HELP!!! Just bought RV and found water damage

[jmramella]

We just bought a 2006, Jayco Ultra lightweight sport 165 Baja. It was immaculate. I thought I knew what I was looking at. It looked like a new carpet, so I figured, great we have a new carpet. I painted everything, made curtains, it looks fantastic. So today I finally got to the bathroom. I starting painting and noticed a little bubble in the corner of floor. One thing lead to another and I ripped the carpet and linoleum up. Found he pieced the plywood and obviously must have had damage. So I ripped up the flooring in bathroom and WET plywood and very damaged and black mold. Then we looked under the bed and water heater also had wet plywood. The thing is the RV is winterized and the water has not been on. The ceiling and walls all look fine. We don't know a thing about RV's and now we have no idea what to do. I loved it now I hate it!! I feel like an idiot and now can't use it and need to fix the whole flooring. Question is
1. Why is floor wet when the previous owner had it winterized.
2. I can remove everything except the kitchen cabinets. How do I replace the flooring underneath. I am so depressed.

Judy

[Florida Ranger]

Most likely pipes or fittings close to water heater leaking , just un-winterize it hook up water hose and check for leaks. Look at my reply on your other post..

[Crabman]

It could be a plumbing leak but I would not rule out a rain leak either. Even though there is no evidence of it the roof, a window or corner molding could be leaking and running down to the floor. First I would eliminate the plumbing by hooking up to water and check for leaks as mentioned. There are threads here regarding how to replace flooring in these units. Try a search for "soft floor" and you will see some suggestions.

[kblast523]

Originally Posted by jmramella

We just bought a 2006, Jayco Ultra lightweight sport 165 Baja. It was immaculate. I thought I knew what I was looking at. It looked like a new carpet, so I figured, great we have a new carpet. I painted everything, made curtains, it looks fantastic. So today I finally got to the bathroom. I starting painting and noticed a little bubble in the corner of floor. One thing lead to another and I ripped the carpet and linoleum up. Found he pieced the plywood and obviously must have had damage. So I ripped up the flooring in bathroom and WET plywood and very damaged and black mold. Then we looked under the bed and water heater also had wet plywood. The thing is the RV is winterized and the water has not been on. The ceiling and walls all look fine. We don't know a thing about RV's and now we have no idea what to do. I loved it now I hate it!! I feel like an idiot and now can't use it and need to fix the whole flooring. Question is
1. Why is floor wet when the previous owner had it winterized.
2. I can remove everything except the kitchen cabinets. How do I replace the flooring underneath. I am so depressed.

Judy

The curb side window frame(s) are leaking at the rear of the trailer. It is a hard side isn't it? Even if it is aluminum, that's most likely the source of water. Unless of course it is the roof. Then the walls and ceiling would show damage. Trailer parked outside for a long time slightly angled to roadside with rear lower than front. Big job sounds like...best of luck.

[jmramella]

I am going to have to remove the shower, toilet, and possibly the kitchen cabinets because underneath, he put another tile other then what was originally there. This feels so overwhelming. We know NOTHING about this and have to do the work ourselves. My personal feeling is it's coming from a plumbing leak since the walls and ceiling are perfect. There was BLACK mold under the linoleum, so I am thinking the walls would be soft at the bottom also if it was coming from above. Is it hard to remove the kitchen area? I am thinking we should gut the whole thing and pull up all the plywood and then put everything back in it.

[pbois34]

I had the same problem in a trail lite camper I had. Replaced half the floor. Intimidating at first but read some other posts and you can do it if your somewhat handy

[jmramella]

thanks so much!! We gutted the bathroom today, where the water damage was so bad we almost went thru the floor. We decided to NOT replace the tub or toilet. We don't really need to have a bathroom in it and after this, I will be happy with less potential problems. I am totally turned off to water and we are removing the water carrying tank also. We have so much more room now.

[Jagiven]

Not sure where your town is located. Do not be surprised your water issue is from above. If you have no snow or ice, get up on the roof, and check all the caulking. I strongly recommend even if it looks good, to clean it up and apply eternabond, and you are nearly guaranteed no leaks from above.

I also every spring check all the caulking around my tt. Fyi, my tt sits indoors all winter.

[Sach7581]

Very sorry for your situation. I applaud you taking the project on yourself. You may want to reconsider leaving the tub and toilet out. When you find yourself in this situation you just want to , as quickly as possible, to get it behind you. You've already done the hardest part. Plumbing is reliable as long as you properly winterize. I would advise you to not beat yourself up for being victimized by a person of poor character. Take you time and put it back together as it was designed. Whatever you decide, good luck and I admire what you've already done.

[Greg58]

I just bought a 165 sport that needs floor work, I knew this when I got it. Like stated earlier seal around everything going through the roof, I clean the area and apply dicor over the existing sealant. Re caulk everything on the outside, windows, doors, vents and lights. Don’t use silicone because it doesn’t stick to everything, I like a marine heavy duty caulk, they seem to seal better.

[Screwby]

Just don’t get so frustrated you defeat the purpose of having a camper in the first place. It’s a game changer having a place to “use the restroom” in the middle of the night or road tripping and never look for a gas station or leave the comfort of the camper. It’s great to have a place/sink to rinse and wash things on the road or at camp without seeking out a rest stop or shelter house. Being somewhat self sufficient with some onboard water and a septic was the point of the camper in the first place right? Otherwise you could have just bought an enclosed cargo trailer and thrown some chairs and a bed in it right? There are tons of us out here with all those amenities that have no issues whatsoever and they are easy systems to maintain. The plumbing in a camper that small is simple and easily diagnosed and repaired.

It’s sucks you got bamboozled by someone and it’s your camper to do what you wish in the end. I’m just trying to play devils advocate here and help you not make a rash decision because you are mad or frustrated

[Colorado]

Originally Posted by Screwby

Just don’t get so frustrated you defeat the purpose of having a camper in the first place. It’s a game changer having a place to “use the restroom” in the middle of the night or road tripping and never look for a gas station or leave the comfort of the camper. It’s great to have a place/sink to rinse and wash things on the road or at camp without seeking out a rest stop or shelter house. Being somewhat self sufficient with some onboard water and a septic was the point of the camper in the first place right? Otherwise you could have just bought an enclosed cargo trailer and thrown some chairs and a bed in it right? There are tons of us out here with all those amenities that have no issues whatsoever and they are easy systems to maintain. The plumbing in a camper that small is simple and easily diagnosed and repaired.

It’s sucks you got bamboozled by someone and it’s your camper to do what you wish in the end. I’m just trying to play devils advocate here and help you not make a rash decision because you are mad or frustrated

This plus think about resale value. If you eventually decide to sell and someone is looking at campers that typically come with toilet and shower and yours doesn’t...you see where I’m going with this?

Good luck with the project!

[CBCOCRBO]

Could be that your HWT sprung a leak and has since been replaced with a new one. It is common for those HWT's to eventually fail if they are heavily run on propane gas. The burner tube is spot welded into place and will at some point fail. Its a pressurized water system so once a leak occurs it will continue to leak until the water is turned off. I suspect that if the roof or floors is not affected then the HWT is a good place to look. The water will hit the floor and spread under the floor coverings as well as leak out through the floor so check the underside to see if the underbelly skirting is bagged down or has been removed. I know because it happened to me. New 6 gal Suburban HWT cost $850 CAD plus install. I had it installed by a gas fitter who tagged it. You do it yourself and it could void any warranty you have or worse yet your insurance. Good Luck