2010 23J hybrid - front bunk water problems

[justcallmejoe]

Hi everyone. 1st time posting here. I bought a 2010 Jayco 23j this spring and just recently when putting away the front fold out bed I see some water damage there. I pulled the flap that covers the open seam between the camper and the fold down bunk and when I did it pulled back some of the rubber/plastic bunk cover. I can see wet wood and it feels a little rotten. Just wondering what my options are here. The place I purchased from is saying they wont cover the issue under warranty.

Does anyone know where I can purchase a new bunk or maybe some tips on repairing what I have? As I said the wood feels a bit rotten but it may be ok if I can stop the water from getting in.

Any help is appreciated.

[bankr63]

Hi Joe, and welcome to JOF.

Is the damage only to the wooden material of the door itself, or the surrounding area on the front of the camper? Is there any delamination of the fiberglass (bubbles in the surface)? A picture posted here can paint a thousand words.

Before repairing or replacing, you want to be sure that you have dealt with the leakage issue properly.

What type of latches does your bunk have? 2010 I think had the cargo door bar type system, but may have had the square key lock mechanism.

If it is the bar type latch, you need to inspect carefully to ensure that the latch is putting enough pressure on the door. There should be a rubber pad on the flat of the bar that presses against the door frame. These can crack and fall off over time. If they are missing you will need figure out a replacement so that the bar puts enough pressure on the seals.

Also, with a 2010 I would be inspecting your door seals carefully to make sure they are still flexible. I would use a treatment on them like 303 or LVP to restore them if they need it.

The door can be difficult to repair as it is a sandwich construction. If the fiberglass has delaminated from the luan underneath it will be tough. If the water damage is only to the inner layer of luan a bit easier. I also understand that you can order replacement doors from Jayco as well and the price isn't too outrageous. Search around here on JOF - there are a couple of posts that mention replacement bunk doors and costs. You could work through your dealer or contact Jayco directly with your VIN number to see if they can source a replacement.

Good luck!

[justcallmejoe]

Thanks for the reply. My latches have no rubber pads at all. Sure sounds like that would be the main reason I have these issues. I do see some bubbling of the front exterior of the bunk. Really not happy with the seller of this camper at this point. They said they would be happy to look at it but said nothing would be under warranty. Pics of the latches and the bubbling on the front. Unfortunately its raining pretty good here so I cant get better pics.


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Originally Posted by bankr63

Hi Joe, and welcome to JOF.

Is the damage only to the wooden material of the door itself, or the surrounding area on the front of the camper? Is there any delamination of the fiberglass (bubbles in the surface)? A picture posted here can paint a thousand words.

Before repairing or replacing, you want to be sure that you have dealt with the leakage issue properly.

What type of latches does your bunk have? 2010 I think had the cargo door bar type system, but may have had the square key lock mechanism.

If it is the bar type latch, you need to inspect carefully to ensure that the latch is putting enough pressure on the door. There should be a rubber pad on the flat of the bar that presses against the door frame. These can crack and fall off over time. If they are missing you will need figure out a replacement so that the bar puts enough pressure on the seals.

Also, with a 2010 I would be inspecting your door seals carefully to make sure they are still flexible. I would use a treatment on them like 303 or LVP to restore them if they need it.

The door can be difficult to repair as it is a sandwich construction. If the fiberglass has delaminated from the luan underneath it will be tough. If the water damage is only to the inner layer of luan a bit easier. I also understand that you can order replacement doors from Jayco as well and the price isn't too outrageous. Search around here on JOF - there are a couple of posts that mention replacement bunk doors and costs. You could work through your dealer or contact Jayco directly with your VIN number to see if they can source a replacement.

Good luck!

[DocBrown]

A few things may have contributed to the water damage.

If you don't replace the door make sure the angled joints on the steel framing outside the door are sealed. It may not seem like much but a failed caulked line can allow water to seep into the bottom section of the bed door. I recently discovered this on my trailer. I sealed it and no more leak.

As said above it may need new door seals. I treat mine with a rubber protestant twice a year. The seals are still soft and pliable. I did the same with our '93 Jayco Kiwi 17a. After 10 years the seals were still like new and no leaks.

It's also possible that the previous owner didn't get all the canvas properly tucked inside, which then compromised the seal when the door was closed. Maybe is was parked like this for a time and allowed water in during multiple rain storms.

If the outside is solid and the depth of the soft wood isn't too deep you may be able to dry it out and remove the rotted paneling, replacing it with something else on the inside. It's certainly worth a try.

