I have been the proud owner of a 2000 19' Scamp for 2 years now and it's already taken us on a cross-country road trip. When I purchased it I noticed some floor rot where it was squishy under the shower, near the shower trap and black water pipe but figured it wasn't bad. You can see it in the cabinet below the range, next to the shower, as well as under the Scamp. It's roughly 1' x 3' in diameter. However, over the course of our travels, the wood has slowly crumbled away and a hole has opened up. I'm not sure what the cause of this degradation is, but the PO did mention that the toilet overflowed on them once. I'm not sure that would be enough to cause this damage...if not, then I'm guessing it may have something to do with the trap or the pipes. Since I've owned it, we have rarely used the shower/toilet and I haven't noticed the wood being wet in that location.
There's also a very small hole (a few inches in diameter) on the floor of the coat closet that has opened up. I believe that water leak was caused by a broken rivet that I have since fixed.
I took it to a RV repair shop who couldn't get to it until December and thought it would be an expensive fix. The provlem: I'm moving from Virginia to Wyoming in June. So, I either have to find the source of the water and fix the floor up well enough so that it can make the 2,000k journey without the floor falling out, or sell it before we leave. I would love to keep it, if possible.
I read the sticky thread on a floor replacement project already, which was helpful. However, there was some jargon I was unfamiliar with, such as "tabs", etc. I have fixed everything on this Scamp myself so far, so I can find a way through things, but I'm not a master like a lot of you are on here.
My main questions:
- Is it possible for me to fix in a few months, or do I need to consider selling to someone with the know-how before we leave?
- Would it make it, as is, on a 2,000 mile trip? Or if there's a quick way to patch it I would be able to properly fix it once we get to Wyoming.
- Would I need to remove the shower in order to fix it properly? The repair shop seemed to hint at that, but that's obviously a much bigger project. But I'm hoping I can just cut out the sections that are damaged and replace?
I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and not exactly sure where to start, aside from taking it to get leak-tested so that I can try to track down the cause of the water damage. Any opinions would be very welcome. Thank you!
Sounds like your moving in the general direction of Backus, and maybe that's the best place to to drop it off for repairs. If the floor needs stiffening for the trip, I'd think about using deck screws and 2x4 strips or plywood -- Just avoid hitting anything that won't be replaced with the screws. Best of luck on the move!
That's a good idea....Scamp would only add about 30 minutes to our trip. I'll contact them to see if they can give us an estimate based on pictures alone; not sure how expensive they are for repairs, but they would definitely know how to do it! Would drilling into the good sections of OSB degrade the quality of that wood?
I'm thinking that a lot of OSB that's still ok would get replaced during repair, as in whole section(s) between frame supports. If it holds your weight, it probably will make the trip as-is. Scamp will have the best advice for this.
I'd guess that the Scamp factory will actually be less expensive and more reliable because they've got the experience, and can do it faster.
It is quite likely that the floor can be repaired relatively easily and well. I suspect that if you are going to have Scamp fix it, you will need to make a firm appointment. Because they are so backlogged on making trailers, it might be hard to get their time. And, they may be more interested in making trailers than fixing them. Furthermore, Backus is not on the road to anywhere.
My suggestion is to ask around your town about a good independent contractor or home repair person. These craftsman are very sharp, good, and creative. They will likely be cheaper than Scamp or a RV place.
I found an outstanding self-employed carpenter who rebuilt an 80 year-old garage for me that had a serious sagging roof and bow to the walls. I asked at the local lumber yard and home improvement center for recommendations of carpenters.
Have a good trip.