1987 25' Sovereign, nasty surprise.

[Robertone139]

All, first post here,
We just bought a 1987 25' Sovereign that looked well maintained.
Wanted to go out camping right away but while cleaning under the left twin bed (the one on the city water attachment side) I notice the subfloor sagging by the rear end.
Upon removing the grey carpet I found that the floor (5/8" OSB, why not plywood?) had disintegrated in the last 4 inches around the curve, so I started digging more and I found a soft spot right in the middle, under where the nightstand usually seats.
I read about the issues with the bumper and I wanted to know if it's alright to just replace the damaged subfloor cutting to the first frame structural members available both transversal and longitudinal.

Thanks,
Roberto

[Belegedhel]

So, yes, you can patch your floor--just be conscious of where the main frame rails are, and where the crossmembers sit, and you will be OK. You can also use a plywood "doubler" to tie your patch into the surrounding floor if there is no nearby frame member.

The thing that may make this repair more complcated is that the subfloor goes underneath the wall, and will have screws and bolts that clamp it between the C-channel at the base of the wall and the outriggers of the frame. If you are super lucky, the part you need to patch may not have a bolt going through it, and all you have to do is slide it under the wall. If you are not lucky, then the best way to do the repair will be to remove the interior skin where the patch is needed, and drop the banana wrap in the same area so that you have access to the tops and bottoms of the bolts/screws that go through that section. Not rocket science, but it could end up being labor intensive.

While you are at it, you might want to check the entire perimeter of your trailer to see if there are other rotten places. You also need to find the leak that caused the rot. It is pretty likely that all of the window seals need to be replaced, as well as the vent seals, hatch seals and door seal.

good luck!

[Robertone139]

Opposite side feels solid all around.
I used a hose and watered that side of the rear bumper.
I could see the water pooling at the bottom of the rearmost cross member, where it met the underbody cladding, no water was coming in from where the c channel is supposed to be.

[dbj216]

My 86 Limited also had floor rot under the street side twin bed at the rear. I found a leak at the tail light assembly, which I'm blaming as the culprit. That was a easy fix. I've also sealed the joint between the bumper cover hinge plate and the body with the molding off the trailer. I did this many years ago. My floor is that OSB stuff too. That would not be my choice for a subfloor.

As mentioned, I tied into cross members and frame rails to secure my scab. I had to hammer the replacement plywood under the c channel and make a good connection.

David

[Robertone139]

Thanks all, the picture posted reflects exactly what I am doing to repair the damage.
I believe that the leak is located at the upper part of the bumper, where the box cover slides under the outer skins, so we are going to have to fix that by removing the molding and sealing behind it.
Thanks again.

[joevdb]

Thanks from an onlooker who was looking for a way to avoid shell off. Pretty much how I was planning to approach it.

Joe