pasusan wrote:

I really want our camper to last and am trying to do anything and everything to keep it up.

What would you do?

SteveRankin wrote:



My thoughts are:

1. I don't mean to be taking a poke at you, but coroplast seems to be the best alternative in terms of weight, durability, limiting the number of possible water intrusion sites and ability to remove for service. Sealing the edges is critical, of course.
Go ahead - take a poke... Make my day! I really tried to do a good job with that coroplast, and even sealed the edges with Eternabond, but, alas... there was water intrusion. The bottom wall edge of the camper has a piece of angled aluminum - if any water is in the wall it will go into that angled piece and if it is not sealed it will drip out. There was a small leak under one of those vinyl strip things where a screw goes through, and since I had sealed that edge to the coroplast, the water went under the coroplast. That leak has been dealt with. But... Who knows when another small leak will occur and we won't know it till the floor is rotted through.

2. Our old Holiday Rambler had a fabric covering under the coach. The fabric was easier to wrap around corners and up over the lower sides of the trailer. Similar to the fabric that Northwood uses to wrap the wood framed floors with before setting them down on the chassis frame. The coroplast then goes under the chassis frame so there are two layer's of protection between the wood and the elements.
See there - the coroplast was spaced away from the actual plywood - under the frame. I wish I could do that!

2. Call Rustoleum and ask them about how to get their products to adhere to the OEM asphalt coating.
Well, I figure that if their product will stick to driveway asphalt, then it should stick to my asphalt coating. At least I am hoping at this point...But - that's a good idea to call them!

3. Have the trailer undercoated. Likely to be a similar product to the OEM coating and inexpensive. You'll want to cover anything that you don't want coated with undercoat spray before having it done.
But.. Then... I couldn't lay under the camper and have all that slop running up my arms!

4. Have the trailer coated with bedliner spray. Super durable, but expensive and nearly impossible to remove. Much better for permanent repairs to an RV roof.
Same answer as above!

5. According to a book on old British sports cars, the only way to keep the water out of an MG is 3" of Gunite. The same thing could be said of RVs.
Well, now... Even I know that Gunite is pretty darn heavy! And we've only got a Bronco and a Hensley Cub!!