My 1984 scamp needs help - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 12-17-2015, 07:59 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
spaghettiroad's Avatar
 
Name: pat
Trailer: MITY LITE
British Columbia
Posts: 174
My 1984 scamp needs help

Ok just got it. Frame and axle good thank goodness. Need some suggestions on a couple of repairs.

1. Small 6 X 6 soft spot underneath rear window on the floor, how to harden up...

2. How to apply and what caulking to use to fill seams on the wall before paint; trying to avoid seam tape...but may have to?

3. What paint works on interior walls?

4. Floor ( once soft spot repaired) needs laminate installed; TRICKS?

THANKS SO MUCH!
Attached Thumbnails
Screen Shot 2015-12-17 at 5.10.23 PM.png   Screen Shot 2015-12-17 at 5.10.39 PM.png  

Screen Shot 2015-12-17 at 5.10.54 PM.png  
spaghettiroad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2015, 09:11 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
Michigan
Posts: 291
The rear area of the floor should probably be replaced, not just "tricked over", if you will. If is mushy and stained, as it appears to be in the photo, you first need to find the source of the leak. Chances are good it is one of three things. I checked these when I had to replace a rear section of flooring very similar to what you show in the photo. The leak is coming from the rear window, or the spare tire mount. That water could also have gathered there from the water line coming around from the tank in left compartment heading to the sink. I checked all these things and could not find the source of the leak. Finally, I pulled back the fur and the insulation and found "tracking" or streak that water often leaves behind as a tell tale marking.

It was coming from a spot in the waistband, where the two halves of the shell are joined. Once that was repaired and tested and tested to hold back water, I proceeded to repair the flooring. I cut out any flooring that was suspect and put in new plywood. It wasn't all that bad of a job, really. I also sprayed a lot of mold killer treatment everywhere as well.

The insulation was sprayed with 3M spray glue, as was the fur and smoothed. You'd never know I was in there. It came out very well.
Attached Thumbnails
DSCF1696.jpg  
bpfick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2015, 09:28 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
spaghettiroad's Avatar
 
Name: pat
Trailer: MITY LITE
British Columbia
Posts: 174
Ok thanks will have a look for the leak entry. As for the wood replacement. Simply cut out and replace? Any resin or anything?
spaghettiroad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2015, 10:40 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Borrego Dave's Avatar
 
Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
California
Posts: 3,738
Quote:
Originally Posted by bpfick View Post
The rear area of the floor should probably be replaced, not just "tricked over", if you will. If is mushy and stained, as it appears to be in the photo, you first need to find the source of the leak. Chances are good it is one of three things. I checked these when I had to replace a rear section of flooring very similar to what you show in the photo. The leak is coming from the rear window, or the spare tire mount. That water could also have gathered there from the water line coming around from the tank in left compartment heading to the sink. I checked all these things and could not find the source of the leak. Finally, I pulled back the fur and the insulation and found "tracking" or streak that water often leaves behind as a tell tale marking.
It was coming from a spot in the waistband, where the two halves of the shell are joined. Once that was repaired and tested and tested to hold back water, I proceeded to repair the flooring. I cut out any flooring that was suspect and put in new plywood. It wasn't all that bad of a job, really. I also sprayed a lot of mold killer treatment everywhere as well.
One more place in the rear would be where the tail light wires come through the shell.
Borrego Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 08:00 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Scamp 19 ft 5th Wheel
Posts: 1,861
The picture shows a leak from the gap in the rear window seal.
Eddie
Eddie Longest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 08:28 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
Michigan
Posts: 291
The best advice I could give someone, I think, is to excavate completely, looking for leaks. Verify everything, everywhere before rushing to paint, install new flooring etc.

Yes, check even where tail light wires pass through the fiberglass, anywhere there was an opening such a water fill, city water, power cords, refrigerator vents, etc. Check below all window openings for long neglected leaks.

Those dinette bases are simple and easy to remove. Just a few screws. With them out of the way, you now can peel back insulation layers and have a good look see. Test all areas with forceful water to check for leaks which are easier to spot when all you're looking at is the bare fiberglass shell. Check for black mold as well.

