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Airslide · 02-01-2009, 08:24 PM

Hi there,

I just added a link for Kool seal koolseal.com: Aluminum Roof Coatings

Not sure about the different colors. Im sure is says in there someplace. I was reading in here that if you stay on the ribs of the roof you will be ok. I weigh in about 190 so not huge but i can make a dent if i was to lean with my elbo on a soft spot. i was very careful of this while i was up there. I basically had my free standing ladder next to the trailer and i took a 2x6 board and placed it on the side rail on each side of the trailer. I used this to kneel on so i could be up there. I placed a few towels on it so it didnt hurt my knees so bad. I worked on each side from there and only had to reach into the middle. When finished with one side i then removed the board and sealed that sides drip rail. Then off to the other side to do the same process. I have to say that when you get up onto the board from the ladder you MUST get off the trailer in the same manner so you dont end up tipping the ladder away from the trailer and falling. I just did lots of slow movements and my wife came out several times to check on me.. What a good wife!

I hope that it can all dry out for you so you dont have to replace any flooring. I had a few spots that showed staining but nothing really. I used a little bit of this resin in those places just for future problems down the road. Wood preservation, rot repair, and restoration using epoxy resin on boats and homes.
Check it out. Might be an easy solution for you.

Vinnie

Airslide · 02-01-2009, 08:25 PM

PS. Im told we dont need to worry about the seams with the rivits. They should be fine unless there is damage or missing rivits. I left that area alone.

Vin

DEITZ645 · 02-02-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlamica

PS. Im told we dont need to worry about the seams with the rivits. They should be fine unless there is damage or missing rivits. I left that area alone.

Vin

Besides missing or loose rivets, also look for any gaps between the overlapping sheets. With expansion and contraction of a gap may appear that will need to be sealed.

Sometimes I think we all may have loose or missing rivets

.

tphan · 02-02-2009, 08:01 AM

Just so you have the terminology right when/if you go to replace sections of the sub-floor, what you have is OSB (oriented strand board). Particle board is much denser and heavier, used most often in cheap cabinetry, partitions, sub-countertops, etc. You could also use plywood- it tends to come in more thicknesses and you might be better able to match the thickness of the existing OSB that you are leaving in. Good luck with all this!

DEITZ645 · 02-02-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tphan

Just so you have the terminology right when/if you go to replace sections of the sub-floor, what you have is OSB (oriented strand board). Particle board is much denser and heavier, used most often in cheap cabinetry, partitions, sub-countertops, etc. You could also use plywood- it tends to come in more thicknesses and you might be better able to match the thickness of the existing OSB that you are leaving in. Good luck with all this!

Tphan is absolutely correct. I mistakenly refrerred to the subfloor material as "particle board" when it is really OSB. I believe it is also referred to as flakeboard.

Pepsi · 02-08-2009, 09:31 AM

As for the leak under the fridge, looks like the wheel well seal has failed to the front of your tires. Same as ours did to the rear. Floor needs to be replaced. That is work... The smaller areas, you certainly want to fix the leak. But you may be able to save the floor in that area. We had a similar small area of discolored wood and softening under the front window. I made a diluted wood glue solution and poored onto the area letting it soak into the wood. This solidified the wood in place. Fine for a small area. Not so good for under the fridge.

As for the small spot under the side window, there is a break in the U channel, which attaches to the seam at the base of the wall. Ours had the same issue. Same spot. The problem is that once water gets into the U channel it can travel around until it finds a spot to escape. Our source was the seam at the top of large front window. There are two sealants used on the windows. There is a real sticky seal b/t the window frame and the trailer. There is another which they put over it and around the window frame. THis is the grey outer sealant you see. It is easily removed with a sharp chizzle. Be careful not to scratch or gouge the aluminium... I put tape down to protect the skin... replace seal around the windows with the recommended sealant.

Our toilet base was made of particle wood. (stuff should be outlawed) When I removed it I found black mold had grown in the carpet and on the wood under the toilet.

I know it is tempting to throw down some shiny hard wood and put a sale sign in the window. But stick with it and you will be a happy camper...

