Wood rot interior wall

[squatch-lover]

Well, upon resealing the windows in my 2001 17' Bigfoot, we found evidence of a prior leak stemming from the awning attachment bracket near the rear. Half of the interior wall is badly rotted to the point that we were afraid taking the window out would destroy the wall I had a prior appointment at an rv center to have a look-see over my BF. Now I may be getting an estimate. I'm not convinced that the heavy caulk job has solved the problem of the leaking awning bracket. Thoughts or ideas?? Thanks in advance. I'm a little bummed.

[Jack L]

Could you post some photos ? Are parts of the awning bracket attaching bolts visible inside the trailer ?

[squatch-lover]

I can't post photos at the moment because we tarp covered it due to looming rain. Yes, they are visible inside of the trailer... 2 bolts through a diamond plate backer (probably due to the rotten wood that they didn't replace).

[squatch-lover]

We are considering pulling the cabinetry and replacing the wood, but not even sure how it's attached to the wall. I think the over head cabinets are screwed into a header bar mounted into the ceiling. But not 100% sure. SOS!

[Jack L]

My Bigfoot has no visible fasteners on the inside. I'm sure mine was factory. I suspect yours was added later. That's why I asked about the inside hardware. There was a post about another Bigfoot 17 with exactly the same problem and the photos they posted they had some hardware inside just like you described. I'm guessing that factory installed awnings were attached to the trailer with some sort of backing plate between the fiberglass and insulation and the "added on later" ones were attached without the backer. I suspect they just drilled thru the fiberglass and insulation and paneling. The construction of the Bigfoot is like a sandwich, and after a few years the insulation collapsed and everything loosened up. You could eliminate the awning and remove all the hardware, then fix the damaged structure patch the fiberglass. Another option would be to remove a substantial amount of interior cabinetry and headliner then reseal and reattach the awning with a substantial backing on the inside of the fiberglass. Either way you have a major repair project. This is just a guess on my part and I may be wrong ( I hope I am ) but tearing the trailer apart will be the only way to know for sure.

The thread about the similar situation on a Bigfoot 17 was started by someone who discovered the issue prior to purchase. I don't believe there was any information about repair. I believe the buyer backed away from the deal. I'll see if I can find the old thread. You might have purchased the very same trailer. Please don't "kill the messenger" . There is nothing I would like better than to have you dig into this and tell me I'm wong.

[squatch-lover]

Jack, the awning was an aftermarket add on. It is a Dometic brand awning with the curved arms that mount permanently to the bottom of the camper. The PO's wife was inconvenienced by having to walk around the arms, and would remove the one and stick it into the ground. This move must have stripped the mounting screws by creating a moment on the bracket. I have a feeling you're absolutely right about this camper. I think it's going to be quite a repair job. I would love to see that post, and would really appreciate it if you could find it! Thank you for your help. We were not prepared to enter into this sort of repair job. It's such a shame because the rest of the camper is in great condition and all appliances work great. I would never 'kill the messenger'...just the opposite, we appreciate the help. Thank you!

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