Broken support under doorway Scamp 13’ 2003 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 11-05-2018, 03:02 PM   #1
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Name: Sabrina
Trailer: Escape -17
California
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Broken support under doorway Scamp 13’ 2003

Recently found the reason my door was so not fitting the side of the scamp was due to the supporting agent under the doorway is broken as both sides of door....and a PO did a lousy job of repairing it..more like camouflaged it really. Does anyone have any experience with this? Can you tell me what you did? Hope to post some photos soon.
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Old 11-06-2018, 07:05 AM   #2
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Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
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Broken support under doorway Scamp 13’ 2003

Not entirely sure what you're saying. Perhaps you could clarify a bit. Pictures definitely help.

(1) How is the door not fitting correctly? Gap at top and bottom? Gap at bottom only? Sagging at an angle?

(2) What exactly has broken under the entryway? Mine has a piece of flat steel that runs under the wood subfloor at the entrance. Has that rusted out? Welds failed? Is the wood itself rotted? The flat bar is welded to two short spurs off the main frame rail. Are those spurs sound?

Give us a bit more information, and I'm sure you'll get some input.
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Old 11-06-2018, 09:31 AM   #3
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Jon tks for at least knowing how the support is configured. PO has covered everything in fiberglass to disguise what ever is there... I have to get out my multi tool go to storage rip it all out. Take pics I’ll get back to you...maybe I can get out there today!
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Old 11-06-2018, 09:35 AM   #4
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Jon,
ps, door is way out at top and bottom trailer side is sagging spider cracks at top rear side of door frame area. It has been getting worse from the time I bought it fall of 2013. Then only a little out of whack at top of door.
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Old 11-06-2018, 10:06 AM   #5
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Door gap at bottom is often caused by water getting inside the door core from the door window.

I'm still not clear what's going on with the frame. Major issues with a 2003 are extremely rare. I could see if there is a leak at the bottom of the door and the wood got soft, it could cause the metal support piece underneath to break loose from flexing. I've not heard of any failures involving the main boxed steel frame members on trailers of that vintage.

Is the closet by the door (over the curbside wheel) still in place and unmodified?
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Old 11-06-2018, 10:36 AM   #6
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Cracking at the top of the door frame.
1.Check the frame for cracks usually in the bend below the front bench under the trailer.
2.Check the door walkway frame ear attaching point. There are two metal pieces that extend from the frame to the bottom of the door opening. At the end of the metal support is a piece of wood cut to match the shell shape. The wood is attach to the metal with screws and covered fiberglass cloth and resin that attaches the wood to the shell. In a lot of cases you can't see the wood. The wood can rot away and you loose your support and the door opening then becomes wonky.
3. A dead axle can cause cracking at the upper door corners.
Eddie
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Old 11-06-2018, 06:23 PM   #7
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Hi gang,
Went out with my tools pulled off the fiberglass inspected the framework all fine intact no problems... wood partial board! Was is there and is fine not written not swollen that I can tell!
Soooooo...
closet is in tact. Tho the silly clothing pole has at some time been loosened. Before I got the rig. The door has always had a gap at top mostly and smaller at bottom. It has been getting larger. The whole doorway is movable when I push up on mid if opening... I think I’m gonna weld up an angle iron and box iron frame for inside of doorway. To be camouflaged by the screen door framework. The bottom of this framing to be from diamond plate or something nice to screw through to the below door member.... and the side and top to push up on the roof...at least that’s my plan so far...feed back?
thank you for your input!! It was helpful to know that scamp did the wonky fiberglassing!
As well as to know the actual configuration of the framing under the door.
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Old 11-06-2018, 06:28 PM   #8
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Are you sure its particle board and not OSB? OSB is commonly used by several of the molded trailer manufacturers.
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Old 11-06-2018, 06:33 PM   #9
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Welllll... it is the same substance as the floor. Looks like press wood chips. Maybe called OSB
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Old 11-06-2018, 07:11 PM   #10
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Particle board looks a lot more like pressed sawdust, while OSB looks like wood shavings pressed together. Particle board is a total no no for flooring, while OSB is a common product used in floors (and roofs for that matter).
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Old 11-06-2018, 10:44 PM   #11
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Ok it is OSB. Tks I’m enlightened,
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Old 11-06-2018, 10:54 PM   #12
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Ed,
What is a dead axel?
I saw no cracks under the door in the area you indicated...
I removed the fiberglass covering the OSB under the front side of door. That is sooo hokie!
Also removed the OSB which was held in with ONE screw diagonally in from outside the fiberglass shell!!! Is this really SCAMP’s work. After removing the one screw the OSB fell out.
Since it was not attached with screws to the metal I’m guessing someone messed up.
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Old 11-07-2018, 07:39 AM   #13
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Sorry for the spelling dyslexia mess up. "Dead axle" Scamp and Casita's use torsion axles. These axles have rubber rods inserted into the axle housing to absorb the road shock and act as a spring. After usually 15-20 years the rubber becomes compressed and looses it a ability to absorb the shock of road ruts and potholes. There are several threads on how to check a torsion axle.
I usually deal with rotted wood in the door frame ear extension. When I replace the wood I usually make the wood a tight fit into the metal channel and solidly attach the wood with 4 screws. I then re-glass over the wood block, shell, floor bottom and metal frame. The key is to ensure everything concerning the door is aligned before glassing things together. The glass work in this area is never pretty. If the floor near the door is rotted alignment is critical. If your front under seat floor is good and solid your door frame alignment is pretty much set.
Just verifying you do have a piece of angle iron under your door walkway near the outside of the trailer attached to your walkway lower metal frame? This prevents spread of the lower door opening.
It's hard to say without viewing your trailer but if you have upper door corner cracking on a 70's-90s Scamp with a solid frame and door frame support I would really be looking at an axle.
This is how it usually goes a bad axle transfers road shock to the frame and support members, they fail then you start seeing shell cracking at the door upper corners. Or the upper floor rots at the edge of the shell and the shell settles causing cracking. All being said being said upper door frame cracking is pretty rare on Scamps and Casitas. It's usually a individual specific trailer issue. Also gelcoat cracking in this area and others areas can happen and just be a cosmetic issue and just be monitored.
Eddie
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:42 AM   #14
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Where exactly do you screw to when replacing the “ears”?
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Old 11-07-2018, 11:28 AM   #15
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You remove the front bench and that exposes the metal frame ear. Drill a holes
through the metal and screw into the wood block. If you don't want to remove the front bench drill through the fiberglass bench face and metal ear into the wood. You can dress it up with some white rivet caps and bases on your screws. Another option is to epoxy the wood to the metal and hold it into with just a couple of screws.
Eddie
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:06 AM   #16
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How far “up” does the metal ear extend above the floor under the bench? So I know where to drill. I’ve modified the bench to permanent dinette and it is no longer easily removable.
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