Refurbishing my 77 Scamp

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

Dirt is one thing but this elephant hide was filthy and sticky! Some of that "tape" is just dirt. Took this to remind me what overlaps what. It's all clean after this week end and I have a dehumidifier running to get it good and dry before retape. Used AWSOME found at $$$ store.

Here is a picture of the inside of my 85 Scamp with the seams filled with latex caulk, smoothed and then painted with 123 Primer and Behr High Gloss latex paint. I'm not sure why folks are taping the seams...

[RogerDat]

Cost and time effective is my reason. Caulking + painting + trimming windows would not get done in time for spring camping. I have the tape from Scamp but based on what others have said about problems with tape coming off I'm debating use of additional adhesive vs additional work getting it off if I go the route you did.

Your scamp looks sweet. Thanks for sharing the idea, materials and results.

[RogerDat]

How does one replace the alum. rain shield above the door on a scamp? Looking for someone who has been there done that. Caulk tape is shot, shield is more of a guide for rain than a guard. I see a river flowing out from under the middle when it rains.... right at my door.

Attached by rivets but the ends must be buried under the ensolite. Going to be hard to knock them out after drilling.

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

How does one replace the alum. rain shield above the door on a scamp? Looking for someone who has been there done that. Caulk tape is shot, shield is more of a guide for rain than a guard. I see a river flowing out from under the middle when it rains.... right at my door.

Attached by rivets but the ends must be buried under the ensolite. Going to be hard to knock them out after drilling.

I slid a putty knife under the ensolite after removing the push-on trim piece around the door. You can then access the back of the rivets. You can then glue the ensolite back down. I used rubber contact cement but there are dozens of adhesives that will work.

Work gently with that old ensolite as it does become a bit brittle over time.

[Thee Jimbo]

Originally Posted by BigMike

I slid a putty knife under the ensolite after removing the push-on trim piece around the door. You can then access the back of the rivets. You can then glue the ensolite back down. I used rubber contact cement but there are dozens of adhesives that will work.

Work gently with that old ensolite as it does become a bit brittle over time.

I read somewhere else un this forum that they just let the old rivet heads be. They don't cause any damage and they didn't rattle. Maybe if they duded start to rattle then gently peel back the old ensolite and then deal with the rivets.

That's what I plan to do either way.

And don't forget the butyl tape

Good luck and let us know how it turned out

[RogerDat]

Thanks BigMike and Jimbo. I'm going to try the "let em be" if I can but worth knowing that removing door trim and peeling back ensolite is an option.

I have enough butyl tape left from one roll after redoing the fridge vent, furnace vent, cord port and water fill to do the rain shield. Will have to get more when I get around to windows.

[RogerDat]

Removed the boa constrictor sized bead of silicon caulk from the belly band this weekend. Got a two-fer out of it. Scamp looks much better and the small seep of water that I could not track down became a readily apparent flow.

Looks like I will be drilling out the rivets and removing the belly band. I recall reading on the forum that 3M 5200 that would be good for sealing the seam between the two halves. Or Lexel clear caulk has also been mentioned.

Figure caulk the seam, epoxy the old rivet holes and replace belly band and re-rivet. Since the rivets don't go through not sure how I will seal those. If anyone has any suggestions on the best caulk or tips learned the hard way feel free to share.

[RogerDat]

Confirmed belly band leak using a watering can so off it came. The suggestion of using Nevr Dull was a good one. Posted this picture of before and after. At least you will know why I called it a silicon snake and how well that polish, along with some elbow grease worked.

[RogerDat]

We all talk about butyl tape caulk but I have not seen any pictures of it in use. So here are some for those who wonder what it is like and how it is used.

One showing the caulk tape being applied to back of the furnace vent. With the backing paper peeled up at the corners so I can press each piece of caulk tape into the other. Still one piece to go in the foreground. The paper is all peeled off before installing.



This is the fridge vent after being riveted on. You can see the butyl tape is squished out the edges. I will then take a plastic putty knife and slowly trim the excess off flush with the edges of the vent.



All I can say is I spent days cleaning silicon off of belly band, a few minutes cleaning old butyl tape off of these two vents.

[RogerDat]

I was sure I had tracked down the leak to the belly band seam using a watering can. Removed the belly band and caulked fiberglass with 3M 5200 I would have sworn that seam was all but air tight. Had a big rain last night and towel left at low point under couch was wet by where I saw water coming down seam of ensolite after removing belly band caulk

Will re-test with watering can, probably in small sections with plastic garbage bags taped over everything below band. Test belly seam a little at a time, if no leak found at belly seam then expose section below by removing garbage bags one section at a time.

Suppose I could have more than one leak source since trailer is angled down at the front and toward one corner a bit. Which put the towel and the ensolite seam where I saw the leak at a low point BUT on a raised portion of floor. So water has to be flowing down from side wall or front wall.