EDIT: strike that last one. It looks like you already have some delamination. Hard to tell for sure with those photos though. The rubber referred to would not be on that part of the latch. It's on the swinging part and would make contact with the flat surface of the part you took a photo of. It's easy enough to buy a piece of rubber that's an 1/8 of inch thick and glue them on.

That said, you have a 9 year old trailer that had a 2 year non-transferable warranty when new. The non-transferable is standard in the RV industry. Even so something that old is usually not going to come with any kind of warranty, especially not an RV.

[justcallmejoe]

Delamination is definitely happening on the exterior. Probably the lower 18" or so is effected at this point. The seals seems to be in pretty good shape right now. Still pliable and no rot or cracking that I can see. I will definitely treat them this year. I think the issue would be not enough pressure on the door itself with the latches. Again, no rubber pads on either of the handles or the locking mechanisms.


As for the seller, maybe just wishful thinking on my part. At the very least I feel like they would have added the rubber to the latches to prevent this from happening. As someone that's never owned a camper before I had no idea to look out for this problem when I was searching for one. Oh well...live and learn I guess. From the sounds of it delamination may = replacement. I just hope it's not too costly.

Originally Posted by DocBrown

A few things may have contributed to the water damage.

If you don't replace the door make sure the angled joints on the steel framing outside the door are sealed. It may not seem like much but a failed caulked line can allow water to seep into the bottom section of the bed door. I recently discovered this on my trailer. I sealed it and no more leak.

As said above it may need new door seals. I treat mine with a rubber protestant twice a year. The seals are still soft and pliable. I did the same with our '93 Jayco Kiwi 17a. After 10 years the seals were still like new and no leaks.

It's also possible that the previous owner didn't get all the canvas properly tucked inside, which then compromised the seal when the door was closed. Maybe is was parked like this for a time and allowed water in during multiple rain storms.

If the outside is solid and the depth of the soft wood isn't too deep you may be able to dry it out and remove the rotted paneling, replacing it with something else on the inside. It's certainly worth a try.

EDIT: strike that last one. It looks like you already have some delamination. Hard to tell for sure with those photos though. The rubber referred to would not be on that part of the latch. It's on the swinging part and would make contact with the flat surface of the part you took a photo of. It's easy enough to buy a piece of rubber that's an 1/8 of inch thick and glue them on.

That said, you have a 9 year old trailer that had a 2 year non-transferable warranty when new. The non-transferable is standard in the RV industry. Even so something that old is usually not going to come with any kind of warranty, especially not an RV.

[Tunce the traveler]

[QUOTE=DocBrown;774734]A few things may have contributed to the water damage.

If you don't replace the door make sure the angled joints on the steel framing outside the door are sealed. It may not seem like much but a failed caulked line can allow water to seep into the bottom section of the bed door. I recently discovered this on my trailer. I sealed it and no more leak.

X2 and also check the bottom of your entrance door and your storage doors and you may need to recaulk around your kitchen sink and bath sink as well.

[Tunce the traveler]

When it stops raining and the tent ends are open check these upper corners to make sure its sealed tight. Then go inside and check the plastic strip at this location and see if it’s split at the screws down the center ( this is a problem area for all hybrids) all along that top edge.

Sorry the pic just turned sideways

[justcallmejoe]

YIKES! I just talked with a nearby Jayco dealer and she gave me a round about price of $3000 to $4000 for a replacement with a 6-8 week lead time.

[justcallmejoe]

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

When it stops raining and the tent ends are open check these upper corners to make sure its sealed tight. Then go inside and check the plastic strip at this location and see if it’s split at the screws down the center ( this is a problem area for all hybrids) all along that top edge.

Sorry the pic just turned sideways

I will check that for sure tomorrow. Today, central NY has turned into a rainforest.

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by justcallmejoe

YIKES! I just talked with a nearby Jayco dealer and she gave me a round about price of $3000 to $4000 for a replacement with a 6-8 week lead time.

Yeah, I would call Jayco directly. My recollection from previous post is a few hundred dollars for the part. I'll post a link if I can find the old thread. Shipping might get expensive though. $3-4k is way too much. With a good Jayco dealer they will get Jayco to ship the part in their next trailer delivery = no shipping cost.

I don't think I have a photo of the rubber pad, but I can get one this weekend, picking up trailer from storage on Sunday to head out next Tuesday. Maybe someone else can post a photo of theirs if its handy.

