# Camper rebuild



## Lukikus2

The camper was pretty well kept up inside and out as far as cosmetically. It's a '94 and has set for about three years with no maintenance per say. It was checked on periodically and was assumed dry inside. But I knew it had water damge prior to that from a  soft floor in the bathroom.

I started off re-finishing the roof and after washing it found lots of problems. So that will wait except for what I have already caulked.

In fact, while caulking the cracks in the old caulk I found areas where the trim met on the transitions from the roof to the the sides of the camper were never caulked at the factory which created the whole mess to begin with. Look at the top corner of the first pic and you will see it.   

Anyway. Here goes. Ripping it out and replacing. Just thought ya'll might like to watch and give me some insight. My first for sure.  Just got started. 

First pic's shows the outside where it had been caulked as a "patch" but pulled apart. Most support was gone in that corner by then and there was nothing to screw to.


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## Lukikus2

First pic's are tell tale signs of water damage.

Last pic's is where I started pulling it apart. Water dumped on me when I cut the ceiling. That's always a good sign. 

Here is a little demo so far. Anyone got any pointer's? Floor has to be replaced also. I'm thinking of a big bathroom, walk-in shower with the whole area in back dried in. Ideas?


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## Paymaster

That is a lot like the one we used to have. My in laws had it down in PC Beach before the campground was sold and done away with. It weathered two hurricanes down there. I decided ,after doing some patching up, that it was more work than I wanted. We sold it and bought a 5th wheel camper. That was when diesel was $2 a gal.


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## pstrahin

Man you have the work ahead of ya.  I have always wanted to get a frame and build my own.


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## Lukikus2

Paymaster said:


> That is a lot like the one we used to have. My in laws had it down in PC Beach before the campground was sold and done away with. It weathered two hurricanes down there. I decided ,after doing some patching up, that it was more work than I wanted. We sold it and bought a 5th wheel camper. That was when diesel was $2 a gal.



This is a 32' and a good one minus the water damage. Might be biting off more than I want to chew on this.



pstrahin said:


> Man you have the work ahead of ya.  I have always wanted to get a frame and build my own.



Ill get it demo'd out this weekend and add more pic's. I'm going to use stud's and paneling out of the good I demo and try to create a comfortable bathroom while staying light. Should be interesting.


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## pstrahin

I look forward to seeing the progress.


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## Mako22

Lukikus2 said:


> This is a 32' and a good one minus the water damage. Might be biting off more than I want to chew on this.
> 
> 
> 
> Ill get it demo'd out this weekend and add more pic's. I'm going to use stud's and paneling out of the good I demo and try to create a comfortable bathroom while staying light. Should be interesting.



If you are going to be tearing out the wall insulation be sure to wear a breather. Its not worth getting glass lung as that glass will float around in a closed in space like a camper.


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## 7Mag Hunter

I have refurbed 3 hunt campers, but never a complete gut and
rebuild...
I just tore out the rotten panel/insulation/wood and ripped
white 2x4s to make new wall studs and replaced panels and
insulation... New window supports, insulation and silicone fixed
the windows...Lots of silicone and foam in most cases...
....All of the floors in our 3 were soft in spots, but I just cross 
braced to make them solid again and did not tear out floors...
I got lucky with no rotten wood in the floors..
Good luck !!!!   It is gonna be a job.........


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## Lukikus2

Woodsman69 said:


> If you are going to be tearing out the wall insulation be sure to wear a breather. Its not worth getting glass lung as that glass will float around in a closed in space like a camper.



Will do. I didn't for what is shown in the pictures and it tore my allergies up pretty good. I imagine black mold isn't helping matters either.



7Mag Hunter said:


> I have refurbed 3 hunt campers, but never a complete gut and
> rebuild...
> I just tore out the rotten panel/insulation/wood and ripped
> white 2x4s to make new wall studs and replaced panels and
> insulation... New window supports, insulation and silicone fixed
> the windows...Lots of silicone and foam in most cases...
> ....All of the floors in our 3 were soft in spots, but I just cross
> braced to make them solid again and did not tear out floors...
> I got lucky with no rotten wood in the floors..
> Good luck !!!!   It is gonna be a job.........



It's mostly from the divider all the way back. Floor, walls and ceiling. One of the bathroom vent flashings was also totally gone so it infiltrated all of it back there.


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## 7Mag Hunter

They can be nightmares...I had 2 bad places in a 32' Nomad
I used for 3 yrs...
Entire back corner and big side corner window was rotten...Only
thing I could do was remove the side window, tear out the 
back corner
of the camper past the double window almost to the center
of the long side of the back of the camper....I left the camper skin
in place, where i could and set an extra wood support at the corner
 and tacked it in, siliconed it tight and rebuilt the back wall,
window frame and long side ....
Bathroom was kinda like yours looks, but all of my leaks started
in the windows and not the roof...I just peeled the bathroom
walls off ripped new studs, screwed them
 down/in added insulation, 
silicone and cheap Home Depot paneling...
Was a big dry camper after that....Hated to sell it...


