placing new wood over old

[T&Cairstream]

i was wondering if it would be a good idea to place a new peice of wood on top of the new one after the old one was sealed has any one done this? I just took everything out of my back bed room in my 84 international.

[CanoeStream]

Hello T&C. I don't understand the question completely but I'll start a conversation here. Are you talking about the plywood floor? Airstreams have problems leaking at the back bumper at the junction with the aluminum shell. Getting that sealed up is important under any circumstance (do not use silicone caulk!). I'm not sure laying another piece of plywood is a solution for any number of issues. Can you tell us more what you are dealing with? Thanks

[T&Cairstream]

i meant new plywood over the old piece of plywood... the old peice of wood is in pretty bad condition(some mold from leaking storage doors and back panel adjacent to bath) i was trying to avoid taking the paneling off the wall. On my 84 the sheet metal goes up half way.

[InsideOut]

Adding another piece of plywood over deteriorated plywood only hides the problem (not the smell tho) and it doesn't make it go away. If the wood is "in pretty bad condition" the structural integrity of the rear of your trailer is compromised. The channel which supports the skins that make-up the shell is attached to the edge of the plywood - if the plywood is rotted, there is no support for the shell. It's just cantilevered out there and it bounces around stressing the point s it is connected to.

Without replacing the damaged floor portions and sealing the leaks to prevent it from happening again, you will continue to take in water which encourages frame to rust and the ultimate demise of your trailer.

IMO you should replace the wood now and fix the leaks (you shouldn't have any from compartment doors with proper gasketing) before it gets worse. It'll only be a bigger problem to fix later...and if you already have everything out of the area, it makes it easier. You shouldn't have to do a total "shell off" restoration, just replace the damaged portion at the back.

Shari

[Fyrzowt]

Shari is refering to the plywood in the floor - in re-reading your post, it looks like maybe you're talking about wall plywood?? Please clarify. The floor is structural, the wall is not so much, although Shari is right. You don't want to cover up the mold and the associated smells. Either way I would replace. You may get away with cutting out the old paneling (if your talking about the wall) and placing a new one with some trim over the joint.
Dave

[T&Cairstream]

thats what i figured. i orderd new weather stripping for the storage doors. what could i seal the skin with when ever i find out where the leak is.

[Fyrzowt]

There are various products that are used. There is a "sticky" thread on sealers - lots of good reading there.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f456...more-7626.html

Dave

[Lumatic]

Once again, it depends. Is the damage to the wood to be covered structural. The floor is connected to the shell and frame. If it is not structural you may be OK. What do you mean "sealed"? If it is sealed why do you need to cover it up. A good fix for punky but not rotten plywood is an epoxy penetrating wood preservative such as Rot Doctor. It should get rid of the mold and smell problem. Don't forget your respirator. If the floor problem is structural you may need to put in some good wood to prevent bigger problems down the road.

[craftsman]

I'd like to reply but the questions are very unclear. Exactly what plywood and where is it that you are asking about. Having said that,it's NEVER good to cover up damaged, especially rotted wood anywhere, walls or floor. Covering up rotted wood is just a lazy mans repair. If the Airstream has any value at all, a job worth doing is worth doing right. If you don't feel competent to do the work yourself, maybe you can get a friend to help.

[LI Pets]

Take some pictures

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

The floor is connected to the shell and frame. If it is not structural you may be OK.

Guess it depends on the year...

With our '56 the plywood floor is an integral part of the way it is all connected. The frame (the ladder part below the floor) has the plywood sitting on top of it. It's held into place with elevator bolts to the frame. Then the sill (C-channel) sits on top of that and is bolted through the plywood to the outriggers. The ribs are attached to the C-Channel and sandwiched between the inner & outer skins, the belly pan is also attached to the C-channel. If the plywood fails, there is an extra 5/8"-3/4" gap between the sill/rib/skin (shell) and the frame. Those areas still connected carry a lot more stress than was intended, so they will soon fail too.

Not trying to be a doom-sayer, but since you know you have a problem, your furniture is out, why not fix it right? The key is to fix the problem before it spreads...

Shari