Roof rot on Travel Trailer

[Traveler21]

I had neglected to inspect the roof of my 2008 R- Vision Trail Cruiser 22' travel trailer for several years. Went up on top yesterday.
Besides noticing a cracked bathroom vent cover , all the vents for the tanks were broke off..

Worse was inspecting the front of trailer where the front cover and the roof join.
There is a huge amount of caulk / sealer here. However it had cracked in many places.

The sides of the roof just behind the sealer seem/ edges , they were soft - very soft. Areas were about 6 inches by 6 inches.

I expect the roof is made of wood and rotten from water entry.
Additional the moldings that go up the front corners of trailer and end just past the seam, well they are sticking up about a half inch. Not flush.

It is obvious the white roof coating needs to be cut and peeled back after removing the sealer from the seem. What to expect under there & Is it something I can fix?

Any chance to just let it dry out and re-seal? Not sure how long I will keep the trailer and if it is worth the effort.

I have not seen any signs of leaks inside so far , stains on ceiling ect.
Can not figure how to post pics, asks for a URL but my pics are not online at a site.

[deltabravo]

ajriding wrote:
Since 2008? That is a long time to not do service on the seams.

The OP said his trailer is a 2008, not that he "hasn't serviced the seams since 2008"

Traveler21 wrote:
I had neglected to inspect the roof of my 2008 R- Vision Trail Cruiser 22' travel trailer for several years.

[Markes_Olliver]

It is better to get suggestions from more than one professional contractor company before taking a decision on roof repair or replacement. So I recommended you to contact the ***Link Removed*** company that provides you good and reliable services at a genuine cost.

[sgfrye]

Grit dog wrote:
Tough call here.
Personally, on an older trailer that's worth what? $5-8k? in good condition I'd get it covered, let it dry as best as possible. Dunno where in Cali you are, winter and rain or Palm Springs or somewhere in between weather wise.

Seal it up and go camping, and see if the condition maintains or worsens. If you're saavy with repairs and the damage isn't into the framework and you don't have to re-work or remove siding or front cap, it could be a relatively economical fix. If it does involve that stuff, you're faced with a big $ repair that could/will cost a good % of what the trailer is worth AND it would be un-usable once tore apart.

x2 seal up and go camping.

[BarneyS]

Your pictures are displaying just fine.:)
Barney

[CavemanCharlie]

I can see your pictures .

[Traveler21]

Click For Full-Size Image. .


Click For Full-Size Image.
I tried the image host website. Will see how this displays. that might be the pic after covering the seem.
I'll try to attach the before pic.
For now I covered it. Has been dry but expecting Spring rains sometime. Trailer likely not even worth 5K , it has a failed inverter and some Sun damage on the top edge of the awning.

"Seal it up and go camping, and see if the condition maintains or worsens. If you're saavy with repairs and the damage isn't into the framework and you don't have to re-work or remove siding or front cap,"

That would probably be my approach once the rains end. I just am not up for a whole roof repair physically nor have the time for it. I have no barn ,tall garage or building to work under - It will be very hot soon. I am in rural northern Ca.
At most I might do a patch job if possible. Even let dry out this Summer and re-seal with the LAP After this Im fixing to get a new inverter for a few hundred bucks...
I don't smell mold in the trailer. I've heard of products for boats , where rotten wood is injected with a sealer that fills & stops rot.

I appreciate all the quick replies and links to image hosting sites. Thanks everyone.

[theoldwizard1]

Probably the BEST RV repair business

RV Roof Install

They can fix anything else that has been damaged.

They have dozens of videos on YouTube showing their process. One comment they keep using is "... if it was my RV that is how I would repair it !"

[the_bear_II]

Do a YouTube search for RV roof repair and you will find many videos showing the type of damage caused by water intrusion. The videos also show the repairs required for slight to heavy damaged roofs.

[Grit_dog]

Tough call here.
Personally, on an older trailer that's worth what? $5-8k? in good condition I'd get it covered, let it dry as best as possible. Dunno where in Cali you are, winter and rain or Palm Springs or somewhere in between weather wise.

Seal it up and go camping, and see if the condition maintains or worsens. If you're saavy with repairs and the damage isn't into the framework and you don't have to re-work or remove siding or front cap, it could be a relatively economical fix. If it does involve that stuff, you're faced with a big $ repair that could/will cost a good % of what the trailer is worth AND it would be un-usable once tore apart.

[BarneyS]

As was mentioned several times in posts above we have a much easier way to post pictures now.
If you will follow these directions exactly, it is very easy to post pictures on our forums. One of our moderators, 1492, developed this photo posting app to post your pictures. It works for other internet sites also. There is no need to have a separate hosting site for your pictures in order to use it.

It is very simple to use.
1. Upload your picture from your computer to the app.
2. Copy the resulting URL.
3. Paste that URL into your post

without ANY changes

. No additions or deletions.
Your picture will then appear in your post and be properly sized for use on our forums.:)
Barney

[colliehauler]

To do it properly like others have said you need to remove the roof and replace any water damaged decking and put new rubber membrane
and covers. Just did one last summer. Not expensive if you do it yourself but very labor intensive. If you have wall water intrusion it would be a lot more work. Usually manufacturers recommend checking roof calking twice a year for this very reason.

If you are not able to do it yourself labor might be more then the trailer is worth.

[ScottG]

Ins wont pay for lack of maint.
They wont even pay for something like storm damage if the result of said damage is allowed to do further damage over a long period of time.

[kellem]

Water intrusion is a nightmare for RV's.

Truss replacement in the roof requires removal of roof.
If the inside is in great shape and no soft floors " be surprised " then maybe it justifies.

Call your insurance company first.

[Boon_Docker]

Traveler21 wrote:


Can not figure how to post pics, asks for a URL but my pics are not online at a site.

Go here and drag and drop the photo from your desktop.