Fixing leaks and rot

[highdesertranger]

a camper of that era does not have a gasket around the windows. you make the gasket with butyl tape. do not rely on the rubber gasket material that they claim replaces the butyl tape. also butyl tape is not an adhesive of any kind, it's a sealer. I don't know what you watched were they said it was an adhesive but it was wrong.

also I would like to point out, the other night I watched several videos(around 10) on YouTube about repairing various RV systems. all of them including ones put out by RV manufacturers had at least one error in them, some of them the whole video was an error. so take YouTube videos with a grain of salt. if unsure ask.

I would like to point out that there is some great info on YouTube but also some bad info. it just so happens that night I chose to watch a bunch of BS.

highdesertranger

 

[user 22017]

 Good luck! Post some more photos as your teardown and rebuild statrs.

I have more photos that I'll share later. I have to run errands now.

I got the large board out that supports the mattress and started to demo, but I can't reach across the bed area. I'm already wanting to give up. lol. The wood up front is very rotted. What a great idea to remove that window! Thank you.

I'll check out the links you shared. I'm wondering if anyone approaches this with the exterior skin peeled back or removed. Seems it would be much easier to work on from the outside with the metal skin removed.

I can't imagine my son-in-law tackling this. He is a big guy and the bed area is very cramped.

Thanks again. I hope I don't waste everyone's time by giving up so fast. It's not looking good.

 

[user 22017]

a camper of that era does not have a gasket around the windows.  you make the gasket with butyl tape.  do not rely on the rubber gasket material that they claim replaces the butyl tape.  also butyl tape is not an adhesive of any kind,  it's a sealer.  I don't know what you watched were they said it was an adhesive but it was wrong.

Oh, nobody said that That was just my mind thinking, "That must be an adhesive." And since you mentioned it, my windows aren't the new kind... like you said. The camper just looks new-ish to me because I've looked at so many in the past year and most in my price range were 20 years older. I forgot my windows aren't that kind.

I'll share a couple videos I watched of cab over gutting and rebuilding. I think they made it look easier than it is (to me), because these folks were young, nimble and healthy

 

[bullfrog]

Yes it is usually easier from the outside as HDR's thread showed. There is no shame in quitting before spending lots of money and working on a lost cause. You may be able to recover some money by selling windows, doors, appliances, water heater, converter and such. If it comes to that you can build a foam stand up topper covered in Poor Man's Fiberglass (see tnttt.com foamies section for details) for less than $500 and no heavy lifting and use lots of the parts you already have and have something lighter and easier to repair.

 

[user 22017]

This couple paid $1,900 for their TC and had to rebuild the cab over area:



They are very inspiring, because they, too, have a F250 and it is 5 years older than mine (theirs is a 1990). They traveled all over the north and south America.

Another cab over gut job:



And one that I thought was going to be a step by step but he gave up and recycled the entire camper:

 

[user 22017]

There is no shame in quitting before spending lots of money and working on a lost cause.  You may be able to recover some money by selling windows, doors, appliances, water heater, converter and such.

Thanks Bullfrog. I'm not concerned about recouping the money. Old truck campers are scarce in central Illinois. There are always cheap old campers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, but those are an 8 hour drive one way. They sell like hotcakes here for $500 gutted or rotted.

 

[user 22017]

To see the rest of the rebuild click on the Cab Over Water Damage and Cab Over Rebuild links on the righthand side of the blog. He also did a series of posts on rebuilding the roof. The owner of the blog, Ron Sheridan is a really nice guy so if you have any questions contact him and he'll probably be able to give you advice - https://www.blogger.com/profile/16682469400110970660

 Good luck! Post some more photos as your teardown and rebuild statrs.

Thanks so much for the link. Now I'm not so embarrassed to share my pics Included are:

The door. It looks ok until you pull the thin sheet of plastic away... there is rot at the bottom.

Two closet interiors. The ceiling wall covering is wrinkling in the rear corners of camper, so I guess water damage.

