Please help - subfloor

[mmich21]

My husband and I just bought this '76 airstream excella 500 land yacht! were in north texas - we started renovating yesterday and found some spots that are rotted out it seems.... were NEWBIES in this airstream world of wonder and could use all the help we could get!! I dont think it's as bad as we think it is, no smell at all... but we are worried and nervous! we drove it from south texas and it was raining on the journey so as we pulled up carpet we noticed it was wet in the center. You can see this in the pictures - the darker areas. We think the leakage is coming from the bottom of the airstream OR could it be plumbing? We are not sure... Do you know??? Please help us!!! We are so excited and thrilled to get started with this whole thing ;-) Much love and thank you!

PS- my husband is thinking of getting a fog machine to put inside to see where the moisture is coming in from. What do you think?

[Melody Ranch]

It might surprise you, but many of those leaks may be coming from access doors (I see one in the last photo), or a window seal. The water migrates down to the folly. Get it all clean and dry it well with some circulating fans. Wait till you get a rain or wet it outside, in sections, so you can trace leaks. You can also "pressurize the inside with a shop vac or leaf blower. Squirt liquid soap on the outside and look for bubbles.

[CRH]

X2 on drying it out. I use a good, wide tape to seal exterior areas I think may be leaking and wait for rain or hit it with the hose, then looks for leaks. I think this is a better approach than sealing all kinds of places and not knowing where the leak is coming from...Leaks will fool you. They are often a long way from where you see water on the floor.