Hi I am LeeAnn!

[SanchezAdventures]

Hi I am LeeAnn, We just bought a Play Pac! We have been popup and tent campers but wanted something we could "boondock" in along the way AND could be pulled by our trusty Honda Odyssey. The Play Pac seemed to cover that but man is it tiny! Unfortunately there is none of the original interior, but everything is new in there! Working on reconfiguring it to work for us

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, LeeAnn, and congratulations on your 'new' Play Pac!

We'd love to see before and after pictures of your modifications. We're always looking for new ideas to make tiny spaces work harder.

Wishing you many happy adventures!

[Kai in Seattle]

Welcome, LeeAnn and Play Pac! Redoing the whole interior will definitely make it entirely your own!


Good Fixing,
Happy Trails,
&Good Camping!


BEST
Kai in Seattle

[alan H]

Welcome
We love pics


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[SanchezAdventures]

Well its come a good rain today and we realized that our lil camper does indeed leak in several places..around the dome skylight, and around 2 windows. Also there is a considerable (2 in) sag in the roof. Any ideas on how to remedy this?
On a good note..we have ideas on making it sleep all 5 of us!

[Jon in AZ]

For the windows and skylight you'll want to remove, clean, and reinstall with fresh butyl tape. Resist the temptation to try to stop the leaks with caulk, and, whatever you do, do NOT use silicone-based caulk. It leaves a residue that is very hard to remove and prevents other sealants from adhering.

The sag may be related to interior modifications by a previous owner. Most single-wall fiberglass shells depend on interior floor-to-ceiling support designed into the original layout. My Scamp, for example, has a full-height closet next to the door (a weak point) and a brace between the galley base and upper cabinets on the street side. If some of the original interior is missing, and especially if it spent some time in a location subject to snow loads, that could account for the sag.

You can restore the original height of the shell by gently and gradually lifting from the inside, but to keep it there you'll need to provide some support as you re-do the interior. As a starting point, you might want to search the photo archives for pictures of other Play-Pacs to get an idea of how they were originally built. The "Manufacturers" tab at the top has a link to Play-Pac, which should bring up some helpful information and links.

Some people who want a more open layout without floor-to-ceiling cabinets fiberglass in ribs in the sidewalls and/or across the ceiling to provide alternate support.

[SanchezAdventures]

Thanks so much! We will probably go with roof supports outside of the trailer. Are there any previous threads detailing the process?

[Gerry]

Originally Posted by SanchezAdventures

Well its come a good rain today and we realized that our lil camper does indeed leak in several places..around the dome skylight, and around 2 windows. Also there is a considerable (2 in) sag in the roof. Any ideas on how to remedy this?
On a good note..we have ideas on making it sleep all 5 of us!

Nooo Water getting in when it rains?
We've had our 78 Boler (Ladybug) for going on 15 years now and this past year was the 1st year we've finally had a dry summer in it.
over the years, it's been to a "1 man" RV repair shop, my son-in-law use to work for and recommended, one year, then to a reputable glass company, who didn't find the leak in the back and over the stove vent windows.
This last spring took it to a big dealer and even tried to order a new gasket for the rear window from Scamp but it wasn't the same, they re-sealed the rear window and got that one fixed.
That being the most important leak because it would get the bed wet but wife slept on that side and I was okbut now every time we would pack for a trip she would find water behind the stove and if it rained a good deal it would flow, depending on the slant down on the bed again only on my sideof the bed. Pay-back
It took hours of inspection but I finally found that the corners of the metal jealous window had a fold in the metal that was not solder well so I placed some buttal/alum. tape cut just to fit these bottom corners and it did the trick.
Let the year 2016 be know as the year that Ladybug stayed dry inside.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by SanchezAdventures

Thanks so much! We will probably go with roof supports outside of the trailer. Are there any previous threads detailing the process?

Sorry to confuse. The ribs I was talking about are installed inside the trailer. I've never see anything done from the outside. For one, it would seriously detract from the beautiful lines of these molded trailers. For another, you'd lose the gelcoat finish and have to paint.

Here is a thread with some information and pictures: Project Boler. The part about installing the support ribs starts in post #29. In re-reading, it doesn't look like he actually glassed them in, just epoxied them to the walls. His were fairly complicated to cut because the walls curve into the roof on his Boler. I think in your case, 2-3 ribs across the ceiling from side to side might be all you need, and yours would be straight, perhaps slightly arched across the top to shed water better.

I don't know if the walls are also bulging outward on your trailer- door fit is often an indicator. You might be able to take some careful measurements as you lift the roof back to its proper height and see if the walls change, too. If so, partial bulkheads, one on each side tied into the roof supports, should do the job. I would definitely put the curbside support next to the door (where it could also serve as part of the frame for a screen door later).