You can save money buying a used travel trailer, but that doesn’t mean you won’t run into trouble after the deal closes.
Sometimes problems only surface after you get to know your ‘new’ used RV.
That’s what happened to Doug Klassen with his 1991 Jayco 220 travel trailer.
I really looked the trailer over carefully before we bought it. Really. I’d looked at enough beaters with hidden problems to know that I’d best be on my toes. Sadly, I was lulled into a bit of complacency by the otherwise very clean appearance, inside and out, of the Jayco and the fact that everything actually worked. Not even any mildew stains on the awning! The price was within our budget so we plunked down our cash and away we went with our new prize.
Unfortunately, the Jayco that Doug went home with had a major problem.
It was only after getting ready for his second trip with the trailer that he noticed a spot on the vinyl flooring.
After peeling back the vinyl to investigate further, he didn’t like what he saw: the plywood floor was shot, though there wasn’t any evidence of standing water or moisture.
This storage compartment is located under the kitchen dinette seating area.
Here’s a closer view.
Doug did research on the RV.net forum and realized that replacing rotted wood flooring in a travel trailer is a 6 step process:
- probe extent of damage and trace out boundary
- cut out badly damaged areas
- dry out remaining wood framing
- apply mold-killing product
- saturate it with thinned epoxy resin
- if needed, replace or add additional wood framing
After using an awl to probe the extent of the damage, Doug realized it was local to just the storage area under the kitchen dinette.
He removed the rotted wood and vinyl floor covering, and set to work preparing the area for epoxy sealant.
Any advice if you’ve already replaced the floor once and then find out two years later it has rotted and become moldy again? Can water seep through the frame into the floor somehow? I live in the rainy Pacific Northwest.
I just had part of the floor fixed in my StarCraft Hybrid, the RV repair guy said it will cost $5,000 to replace the whole floor…I’m female and love camping but not a floor fixer upper, does anyone know some one that can replace the floor for $2,000, I love in Lowell Massachusetts Thanks Linda
I have a large area of rotted floor which I have removed. The wood supports underneath ware also rotted. How do I go about rebuilding a framework?
About to embark on replacing rotted wood flooring in my rv . This 3×6 area will be a challenge . Looks to be from a roof leak by awning !
Great point Mike, thanks for your comment.
Ensure you use ORGANIC VAPOR cartridges on your respirator! They will say OV on them. These are the only cartridges that protect you from the alcohol/acetone/xylene.
I’m working on a 2004 Rockwood trailer floor. I’ve torn up the vinyl to find an area of wood rot caused by water. The damaged area is approximately 6′ long x 4′ wide. The area is in the kitchen, in front of the lower cabinets. The cause of the ongoing water damage has been fixed. The problem I have is a lack of joists under the plywood. There is one aluminum joist at the outer edge of the cabinet area. Logic tells me there should be another joist at the edge of the cabinets, but having dealt with trailers for several years, logic is not involved in the manufacturing process. The aluminum joist runs parallel to the 6′ damaged area (runs side to side of trailer, not front to back). There is NO bracing underneath. One full weight step and a person would fall through! So, do I jump in and take the damaged section out and pray I find another joist. At this point, what other options do I have? HELP!!
I’m newly retired and new to the RV life . We purchased a 2003 Ragen 21 foot toy hauler. It has needed some TLC. I appreciate all the tips I’ve been getting from this web site .
I could really use some advice and thoughts on where to purchase and how to install a hinged 12 ” X 7.5 ‘ piece of diamond plate to cover the gap created from the trailer floor and the opened rear ramp door. Also where I might find or build a hinged ramp extension to attach to the top of the ramp door for easier transition onto the ramp from the street . Thanks .
Thanks Ken, glad you found the article useful
Thanks for the great tips!
Wood rot can be a bear to repair. Glad you avoided problems Larry.
Wish I had seen this—I turned down 2 trailers because they had rotten places in the floor–Won’t happen again
Larry
Sounds good Chris, great choice
Becoming a RVerin my early retirement