To fiberglass or not To fiberglass

[Isaac]

I am remodeling My 13' scamp and noticed that the floor is rotted under the fridge and at the back under the rear window. I am planning to replace the floor in these spots and I would like to not have to fierglass the underside of the floor. Can I just seal the underside and Glass the top side really good with several layers to make up the strength on the top side?

[Chester Taje]

I don,t see why not.If you use a good sealing material and it does not hamper the looks on the out side i would go for it.
I would also let a few other people post with there thoughts before you do any thing.

[DanPatWork]

I am remodeling My 13' scamp and noticed that the floor is rotted under the fridge and at the back under the rear window. I am planning to replace the floor in these spots and I would like to not have to fierglass the underside of the floor. Can I just seal the underside and Glass the top side really good with several layers to make up the strength on the top side?

I too had a rotten spot in the floor of our 16' scamp. The suggestions and links to other info on this sight were great. I was off and running and the learning curve with fiberglass can be ummmm ? sticky ? but once you get the hang of it and learn the appropriate amount of hardenter it goes pretty good.

My repair was to cut and clean out the rotten stuff. Fit a new piece of sheeting for the patch, and then flip it over and glass the bottom side before I installed it into the camper. I attached "scab" pieces to the underside of the holes in the floor to provide me with screw in points. Once I had the patch installed I glassed the topside allong with a couple of applications of resing to fill the seams. I then glass matted the patch into the wall, and glass matted the seams as well. Sand smooth after it sets so the new flooring wouldn't have a bump when we're done. In the spot under the fridge no sanding necessary.

[Isaac]

Thanks for the info but I think I may have explained it wrong. I am wanting to remove the entire rear section and side of the floor and was wondering if only Glassing the top side along the shell wall would be enough or do I have to do the underside as well ??

[Tom Trostel]

Isaac,
I see no reason why your floor project will not work. 99% of the structural failures to floors in trailers are due to water leaking from above and not from below the floor. In dry climates like the western 2/3 of Texas, where you and I both live, there isn't enough rain or humidity to be a problem. My 34 year old trailer has a plywood floor with nothing underneath but a coat of paint and it's solid as a rock. One of my future projects is to paint the underside with POR 15.

Tom Trostel

[Frederick L. Simson]

I am wanting to remove the entire rear section and side of the floor and was wondering if only Glassing the top side along the shell wall would be enough or do I have to do the underside as well ??

I think glassing in the top side will be adequate. I found an old post: Victor Benz' baggage door mod and floor repair.
i think it could be of some help.

[Isaac]

I think glassing in the top side will be adequate. I found an old post: Victor Benz' baggage door mod and floor repair.
i think it could be of some help.

Wow!! thanks !!! That really has some good pictures. I thought I had some problems!! That was a pretty major repair. I Probably am not going to glass the whole top as they did but I think I will glass the whole perimiter 3" to 4" along the edge top and bottom before I glass it into the wall on the top side only. I hope it works!

[Cam A]

The boatbuilder's ideology says that wet wood expands and contracts, and will eventually break the wood/epoxy bond, and so encourage encapsulation, where all faces of the wood are sealed. However, some trailers come from the factory built as you plan to repair, glassing the perimeter only, so this should work just fine. The toughest part of repairs is knowing where to draw the line....

[Isaac]

The boatbuilder's ideology says that wet wood expands and contracts, and will eventually break the wood/epoxy bond, and so encourage encapsulation, where all faces of the wood are sealed. However, some trailers come from the factory built as you plan to repair, glassing the perimeter only, so this should work just fine. The toughest part of repairs is knowing where to draw the line....

So do you think that only glassing the top side to the shell will be strong enough to hold the weight of it?(multiple layers of course) or should I glass the underside to the shell as well? The thought of fiberglassing overhead from under the trailer just seems like a nightmare!