Do zero re-decorating until you are confident you're not just installing new stuff that will quickly get ruined. I don't like cover up approaches. I also do not like musty and perhaps even dangerous black mold either.

As to the sub-flooring, your mileage may vary. Some take OSB or plywood and coat it with resin. Others use marine grade plywood. These floors rot because of water coming from the top, not from road moisture coming up from the bottom, as a rule.
bpfick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 09:38 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Name: Steve
Trailer: Scamp 13
California
Posts: 1,890
With such a large stain on the back floor that's allot of water. I would pull the seat cabinets and check the water tank and lines to make sure they are not cracked or leaking. When most trailers are stored they are parked tongue high so water can puddle in the back.
stevebaz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 12:09 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Bob Miller's Avatar
 
Trailer: Class A Motorhome
Posts: 7,912
When I replace a floor section that doesn't have any support, I usually cut a piece of aluminum about 4 or more inches larger that the cut out area and attach that to the solid edges of the repair area, with lots of sealer, from under the trailer.


Then I cut a repair insert that is a tight fit in the cut-out, soak the edges with water and Gorilla Glue, and pop that into the hole, with a few screws through the patch into the aluminum to prevent it popping out when the glue expands (and it will)


Be sure to start cleaning off the expanded glue before it sets.



Bob Miller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 03:37 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Name: John
Trailer: 2000 16ft Scamp
Minnesota
Posts: 189
For your interior walls Scamp sells the original covering as well as the insulation. I refuse to call it what many folks in this forum call it. Sounds like you have great advice on your floor issue. I do know that once that stuff goes soft there is no fix, just replace. Enjoy your renovation Frederick!
John
crowwing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 05:54 PM   #10
Junior Member
 
Name: Donald
Trailer: Scamp 16
Ohio
Posts: 16
Yaaay...I agree with you Crowwing...I also detest the use of the "rodent fur" as a name for the interior covering. However, I have no objection for the real name of "Marine Cloth" for the interior covering. (Yep, it is also used in boats)
robertsd8 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 06:11 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Bob Miller's Avatar
 
Trailer: Class A Motorhome
Posts: 7,912
Hmmmm.... and all these years I thought that it was also called "Hull Liner". Hull liner must be the real name for "Rat Fur". LOLOLOL
(Former Scamp Owner)



Bob Miller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 06:44 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
My 1984 scamp needs help

I take it as a term of endearment.

You may call it whatever you like- hull liner, marine headliner, or that other name- but I wouldn't trade mine for all the elephant hide... err... Ensolite... in Bolerland.

For what it's worth, though, I've never seen anything like its longish nap on any of the marine products sites I've searched. Maybe they used it on boats 30 years ago when Scamp first introduced it...
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2015, 09:30 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertsd8 View Post
Yaaay...I agree with you Crowwing...I also detest the use of the "rodent fur" as a name for the interior covering....
Rat Fur is a term of endearment. I remember Pete Dumbleton every time I hear it, since he coined it. Pete was the best person and a valued member here on FiberglassRV. He passed away a number of years ago.


So you newbies, now you know the rest of the story...
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2015, 06:14 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
spaghettiroad's Avatar
 
Name: pat
Trailer: MITY LITE
British Columbia
Posts: 174
Apparently the water tank is new so I'm guessing that was the issue. Nonetheless I will check all that was recommended. What kind of sealer to seal the tin on the underside ? As well could I not use pl400 construction adhesive on the wooden patch ?
spaghettiroad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2015, 07:17 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
Michigan
Posts: 291
Quote:
Originally Posted by spaghettiroad View Post
Apparently the water tank is new so I'm guessing that was the issue. Nonetheless I will check all that was recommended. What kind of sealer to seal the tin on the underside ? As well could I not use pl400 construction adhesive on the wooden patch ?
There are as many ways to repair a floor as handy folks on this forum. I'd recommend searches, perhaps, using the google portion of the search feature above.

FWIW, I cut out an area just about the size of the rear floor that you face, I suspect. One area was so rotten that I broke it out with a hammer and had a nice view of my driveway concrete below.
I was determined to cut back the rotted floor until only good, solid floor was present. I also cut out in the pieces square allowing for a tighter, truer fitment of the replacement.

