Water in rear belly pan 2004 16 ft International ccd

[karate2]

Hi, I am new to the Airstream Forums would like to take this opportunity to say Hi! My Wife and I are also new to owning any type of RV and have recently
(August 2019} purchased a 2004 16' international Bambi. We are just getting accustomed to it and until yesterday hadn't had any problems other than little things until I discovered water up in the rear belly pan. The insulation is totally dripping with water as I am able to get my fingers up on the side of the pan as a rivet or two are missing. We have had quite a bit of rain here in California but have not seen any sign of a leak anywhere inside so I assumed everything was fine. I have drilled several holes into the pan as to allow some of the water to drain out, which some has. I guess I'm dealing with two issues at the moment: the first and I guess the most important is to find where the water is coming from and second I guess, remove the pan, remove the insulation and dry everything out. Is there anyone that has had a similar problem and can advise me on what steps I should take? I have no idea what is under the pan and what to expect after removing it. I would appreciate any suggestions as we are totally Green and have no idea what direction to go in or what we might find under the pan. I want to thank anyone in advance for any help you might be able to provide.
Should any further detail be needed please let me know.
With Kind Regards,
Chuck

[wulfraat]

There is a known issue with airstreams of that era (I had a 2008). The rear seal between the bumper and skin (concealed by the lower beltline trim) is known to have a gap allowing water to ingress, wreck the floor and get collected in the rear insulation between the subfloor and belly pan.

Here is what it did to my trailer when the vinyl was peeled back. It was major surgery to correct the damage.

Repair varies depending on the damage. Search the form for “bumper leak” etc and you’ll find some good threads on this.

The other issue to investigate with your Bambi is the P-trap in the shower drain. Sometimes this is installed cross threaded, allowing water to drip down onto the pan and get absorbed by the insulation. Again causing varying amounts of damage. On your trailer this is curbside mid-ship I believe, so less likely if the moisture is truly in the rear. The only way to inspect this is from below.

May not be your problem but it’s where I’d start given you have a 2004. If you are handy, yes absolutely drill out the rivets and remove the rear belly pan, and then pull out the insulation. Now you can start digging in to root cause from below based on where the damage / moisture is.

[karate2]

Thank you Wulfraat I very much appreciate your reply and insight. I dropped the belly pan and I believe as you suggested the water must me coming in through the the area below the belt line trim. I was only able to remove 3 sides as the side towards the front is under what looks like a piece of angle iron that is holding up one side of the black water tank with several bolts, can you advise on this? The flooring is Particle board and not Plywood, a little cheesy if you ask me for such an expensive unit. The particle board has swelled and has white lines running around where it is wet which is probably close to 3/4's of the approx. 27x65" board. I have placed a floor jack underneath with a piece of ply wood up against the particle board hoping this will keep it flat as it dries. I have for the time being placed sheet of plastic over the area between the belt line and the skin to stop any further water getting in till the weather clears so I can investigate and seal this area. I would like to post a few pictures but being 72 years old and from the old school am not very food with computers, I don't see anywhere to insert and download pictures, I would like to post a few, anyway you might direct me? In your opinion do you think I have a chance to saving the particle board? I do not see how it can even be replaced as the entry area will not accommodate a sheet of wood.
I you or anyone else can advise I would certainly appreciate it.
Thank you again
Chuck

[Landshark]

Welcome to the Forums! Sorry it had to be a serious problem with your A/S that brought you here. You will get lots of good advice/help here, you can also search for similar threads and pick up more info.

I understand your issues with being in your 70s: me too! And I often don't even understand the vocabulary of these technical beings and just throw myself on their mercy. They're always nice....

Vivian

[Foiled Again]

Chuck, welcome. And Oh sugar! Not again! I had a 2005 CCD that I sold without knowing about the particle board and leaky bumper. I am a bit out there in my opinions, but I would patch the floor with Coosa board which is very expensive, but will last 50 years. (That IS overkill because I am also 70 and won't be Airstreaming for more than 10 years if that long.) The particle board is crap and should not be saved once it has delaminated unless it is a tiny spot. In that case harden it with Rot Doctor or similar.

Patch the floor with really good grade plywood and consider finishing it with epoxy before installing it. Labor will be expensive if you can't do it yourself, so check the reputation of whoever you hire. Do join WBCCI. You might easily find a member who has been there, done that and will assist you. Reward her/him generously! RV shops generally charge $100 or more per hour, and some do not properly install the plywood into the C Channel or join the patch to the rest of the floor. C channel is basically what holds the body to the floor so... you can imagine... you will need to loosen interior lower skins to access the C channel. At least there is no mouse fur on CCDs.

This is not a small job. Research "full monte" or "frame on floor replacement". Get a moisture meter and poke the floor all the way around near the outside walls to make sure it is just the rear bumper area. Around the steps is a common damage area also. If bad moisture readings, drop the whole belly pan and inspect.

[MrRivet]

Good advice from Foiled Again! MsRivet and I have been experienced this as well on our 2004 28’ International. We had the common water leak at the bumper/shell joint as well as a pretty good leak at the top of the rear window that also allowed water to run down and sit on the top of the floor. We had to remove 22” of the plywood at the rear. You can view some of our repair pictures from August of 2013 located on our travel blog at this web address. http://airstreamn.blogspot.com/2013/?m=0. It is not a complete series of pictures but it should give you an idea of what’s involved. If you are handy with tools, this repair can be done. As a local vintage camper restorer told us when we found our damage was “man made it, man can fix it”. As disappointing as this discovery is don’t let it dim your enthusiasm for owning your new Airstream. Once you get past this repair it will give you many days of enjoyment. You have come to the right place for advice and information. There are hundreds of members that have decades of experience that are willing to help you through this repair if choose to take it on or have a local shop complete the repair.

If you haven’t done this already, I would start by stopping the water intrusion at the bumper to prevent any further damage and allow the particle board to dry out. Also look higher up on the shell for other possible leaks such as we experienced at the top of the rear window.

Safe Travels!!
Tim

[wulfraat]

Great advice and guidance above!