Where do I start when assessing floor damage?

[Shelley D]

Hi. I appreciate any and all help. I am the new owner of a 13' '82 Burro. It needs a bit of work but the shell is in good condition with the exception of one inside crack above the door. I can stand in the camper but there are a few soft spots in the floor. One around the table, one under the vent and maybe other smaller spots Yesterday I removed some of the carpeting and black membrane to check out the floor. Some of the screws were very long and rusted. One hole had a tiny bit of water seep out. Where should i start? Is there a possibility I can do some patching so i can use the Burro this fall or should I plan to remove the shell from the frame and remove the entire thing? I am ok if it is not perfect the first time i take it camping. Any tips? To be honest, The entire floor replacement option is a bit overwhelming. I have read many of the threads on that topic and I have a huge learning curve Unfortunately I do not have a garage. BTW, I have never owned a camper and only slightly familiar with fiberglass work. I realize I purchased a project, not a trailer. But I am in love and committed. Thanks you in advance for your time, Shelley

[stevebaz]

If it were mine and wanted to go camping I would leave that area open to dry out as much as I can. Before going camping I would cut another piece of plywood the same size as that area and just lay it over tha area so you dont go falling through the floor and go camping. Remove the plywood when you get back. In the mean time I would repair the reason the floor failed be it plumbing, window or vent leaks whatever. No sence fixing the floor to have something leaking on it just to ruin it again. Get her sealed up and dry and then go for fixing the floor. Removing screws and having water running out is a pretty serious leak.

[Shelley D]

Thanks, Steve. I will start investigating possible leaks around windows this weekend. The vent is definitely in need of some TLC. Take care.

[peterh]

You mentioned a crack above the door. When you have floor rot, the front corner next to the door sags and causes cracking at the upper front corner of the door frame. If you have that kind of cracking, I would very thoroughly investigate the flooring around the door and under the cabinets at the front.

We had a few soft spots on our Surfside project trailer, and found we had to replace the entire floor. I'll be posting pictures of our gutted shell with its new floor and new internal support ribs soon . . . as in four of the five vertical ribs have just gotten tacked into place, with the fifth one going in tomorrow.

[Donna D.]

Okay, so some of the floor is soft and probably rotten and needs to be replaced. I would think FIRST is to determine where the water is coming in and STOP that from happening. Even if you pull the shell from the frame and replace the entire floor... you need to KNOW where that water is coming from and do a proper seal up in those areas or you're going to continue to have a water problem....

[Shelley D]

Thank you Peter. That is exactly where the crack is located. Donna, I hear you loud and clear. What is the point of fixing anything when the problem will reappear? I have resigned to the fact that the floor will be replaced after we determine the leakage problems. I don't think this old girl was cared for much after the first few years. She needs new everything. This is not what I had wished for, but, in for a penny, in for a pound.

This website is going to be my life line. Thank you to everyone who participates with stories, instruction, and photos. Oh the blessed Internet.