I then took a 1/4" treated plywood board and screwed it to the floor from below. I did spray seal the edges of that board with polyurethane. This merely acted as a construction "basket" to hold the floor repair above in place.

Again, this acted as a temporary support for the replacement flooring piece which I installed from above, screwed from below. I used gorilla glue and coated the edges of the repair pieces and fit them in tightly. I also flowed gorilla glue into the seams and it seeped down and filled the seems. Repeated until the seams were virtually solid gorilla glue. Frankly, it was incredibly strong and only took about 3 or 4 ounces of gorilla glue to accomplish the task.

Honestly, it is as good as new, if not better than new.

Finding and repair the source of the leak is essential, of course, so to stop any future damage.
bpfick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2015, 11:29 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
Bob Miller's Avatar
 
Trailer: Class A Motorhome
Posts: 7,912
I use aluminum, not tin, and I coat the underside with a spray-on undercoating.
I know that the Gorilla Glue expands when bonding and works extremely well for edge-to-edge joints. Construction adhesives tend be designed for face-to- face bonding.



Bob Miller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2015, 09:13 PM   #17
Member
 
Name: Dawn
Trailer: Scamp
New York
Posts: 70
Registry
Leak source

I found some soft flooring under my benches along the back wall. Turns out, a previous owner screwed the tail lights into & through the fiberglass. Not sure it would puddle in the center like that, but just another place to look
NedMac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2015, 07:46 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
TheWanderers's Avatar
 
Name: Bill&Laura
Trailer: 1988 Bigfoot Fiver
Kentucky
Posts: 814
Registry
Looks like the window to me, from here

Quote:
Originally Posted by spaghettiroad View Post
Apparently the water tank is new so I'm guessing that was the issue. Nonetheless I will check all that was recommended. What kind of sealer to seal the tin on the underside ? As well could I not use pl400 construction adhesive on the wooden patch ?
Spag, we are working on almost identical projects and we have similar leaks. Ours is coming from both the window seam and the spare tire mount holes. The previous owner replaced the flooring without fixing the leak so we've inherited the issues which were simple to see. However, we did remove everything from the dinette area and will be replacing the spare tire carrier with an external mount to the hitch receiver that many people use for bikes or a storage tray. You can find the spare tire mount on Amazon like we did. This mount will allow us to eliminate the holes through from the outside that are still leaking, and glass over them before we paint. Good luck on your repairs.
__________________
"All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost..." J.R.R. Tolkien
TheWanderers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2015, 06:35 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
CampyTime's Avatar
 
Name: Wendy Lee
Trailer: Scamp 13' Standard
New York
Posts: 1,071
Registry
I thought I'd chime in here as I went through the "where the heck is the leak" process in the rear of the trailer my first summer with it. Water (and only a bit, but it kept coming back) was running behind back of dinette bench and collecting under seat areas where water heater and fresh water tank are on each side. I dried all out with paper towels first, and then ran pump to send water through the lines as a check on my plumbing first. All was good. Was able to determine it was water running in from tail lights, along wiring. Sealed all that up with butyl tape and I believe that was the culprit However, I then took snap caps off where wood screws screw into glassed wood that dinette table anchors into. Corroded! Replaced all with stainless and put sealant over screw heads.

In sum, I learned a great deal and was glad it wasn't the window, as that would have been out of my league for a repair, I'm sure. I did be sure to clean the little weep holes with weed trimmer line, but they were clear.
CampyTime is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
scamp


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Newbie needs help before ordering my Scamp Hman66 Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 68 08-03-2013 08:39 AM
New Scamp 5th Wheel owner needs help Brenda Ferrell Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 8 08-25-2012 02:19 PM
Newbie- needs help Rosemarie K. Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 23 03-09-2012 09:20 PM
Newbie needs help FredericL General Chat 5 05-13-2008 07:49 AM
New Scamp 5th Wheel owner needs help Brenda Ferrell Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 11 05-18-2007 08:49 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:39 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.