neatly,use painters tape and tape it off

 

[crofter]

Congrats on setting out on your adventure.     And good idea bringing your own wheels and home. Once you restore that TT you will always have the option to do it your way, like everyone else here. I am watching & learning on all the water repairs you are doing. Thanks for the pics and let us know what works and what doesnt. Blessings on your travels - Crofter

 

[iambucket]

Thank you. I've been so wrapped up in this leak the last few days I haven't done anything else! But I've discovered the sources. For one thing, it's missing the OSB board in the front corners, and the right one goes back almost 5 feet! I can push clear through the roof and the only thing stopping it is the rubber running out of stretch:

[img=180x269]http://i67.tinypic.com/2ltngqe.jpg[/img]   

It also has a lot of cracks in every seam where the roof meets the wall. Finally, the cargo doors are off-center and missing seal. I also found with a moisture meter that it is water laden through the entire roof, floor except the middle, and every wall except the back section of the left.

In short, in needs to have the entire rubber roof taken off to replace the sections of board that have rotted away. Once the roof is off I may also find new things that need replacing as well as see if the rot has spread to any of the walls. I realistically will not have the time or tools to do this as soon as I get to WA. Come fall I'll have more time but that's when it starts raining 5-6 days a week which complicates removing the roof for an extended period of time. 

So I'm going to apply Eternabond tape once I get out to WA. This will not remove the damp wood but at least should prevent any further water from getting in. I'm hoping it slow the rot down enough that I can find my community before it falls apart. I don't like quick fixes but I need to leave for WA in 4 days and haven't done anything besides working on the leak this last week.

Exciting times for sure! The journey is really starting now. I'm leaving Monday, making a short detour for some help with the solar install, and then it's off to WA Really looking forward to bringing my home back home.