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

I was sure I had tracked down the leak to the belly band seam using a watering can. Removed the belly band and caulked fiberglass with 3M 5200 I would have sworn that seam was all but air tight. Had a big rain last night and towel left at low point under couch was wet by where I saw water coming down seam of ensolite after removing belly band caulk

Will re-test with watering can, probably in small sections with plastic garbage bags taped over everything below band. Test belly seam a little at a time, if no leak found at belly seam then expose section below by removing garbage bags one section at a time.

Suppose I could have more than one leak source since trailer is angled down at the front and toward one corner a bit. Which put the towel and the ensolite seam where I saw the leak at a low point BUT on a raised portion of floor. So water has to be flowing down from side wall or front wall.

Hey Rogerdat

Not to challenge your post but are you sure it's the belly band? The reason I am casting doubts and dispersions on this is b/c I thought the same thing about my 85 Scamp. What I discovered is after I thoroughly sealed my windows, and replaced my roof vent, I had no more leak. Bear in mind, I did one window twice and caulkled the corners of the rubber window gaskets before I tore the belly band off.

Thank goodness I found the "leaker before I ripped the belly band off.

Another leak that I repaired that I didn't even consider was the roof vent/escape hatch. It was leaking in around that and the water was running down the INSIDE of the elephant (ensolite) hyde. Water leaks can be most elusive little creatures. I was told by Scamp that the belly band is fiberglassed over on the inside. It was at that point that I began to seriously look for other routes that the water was traveling.

FYI New roof vents are available from Scamp parts. You may need to enlarge the opening on top though. (5 jig saw blades later) If they offer you a choice, opt for the aluminum framed model over the plastic one. Much more substantial and less likely to give you problems down the road. IMO

The way I found all my leaks is we had what I think was the rainiest May and June last year on record here. At least it seemed that way to me...

Best of luck &
Keep us posted.
Mike

[RogerDat]

BigMike,
The reason I post here is to gain from the experience of others. I removed caulk from top of alum. belly band then it rained and water streamed down a seam. Where before I had only been able to spot a damp spot never a flowing source.

I then used a watering can to pour water at the belly band and saw the same stream. So I'm pretty sure the mid line seam was leaking (could have been a vent below that) but now I'm sure if it was leaking it's not the only leak.

Anything from the street side front corner up is a candidate to drain toward this spot so that includes the roof vent, street side dining window all the kitchen rivets which appear to pre-date snap caps but I dabbed a little white liquid electrical tape on those to seal.

Front or back window might even be the source. Would be logical for water from above to follow that fiberglass mid seam and then flow down when it hit the gap in the ensolite.

For now I'm just going to try different spots with a watering can to see if I can rule anything in or out and focus my repair work.

I figure I have to refurbish windows and reset roof vent into caulk tape that is not old enough to vote at some point. At least you give me hope, you got yours sealed up eventually.

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

BigMike,
The reason I post here is to gain from the experience of others. I removed caulk from top of alum. belly band then it rained and water streamed down a seam. Where before I had only been able to spot a damp spot never a flowing source.

I then used a watering can to pour water at the belly band and saw the same stream. So I'm pretty sure the mid line seam was leaking (could have been a vent below that) but now I'm sure if it was leaking it's not the only leak.

Anything from the street side front corner up is a candidate to drain toward this spot so that includes the roof vent, street side dining window all the kitchen rivets which appear to pre-date snap caps but I dabbed a little white liquid electrical tape on those to seal.

Front or back window might even be the source. Would be logical for water from above to follow that fiberglass mid seam and then flow down when it hit the gap in the ensolite.

For now I'm just going to try different spots with a watering can to see if I can rule anything in or out and focus my repair work.

I figure I have to refurbish windows and reset roof vent into caulk tape that is not old enough to vote at some point. At least you give me hope, you got yours sealed up eventually.

I agree with you RogerDat. This is a great place to learn and get ideas. I would have eventually figured everything out on my Scamp but the knowledgable folks hear helped a lot. More than I can say. Its a great support network for us FGRVers and for me, the cheering section is just what I needed. I'm sure you'll get your leaks fixed b/c you sound a lot like me in respect to being driven to do it right.

I enjoy reading your posts and look forward to the day you are satisfied with the results of your hard work.

Mike

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

I was sure I had tracked down the leak to the belly band seam using a watering can. Removed the belly band and caulked fiberglass with 3M 5200 I would have sworn that seam was all but air tight....

Light bulb moment "air tight" I used my pancake air compressor with line pressure dialed down to 10psi put a nozzle in the rivet holes, little dab of butyl caulk tape on the nearby holes and soapy water on the seam. Where water could get into seam it blew bubbles. I marked with a pencil. Main problem was under the seam right by where leak was in trailer. A couple of big chips out of gelcoat and fiberglass on the bottom edge. Really more like chunks missing than chips.

Good thing I have one of the old style "unsafe" air nozzles with no side vents to prevent people from sticking it against the skin and blowing air under the skin.

Worked my way all around the belly seam last night. Added caulk or used JB Weld on every spot that blew bubbles. Finished today, by Sunday I'll know if it worked.