The ceiling, covered with water stains. I poked a hole in the ceiling and it felt dry inside. Something is wrong, tho.

The cabover area... very wet and rotted in lower part of front.

The exterior gap along lower cab over. Very wet inside that gap.

The front window with brown drips and a ton of old sealant

 

[abnorm]

Those were some amazing FAST rebuilds...….those had "intact" exterior corners.....where the molding joins the skins together by screwing into the WOOD...…


WHERE's the wood ?...….Tony and Karen (HiYa)……. posted a more realistic-detailed rebuild..... based on your photos

 

[highdesertranger]

that's ugly but you are making some headway. at least you have an excellent pry bar, can't beat Estwing tools made in the USA and excellent quality. when they tried to stop the leak on that front window they only made more work for you. all of that sealant must be removed 100%. highdesertranger

 

[user 22017]

WHERE's the wood ?...….Tony and Karen (HiYa)……. posted a more realistic-detailed rebuild..... based on your photos

Ha, ha! My wood has disintegrated. Wish the sealant around the big window had, too. Yeah, that is a good link they posted.

 

[Weldman]

If I seen those stains of those new pictures, I sure would of walked away and have done many many times. Got to point of walking away from so many in PNW I came to conclusion to build my own, and then I came across what you see now. Wasn't really looking just gave up and was looking for parts like you have in yours, so when I built my own I had the parts to run electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and the accessories.
Though fun part with building your own in some states is they require to be titled.
Good luck and God speed ahead with the direction you take...

 

[JD GUMBEE]

I did not read through your whole thread.
If I am re-posting what another suggested...sorry.

Way way back, it was standard issue up North for the types who beach duned in 4X4's to have two right angled stainless steel panels about 12 inches by 8 inches that "made the corner" right at that crotch at the top of the cab,
They would drill through-bolts and lay out a batch of polyester resin for fiberglass after drilling the holes and test fitting bolts.
Once done, the hangovers would never leak again and they could be twisted on the beach dunes in the RI salt areas.

Having done a few of these...people are too quick to remove what is there.


Be sure your wood is total garbage before you rip it out.

Even if it is wet, an electrical heater can often dry it out.
We have taken wood that started out so punky, it could be crushed with your fingers/torn out by hand...like paper mache'.
You can dry it out (after you find the leakS there will be leakS) and syringe the same polyester resin into a drill hole in the wood. It takes time to dry, but this can be done without touching a saw. Once the resin dries, it will be very strong.
(Buy surgical gloves to work with glass/glass-resin. Stinky stuff, but safe and easy.)
Spraying your wood with anti-mold is good once dry...but I found making circles of fiberglass matting about the size of a cigar, butting them up against the damaged wood and glassing right over the whole mess is most often the best way out of the problem.

Once you rip that wood out, (at least each time I did or saw it done) the metal never really fits the same again.
You end up with patches or wide bands of trim.
As long as you DRY it first and cure leaks, there is no mold danger. You sealed it completely inside rock-hard resin, so it can never get to you again.

This is a vid of some marine stuff that pretty much does the same thing=

It really works better than most people think...
Best luck to you.

 

[user 22017]

We have taken wood that started out so punky, it could be crushed with your fingers/torn out by hand...like paper mache'.
You can dry it out (after you find the leakS there will be leakS) and syringe the same polyester resin into a drill hole in the wood. It takes time to dry, but this can be done without touching a saw. Once the resin dries, it will be very strong.
(Buy surgical gloves to work with glass/glass-resin. Stinky stuff, but safe and easy.)
Spraying your wood with anti-mold is good once dry...but I found making circles of fiberglass matting about the size of a cigar, butting them up against the damaged wood and glassing right over the whole mess is most often the best way out of the problem.

Thanks JD. A few days ago I learned of what you are talking about. Someone wrote about it in the Comments to a video. I need to read more about it first, but I sure would love to try your approach Not sure if I'll be able to, because I think some of the wood has completely rotted away. Still, I could use resin in areas where there still is some wood.

Thanks so much. I'll watch the vid you linked to.