First off, I am new here and what a great site! I have a 03 Dutchmen Sport 33ft TT. The guy mowing the lawn caught the front bottom corner and pulled the metal loose. When I looked under the metal, I realized why it pulled loose so easily. The wood that is in the front that the metal siding is attached to is totally rotten. The entire board as far up as I can see is falling apart! My question is: has anyone experienced this before and what could have caused it (where would the water come from)? There has been absolutely no leaks in this trailer and now I am worried that there may be more rotten wood elsewhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have contacted the manufacturer and they have requested pics but no answer back yet.
If you have wood rot, then you have water plain and simple, could be coming in from the roof, or a joint, without pictures there's not telling where. Bill
I have an AWARD 27ft Classic T.T. 1994 and 2 years ago I noticed the bottom-rear mounting of the awning seemed loose.This trailer has a laminated fiberglass skin. I cut out a section and found dry rot. Awful surprise. No roof leak, but the battery box/compartment is next to this spot.Possibly a cause?
After cutting out all rotten wood I formed a steel section reaching under the trailer and up the side about 10 inches. sealed it and attached with screws spaced about 2 " apart. Re-attached Awning bracket. So far so good.
Just to say there can be different reasons for dry-rot.And it won't stop,once it starts,unless you cut beyond it.
I believe ther is on the market some stabilizing agent that can be soaked into partially damaged wood.
The entire board on the front of the trailer is rotten, falling apart rotten. I was just shocked since the trailer is only 5 years old. I guess I was nieve because I had no idea this could happen. We owned a 1980 Prowler and sold it when we bought this one and the old thing didn't have one piece of rotten wood anywhere in it. I just assumed since all the seams where well caulked and there was no evidence of a water leak anywhere that there was no reason to worry about the wood being rotten underneath the metal. Do you think there is a chance it could be all over the trailer like this? I would hate to be going down the interstate and the thing fall apart.
It could have been a leak from ANY opening on the outside. How is the inside? Is anything soft on the inside? It could be that when the TT was in storage mode. It might have been shut up tight. That causes sweating and condensation to form inside and no way to dry out. In time that can cause wood to rot.
Tim-DW(Kathy)-DS(KEN)
04 AVEO-DD, 03 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, 95 Firebird(da toy) 07 COACHMEN SOA 32FKS(stress relief center) If Im not at the CG---I'll be somewhere else! Total nights camped in 08 = 45
#1 indicator IMO is discolored vinyl or wall board. I recently finished redoing my 2000. The entire front of the trailer's floor system had been trapping water and I had to replace the entire floor 12' back. It was nasty to say the least. I bought it at an auction and had no idea there was problems until packing for the first trip.
You HAVE to find the source of the leak and fix it ASAP, it will only get worse until then. Mine was caused by bad foam seal on the fiberglass cover for the front window. It was causing water to be trapped between the window and the cover and it eventually found it's way directly through framing into the floor system. I finally figured it out by following the dust trail left by the draining water.
if it does that within 5 years, what can you expect in 7,10,15 years.
Wood, stored, dampened, gotten wet and dried, should not rot away in 6 years. The quality of lumber used in initial construction ir really reflected here. When timber used to come from naturally grown forests, the trees grew at their pace, the growth rings were tighter, the grain, sturdier. Today's tree farmers push for fast growth (wide growth rings) and then harvest their crop at younger ages, so they can keep rotation on schedule.
The problem experienced here is more reflective on the poor quality product produced in today's marketplace. I used to use pressure-treated lumber whenever there was an issue with moisture, but since they changed the recipe of whatever they soak it with, it does not stop carpenter bees. Oil-base primer and paint is still wood's best protection but who is going to skin a home to paint the frame.
In my '67 Mobile Scout, I have already found water damage and carpenter ants. If I do re-do the inside, I will use aluminum, stainless steel, and plastics. And did you know there are TWO kinds of stainless? One will rust and one won't, and we have no way of knowing which is which.
It doesn't take long for the materials they use in constructing these things to rott. You need to find the leak and sel it first thing. This can be difficult so start looking at all the possible locations. Good luck in the manufacturer doing anything as part of proper maintenance is inspecting all caulking areas. Unless you can prove a defect in manufacturing.
NCH
2000 Ford F350 4X4 PSD,CC, DRW
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