Update: no picture of the pad, but this shows you where that pad should be. It is only about 1/4" thick and the same width and depth as the wider bar. Ir presses down on the high point of the molding, and provides enough pressure to compress the seal.

I would also note that on one of my bars the large white rivet was getting pretty sloppy and eventually fell out. It needs a bit of play, but if it is "too" loose try re-peening the back side of the rivet.

[justcallmejoe]

Originally Posted by bankr63

Yeah, I would call Jayco directly. My recollection from previous post is a few hundred dollars for the part. I'll post a link if I can find the old thread. Shipping might get expensive though. $3-4k is way too much. With a good Jayco dealer they will get Jayco to ship the part in their next trailer delivery = no shipping cost.

I don't think I have a photo of the rubber pad, but I can get one this weekend, picking up trailer from storage on Sunday to head out next Tuesday. Maybe someone else can post a photo of theirs if its handy.

I went out and took another look and the pads are there. I was mistaken. They are worn and cracked and i'll be replacing them soon enough but...they are there. So this is most likely a seal and caulking issue I would think.


I'll have to discuss with my dealer on a replacement. Good tip on the shipping. Thanks!

[bankr63]

Here is one thread talking about replacement door. The part number may be different for your model; why I would call Jayco with your VIN number to make sure you have the right part.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ent-59869.html

Another one for a newer trailer with a much lower price quoted. There might have been some Jayco goodwill in that pricing as the unit was just out of warranty when the thread was posted.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ion-57444.html

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by justcallmejoe

YIKES! I just talked with a nearby Jayco dealer and she gave me a round about price of $3000 to $4000 for a replacement with a 6-8 week lead time.

Something doesn't sound right there. $4000? Even if it's $1000 I'd be more inclined to take the door off myself and see what can be done. It's not like it's a wall of the trailer. There is likely some way to do a reasonable repair.

[justcallmejoe]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

Something doesn't sound right there. $4000? Even if it's $1000 I'd be more inclined to take the door off myself and see what can be done. It's not like it's a wall of the trailer. There is likely some way to do a reasonable repair.

Exactly my thoughts as well. I paid around 12k for the camper. It's hard to believe replacing a bunk would cost me a 1/4 of what I paid for it. I have an appointment to have the dealer look at it this coming week. I'll see what they have to say about it and make a decision from there.


I appreciate all the info you guys have provided so far!

[Jagiven]

Have you taken an ice pick (awl) and poked at the spots in the hinge area that you think might be starting to rot? This will give you a good idea if there is any structural issues, or just surface.

I can also tell you from experience, when you close up the bunks, absolutely make sure the skirt is tucked in before latching. I have, by accident had a small piece caught up in the seal area, which has cause me to have a leak. I found it, dried things up and have had no further issues. I am now extremely careful when closing up to check the skirt location.

[Flash828]

Have you had and movement on your 'fix'. We have the same issue, both outside and in. Our local dealer gave a quote ( cant remember amount right now) with aong lead time. Debating whether to attempt a fix first.

[Isaacs]

When the bunks get folded up, make sure the metal frame is not folded in with the fabric; when you "fluff up" the fabric you should hear the frame clunk down onto the wood. Someone else folded one of my ends up incorrectly and I got water.

[Scott91370]

I repaired my front bunk a few months back. Much easier than the floor and ceiling!
Mine had become rotted in the bottom foot or so (when folded up). The only thing I made a mistake on was when I bought the insulation I didn't use the same kind as I did on the roof/ceiling and the glue melted some of it so it still is semi-delaminated.
As I mentioned in a different thread, if I wasn't cheap I'd post pics of the repair but I won't pay photobucket.
I can do a little write up in a few days (once I get back home) and email it if you'd like.

[Flash828]

Originally Posted by Scott91370

I repaired my front bunk a few months back. Much easier than the floor and ceiling!
Mine had become rotted in the bottom foot or so (when folded up). The only thing I made a mistake on was when I bought the insulation I didn't use the same kind as I did on the roof/ceiling and the glue melted some of it so it still is semi-delaminated.
As I mentioned in a different thread, if I wasn't cheap I'd post pics of the repair but I won't pay photobucket.
I can do a little write up in a few days (once I get back home) and email it if you'd like.

Anything you have can help us all.
Thanks.

[justcallmejoe]

Update - I took the camper back to the dealership and had them take a look. The front bunk is completely shot and needs replacing. They quoted me $1000 to replace. I talked them down to $500 and then my wife got on the phone and talked them down to $300.

The $300 price tag is without the front decal but that is fine with me. Hope to have the camper back in another week.