[Victor Benz]

Just a carry-on from Frderick's post. I did fiberglass the entire floor inside. Outside, I sprayed the bottom of the floor at the joints where the floor lay on the frame with a auto undercoating product. I then crawled under there (it was lifted some 6 inches on boards) and hand painted the bottom with a thick body undercoating product. I paid special attention to the wheel wells and just behind the wheel wells where most of my problems were. Took some 6 spray cans and about 3 gallons of undercoat. All phtos are on the website below.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/551123968ABqdPX

Victor

[Cam A]

So do you think that only glassing the top side to the shell will be strong enough to hold the weight of it?(multiple layers of course) or should I glass the underside to the shell as well? The thought of fiberglassing overhead from under the trailer just seems like a nightmare!

I think you want some mechanical fasteners involved; especially if the patch is in a location which will take significant weight (like walking on it). How about posting some pictures of the area that you are going to patch

[pjanits]

My 81' Burro floor was glassed top and bottom by the factory and still is solid today.
I would say go ahead and glass the bottom too.

[Roger H]

My 81' Burro floor was glassed top and bottom by the factory and still is solid today.
I would say go ahead and glass the bottom too.

Pete, Donna Shubel might take issue with that from her Burro experience!

Roger

[pjanits]

Roger,
I must have missed that. I can't find her with search, any details?

[Donna D.]

Roger,
I must have missed that. I can't find her with search, any details?

I'm not Roger, but I think this is the topic he was thinking about by D Shubel (Donna Shubel) Burro Rehab, the saga continues...

[Pete Dumbleton]

All other things being equal, I wouldn't bother glassing the bottom if it wasn't part of the original design for stability (like the Burro/UHaul may be). I see it as adding weight to trap water; there have been problems with Casitas in this regard (In fact, if I had a fiberglass bottom, I would consider cutting drain holes in case I didn't detect a leak). With a little bit of undercoating (black stuf, resin or whatever), the floor should be proof against normal water damage short of actual flooding (and then it's likely to come in the door anyway).

As pointed out above, the vast majority of water damage causes in RVs is leakage from above or within, not from below. We are fortunate because our roofs don't have seams to leak...

[pjanits]

Oh I remember now. Wow.

[Isaac]

Actually, I was only thinking of Painting the bottom but what I meant is that I wasn't sure about fiberglassing the bottom where the plywood edge touches the shell.I am trying to get away with only (heavily) glassing the top side where the Plywood and shell meet. That's why I only wanted to fiberglass the perimeter 3"-4" around the edge, top and bottom to give it (some) strength before trying to only attach the shell to the floor from the top. I hope this makes sense?

[JNikirk]

Actually, I was only thinking of Painting the bottom but what I meant is that I wasn't sure about fiberglassing the bottom where the plywood edge touches the shell.I am trying to get away with only (heavily) glassing the top side where the Plywood and shell meet. That's why I only wanted to fiberglass the perimeter 3"-4" around the edge, top and bottom to give it (some) strength before trying to only attach the shell to the floor from the top. I hope this makes sense?

Isaac: I just completed the repairs to the floor in the back under the table on a 84 Scamp. I would suggest that you glass the bottom as well as the top. It is not that difficult if you can raise the who unit abot 12 inches off the ground. You will want to wear eye protection and some sort of head gear. The bottom outside edge was glassed at the factory and give structual integrity
to the shell.


Good Luck and take pictures I wish I had

[Isaac]

Isaac: I just completed the repairs to the floor in the back under the table on a 84 Scamp. I would suggest that you glass the bottom as well as the top. It is not that difficult if you can raise the who unit abot 12 inches off the ground. You will want to wear eye protection and some sort of head gear. The bottom outside edge was glassed at the factory and give structual integrity
to the shell.
Good Luck and take pictures I wish I had

Well that answers it!!! I guuueeesss I'll go ahead and glass the bottom. I was trying to get away with not doing it but Oh well I'm sure it will be worth it. I'll take some pics and attempt to post them. I'm still new at this.