Floor Rot

As we tore out pieces of the interior, we uncovered and began to get a little more of an idea of what was ahead... Or so we thought. 

The above photo is of the corner where the water heater sat, which is notorious for floor rot in campers. The whole corner of the floor, floor joists, and even the corner wall supports are gone... literally! In this photo, the silver and pink area of the floor is the aluminum skin that rests on the metal trailer frame. That's the only thing separating the inside from outside.

Here is a photo of the front left corner of the camper. This was under one of the bench seats and the storage area for the fresh water tank. There is supposed to be a layer of plywood and another board UNDER the visible boards that form the corner. 

Here is the front right corner of the camper. More of the same here... rot, rot, rot! It's a miracle we even got this thing home in one piece! Here you can also see that we removed part of the siding to gain access to the floor and begin repairs. You can also begin to appreciate and agree that the only thing holding this camper up is the bathroom and closet!

As you've seen above, three of the four corners of this camper are completely rotten away. The fourth corner didn't come out unscathed, but the extent of rot was nothing in comparison. Being that the corners, the main supporting structures of the camper, we're no longer capable of bearing weight, I had to come up with a way of supporting the roof while we replaced the corners and flooring.

Here is what I came up with. A mobile roof jack made of scrap lumber and an old scissor jack from a car. It enabled me to move it as needed while replacing parts of the floor below it.

Stay tuned for the repair of the floor! :-)

-Sam

Free with Purchase

The next day after washing the camper, we dug in to find out what repairs were needed. Fast-forward two weeks, and I am finally getting to sit down and update you on what all was discovered... *sigh*... 

What we thought we knew:

• The roof paneling was sagging and damp to the touch -- patch the leaking roof.
• The interior was very dirty and need of repair -- fix the cosmetic issues and clean up.
• The tires are dry-rotted and need replaced -- buy new tires.
• Miscellaneous other small tasks.

What we quickly found out:

• We were the proud new owners of a camper "shell"... complete with 452 lbs. (exact weight from a trip to the local waste center) of rotten, previously-a-camper bits of wood, insulation and other organic matter.
• We had a small green lake on top of the roof; collecting water instead of shedding it.
• The bathroom walls and attached closet were the only things holding up the camper's roof and walls.
• The previous owners must have owned stock in the Silicone Caulk industry by the copious amounts surrounding every window, door, and even parts of the roof.
• Funny enough though... the caulking only reached 80% up the sides--must have been as far as the owners could reach from the ground, and was deemed "good 'nuff".

• As a bonus, we received, free-with-purchase:
• (1) mouse nest complete with (1) mummified corpse and (1) freshly dead one.
• All the sweet aromas and stains of the above said mice living (and dying) in the yellow 3" shag carpet under the bed.
• About 10 lbs. of live carpenter ants in their various life cycles (winged ants, larvae, eggs) who had made a home of the wood structures and styrofoam insulation.

I can honestly say, that numerous times over the last two weeks I've wanted to badly to rip off the shell and build a new camper on the frame--anything to save me the nightmare and headache of having to rebuild this one bit-by-bit. And for anyone who knows me, that is saying a lot! But alas, my wife would play no part in entertaining such thoughts... she was already attached to this camper.

*sigh*

Here are some highlights of the tear-down. I plan to add the full gallery of photos to an online account soon. Stay tuned for information and where to view them at.

-Sam

Tearing up the bed platform. It was a patchwork of random boards and bits. Apparently whatever they had on hand.

The nastiest part of the tear down. The mouse nest is near the water heater along with all sorts of funk in that shagg carpet. Yuck!

Kitchen wall cabinet, stove, vent hood and other items removed.  This is when we began to see the ceiling rot and uncovered the previously paneled over top window on the side. How lazy do you have to be to panel over a window in a camper?!

Demo completed as far as taking everything down and out that was covering the bones of the camper.

This was a common site as we took down wall paneling, ceiling panels, and even floor boards!

A Great Difference

The next day after buying the camper, we set out to clean it up so we could assess the situation and know what we were working with.  Kudos to my wife, who worked diligently at scrubbing the exterior by hand. What a great difference!

Inside, the curtains, cushions and all other fabrics were removed.

-Sam

Being of Hearty Sense and Moderate Skill

We recently purchased a "hunter's camper" from CraigsList, which anyone familiar with modern second-hand seller lingo knows translates into "needs work".  Wherein the level of work can vary greatly. Those with a hearty sense of adventure and moderate skill set can find great satisfaction, and great monetary savings in fixing up one of these campers.  We are such people, and have begun the task of reviving our 1976 Frolic camper (by Midas) from its current state, into that of a nice family camper ready for many more years on the road.

Below you will find photos of the camper, fresh from its two hour tow home; over the mountains and through the valleys of the Appalachian Mountains, from one town, to ours.

-Sam