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## Maggie Dog

I think a good place to start would be removing the corner gutter, all metal trim pieces, and the vinyl roof, pull it back and cut out the rotten roof pieces, it makes me cringe to see all the damage from a poorly designed roof. Good Luck, I got the same problem to resolve, now my camper is under a shed, the last year or so, no more water damage for the foreseeable future, but a real nightmare to correct. Again, GOOD LUCK


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## Mako22

I got into this one thinking I could make some minor repairs and get it good enough to sleep in. It grew into a major project as it went on.


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## Mako22

To be honest that is some nasty looking mold and I would bet that your floor joist are rotted to some extent also. Ask yourself this: if you can't see what she looks like under the floor, furnishings, etc do you want to sleep in it and risk getting that mold in your lungs? My answer on mine was no, so I ended up gutting 100% of her and ended up with a cabin on wheels instead of a camper.


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## Lukikus2

Woodsman69 said:


> I got into this one thinking I could make some minor repairs and get it good enough to sleep in. It grew into a major project as it went on.



Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Nice work also. 



Woodsman69 said:


> To be honest that is some nasty looking mold and I would bet that your floor joist are rotted to some extent also. Ask yourself this: if you can't see what she looks like under the floor, furnishings, etc do you want to sleep in it and risk getting that mold in your lungs? My answer on mine was no, so I ended up gutting 100% of her and ended up with a cabin on wheels instead of a camper.



I am keeping my fingers crossed on the mold issue. Luckily the roof of this one is in better shape than yours was. 

Are those floor joists 2x2's also?


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## Mako22

Lukikus2 said:


> Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Nice work also.
> 
> 
> 
> I am keeping my fingers crossed on the mold issue. Luckily the roof of this one is in better shape than yours was.
> 
> Are those floor joists 2x2's also?



Yeah they are but the originals don't measure out to a true 2x2 as they are a little slimmer. I used the closest size to them that Lowes had available.


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## Marty55

Be real careful with that black mold. we had some in a house we rented but didn't find it - behind a bookcase in our bedroom - until we moved out. my wife got real sick and it's taken her almost 10 months to get better


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## Swampy

Woodsman69, that is cool - great work. Likikus keep us posted on progress.


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## papasage

my camper has  styrafoam  insulation .


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## Lukikus2

Woodsman69 said:


> Yeah they are but the originals don't measure out to a true 2x2 as they are a little slimmer. I used the closest size to them that Lowes had available.



Thanks



Marty55 said:


> Be real careful with that black mold. we had some in a house we rented but didn't find it - behind a bookcase in our bedroom - until we moved out. my wife got real sick and it's taken her almost 10 months to get better



I'm trying to not stay in there for any longer than I have to at one time. Of course, the 100* plus temps don't help either.



Swampy said:


> Woodsman69, that is cool - great work. Likikus keep us posted on progress.



Progress is slow, or I am. I'm trying to save what materials (ie. paneling, studs) that I can for the rebuild and it's slows down progress considerably. I'll post some more pic's soon.



papasage said:


> my camper has  styrafoam  insulation .



That is what I'm thinking about going back with. At least a board type insulation.


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## Lukikus2

First pic is where the shower/tub faucet connects. Real easy to check for leaks.

Second, vanity and tub pulled out.

Third, removed bunk beds and supports, divider wall taken out.


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## Lukikus2

Rot on the side where the canopy support attaches to the camper has to be fixed pronto so I shifted gears.


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## Lukikus2

LOL

I found the answer.

I found the instructions to end all arguements over why foul smelling odors are eminatting from the tank! 

Why "everyone" knows your suppose to do it that way but can't back it up in writing.

It's because the instructions don't tell you that the secret is on the back of your mirror over your vanity. 

I now have the proof.


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## Mako22

Once I had mine completely gutted I took a pump up sprayer of bleach/water mixture and sprayed down the entire insides to kill any residual mold in there. I had tuffs of insulation behind the wall studs that I could not get out and I was worried that some of them may have been moldy. You may want to use bleach in some areas to insure that you get all of that black mold out.


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## Mako22

Another thing I did was I had several studs that were rotted at about the last 12"-18" before the floor so I cut out the rotted parts and then spliced in a new 2"x2" along the side of what was left of the old one. This created a dissjointed stud but it worked.


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## Mako22

Got an update?


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## Lukikus2

Woodsman69 said:


> Got an update?



Did some more demo. The deeper I get the more I find that needs to be replaced. Looks like a total renovation and I'm deciphering if it's even worth it.


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## 7MAGMIKE

Any new updates I would like to follow this as I may embark on the same kind of project.


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## Lukikus2

My apologies Mike on taking two years to answer. Lol

I scrapped it. 

Here is what I replaced it with though.


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## T-N-T

Ummm,  looks like an upgrade to me.


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## Lukikus2

TopherAndTick said:


> Ummm,  looks like an upgrade to me.



And for the same amount of money to fix the other one. Yeh it's old but has been taken care of. And I don't need two vehicles to drag the boat.


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