Our e-mail is sheatlie@comcast.net. Be happy to send you some photos of our project as you requested...

henw · 02-08-2009, 03:35 PM

I had the skylights replaced due to cracks. The dealer offered a "reseal" of all the roof vents etc. for around $500. Took off the old caulk and replaced with new. I thought that as long as they were going to be up there, and given the enormous time it would take me, and knowing the nightmares a leak can cause, that this was a reasonable investment. The AS is now stored out of the Florida sun and rain, so I am hoping the roof will maintain for years to come.

Tom

Bo Walker · 02-08-2009, 06:25 PM

I hope you soon find the source of water entry and solve your problem. Some seem to think your floor in particle board. Just looking at the picture I can tell it isn't particle board but OSB (oriented stress board). I think that's what it is at least. It's much stronger than particle board and water doesn't ruin it as quickly.
Bo

Utahgoldrup · 02-09-2009, 08:31 PM

After trying to weigh the pros and cons on how to go about getting things taken care of and fixed before the camping season begins... we decided to take the trailer in to our local AS dealership. Found out today that the roof seals were not the cause of the water damage, while we are going to have something resealed on top (for preventative maintenance) our water lines had some leaks. The dealership pressurized the system and determined this to be the cause of the water damage under the fridge area. We are waiting for insurance to let us know if they will cover this repair (dealership sent them a bid) which will include removing the fridge and the cabinetry around it and then replacing a section of flooring... hopefully they cover it but we told them to go ahead and start the repairs with or without insurance.

Some of the water lines will be replaced and we will also have the rub strip down around the bottom of the trailer sealed. I think just before camping season starts, I will do some sealing/re-sealing around windows, skins, etc, where-ever it looks like it might be needed.

I hope the seal around the wheel well did not cause the leaking but hopefully when the fridge/cabinetry, damaged flooring is removed, they look at that to make sure it may have not been the cause as someone else has mentioned happened to them.

Once the repairs are completed... I think we can start again on the interior remodeling we had planned, things are looking up and I really appreciate every ones comments and encouragement. If we had better weather and I had more time, tools, and a good area to work in, we would probably tackle the job ourselves and save some money, but for now, this is the best decision for us.

Airslide · 02-09-2009, 08:54 PM

Sometimes its just easier to have it taken care of. Dont feel bad about your decision. There will be plenty of other things you can do (and will do) to save money. Hopefully the insurance company sends you a big fat check!

Happy Camping! Its almost spring time..

Vin

Pepsi · 02-24-2009, 05:45 PM

See our post re: quality control and poor wheel well design... You should not have any problems at all on a trailer that new... Question for you... Did they use particle board on the floor?

Utahgoldrup · 03-02-2009, 09:31 AM

Hey Pepsi - It doesn't look like I have any issues with the wheel wells in my trailer, it is an area however I will keep an eye on.

The floor was replaced with OSB (oriented stress board), same stuff that was already in there. The dealership did a very good job, they had to pull the fridge/microwave and cabinet those are in to get at the floor and put a new piece in, they also replaced the floor underneath the toilet.

Since this work has been done, we used an ozone machine for about 24 hours straight (these are very effective) to get rid of smells, etc. We are moving on to some other interior updates, it feels like we are back on track!!!

wolf146 · 04-14-2009, 06:18 PM

I had a leak by the door in my 2004 Classic that I bought used last year. I took the unit to Ohio and had Airstream check it out. they found a rivet in the roof was the cause of the leak. that is one reason I am somewhat disappointed in Airstream - I thought they checked the housing for leaks prior to building the trailer.

wlj1943 · 04-20-2009, 12:20 AM

wolf146,

After many years with Airstreams, this can and does happen. Drives you nuts finding the source as often the water tracks down the ribs to a location far removed from the offending rivet. Sometimes when a rivet is not well set (or even when they appear OK), it can develop a leak after thermal (exposure to the outdoor environment), and stress loads from operational (IE mileage) events; just like aircraft.

A pressurized leak check using soap is what I had Jackson Center perform for me on my Excella, and it found 3 weepers that we fixed 2 years ago. No problems since then.
wlj1943