any quick thoughts on patching this floor wood rot ?

[nickclifford]

apologies in advance, there must be several postings on this subject already.. just discovered this rot under the kitchen sink, right in front of the wheel well.
very awkward to get at.. what's my best repair fix? otherwise flooring in general looks in very good shape.
this is a 1972 Sovereign ..

many thanks)

[nickclifford]

metal in front of rotted area is the heat ducting..

assuming water leak is found and fixed & wood rot is treated, is the trailer structurally unsound or dangerous in any way if this is just "patched" up? removing the entire kitchen vanity unit is not really an option for me at this stage.

[Nuvite-F]

First thing I would do is take a sharp pointed knife and probe the plywood around the actual hole. My guess is that for a few inches around the hole you can probably stick a knife clean through it. Any plywood that badly rotted should be removed.

When you get to wood that is only partly rotted you can saturate it with penetrating epoxy like Git Rot or Rot Doctor (following directions that come with the product) to stabilize it. Since the rotted area is out of sight under the sink you could cover the hole with another piece of plywood fastened to the surrounding floor.

Not an ideal fix, but will probably get you by.

[J. Morgan]

If the rot is only in that area I would throw a patch over it and move on.

Not a "proper fix", but it will be ok.

The only caveat would be if there was a long area rotted out between the body C Chanel and the frame allowing the body to sag and separate. I am not seeing that in the pictures.

I say patch over and enjoy your 72.

[AWCHIEF]

Patching over the rotted wood is only a temporary fix. First priority is to find the leaks and fix them. The rot will continue to spread if not. The bad flooring needs to be excised and properly repaired. Good luck.

[A W Warn]

First find the leak and fix it.

You can use penetrating epoxy and/or some fiberglass mesh to repair the floor. You can do this in a few hours. Or you can put a patch on and use it as is.

This is what I did: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...xy-108608.html

[J. Morgan]

Nice work AJ,,,

Pretty cool repair you did.

[nickclifford]

thanks everyone !! what an amazing resource this forum is, I'm not up for a full floor restoration just yet ... was hoping to enjoy some trips with my kids before they get too old and then start on some bigger restoration / modernization projects, namely new bathroom, new plumbing , water heater etc ..

the axles are original, would it be damaging in any way to the trailer to leave this for now? Can't imagine towing more than a couple of thousand miles a year for now.

[perryg114]

Look for leaks around those wheel wells. Also along the side in front of the wheel well. I expect there is a gap in the c-channel that dumps water from that side into that area. Nail a piece of plywood over the hole for now. You do need to get after leaks before the whole floor needs replacing. Also the rear floor is a rot prone area usually hidden by the bathroom.

Perry

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

thanks everyone !! what an amazing resource this forum is, I'm not up for a full floor restoration just yet ... was hoping to enjoy some trips with my kids before they get too old and then start on some bigger restoration / modernization projects, namely new bathroom, new plumbing , water heater etc ..

the axles are original, would it be damaging in any way to the trailer to leave this for now? Can't imagine towing more than a couple of thousand miles a year for now.

The BEST patching for your floor would be using fiberglass resin.

Reducing the hardener makes the resin take longer to set. That gives the resin much more time to soak into the wood, which makes it stronger than the original wood, and never a worry after the fact.

Andy

[J. Morgan]

My trailer is a 72 Sovereign like yours, I put off my axle replacement for three trips totaling about 9,000 miles after getting the trailer back on the road.

Did I beat the odds?

Yes and no. I was able to defer the purchase, but in those 9,000 miles the rough ride with essentially no suspension caused my trailer to sag in the back more than it had before.

I was able to get it back straighter than it was when I bought it upon installation of the new axles though.

So still, yes and no.



It sets pretty straight now.

[thesignlady]

If the layout in your trailer is anything like mine check your fridge vents, your leaks may be coming from above. There is not much point repairing the floor until you have fixed the problem to your satisfaction. Take the time to look over everything and re seal where needed. If it hasn't ever been done in the time you have owned it, take the time to systematically replace the sealant in every window, vent, bumper, access panel and around the all the lighting including the clearance lights. Also replace the gaskets around the plumbing stacks. Andy from inland recommends they are replaced every 4 years or so. It time well spent to ensure more time in the life of your trailer :-)

[nickclifford]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

My trailer is a 72 Sovereign like yours, I put off my axle replacement for three trips totaling about 9,000 miles after getting the trailer back on the road.

Did I beat the odds?

Yes and no. I was able to defer the purchase, but in those 9,000 miles the rough ride with essentially no suspension caused my trailer to sag in the back more than it had before.

I was able to get it back straighter than it was when I bought it upon installation of the new axles though.

So still, yes and no.

Attachment 224032

It sets pretty straight now.

J, can the ride height be raised when installing new axles ? thx for the advice

[nickclifford]

Originally Posted by thesignlady

If the layout in your trailer is anything like mine check your fridge vents, your leaks may be coming from above. There is not much point repairing the floor until you have fixed the problem to your satisfaction. Take the time to look over everything and re seal where needed. If it hasn't ever been done in the time you have owned it, take the time to systematically replace the sealant in every window, vent, bumper, access panel and around the all the lighting including the clearance lights. Also replace the gaskets around the plumbing stacks. Andy from inland recommends they are replaced every 4 years or so. It time well spent to ensure more time in the life of your trailer :-)

thanks for the advice, i need to call Andy asap ... think i may have to splash out on a cover to keep the trailer bone dry this winter while i work on weatherizing.

this will be a big learning curve ... ..

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

J, can the ride height be raised when installing new axles ? thx for the advice

We change the starting angle on new axles.

Usually, the trailer is raised about 3 inches with them, from worn out rubber rod height.

Andy

[J. Morgan]

I also raised the axles 3" when I installed new. (I welded). (I used this as an opportunity to fix the frame sag by welding in 6' x 3" angle to hold the frame straight)

There is a bolt in kit available to raise the axles 2".