Help with roof and floor issues on 2004 18f

[jrfount]

Well I came across a deal recently on what appeared to be an immaculate 2004 18f exp so we decided to move from our trusty popup to a hybrid. Three owners and the last two (from 2008 onwards) always stored it under cover. Owner 1, well your guess is as good as mine! But there is just some unwritten rule on campers that you don't find the hidden issues until you've had it long enough to start cleaning and prepping for your customizations.

So there's my lead in to two problems I found because of the power of laminated floors and roofs (luan/styrofoam/luan).

The first problem/question is about an area I found on the roof while prepping for a reseal. There is an area at the rear passenger corner that is approximately 12" x 18" where there was a leak. The roof is solid with no discoloration or damage to the ceiling; but, the upper layer of luan has delaminated under the roofing material so that you can feel the wood layers pretty significantly. It's hard to tell from touch but I suspect that only the top layer of the luan has broken apart. All of that brings me here, has anyone truly tried using something like GitRot or a delamination repair epoxy to inject under the roof then flatten it as it sets? If so what epoxy did you use and do you have any tips for what you would have done differently? My search skills may be failing but I've only found references to such work, no actual walk throughs.

So let's say the input is negative and I just need to replace the membrane and underlayment. What brands of replacement membrane are trustworthy? In this day and age there are a 1000 options for good prices but I'm not sure which brands are truly trustworthy.


So there is problem 1. Problem 2 is that the lower luan, on the subfloor, has deteriorated near the front of the camper. The floor is solid on top and the damaged area does not quite reach the cross member located ~4" behind the fron wall of the camper. Here I can only see eventually cutting the subfloor out and replacing the front few feet but that isn't of immediate need from what I can see. Here is my question, is there no additional supports running left to right except for that single front brace? I found a picture of a similar camper with the subfloor removed and it doesn't appear to even have aluminum supports built into the floor. Does anyone have a schematic/plan/or picture of the bracing in the floor of this camper?

OK I know that is a lot but I really appreciate any feedback you all can give me. I'm not scared of a job but I'm smart enough to realize I can learn from others experiences before I started pulling everything apart!

Attached image CamperRoof shows the damaged area in red and the offending leak in yellow.
If you're curious the lower section of luan has come apart in the area in red on the LowerSubFloor.jpg.

Thanks ahead of time, I 100% look forward to hearing some feedback.

[PaulB12]

Had similar problem on my flagstaff tt.
I sealed everything up tight and just left it alone.
It never got any worse. I did continplate cutting roof and taking rumpled part out but never got to it.
I ultimately made a permanent fix by selling to downsize from 31' to 25'
PaulB12

[jrfount]

Oh sealing it and pretending it wasn’t there had crossed my mind! I’m curious how long did you ride around with yours like that? Just wondering if the tpo would move enough while traveling to start separating from the luan further out.

[PaulB12]

Had it for a couple of years without fixing. Never spread after finding leak and fixing.
If it bothers carefully cut a flap, do what you need to and re-seal flap with eternal bond tape.
PaulB12

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by PaulB12

Had it for a couple of years without fixing. Never spread after finding leak and fixing.
If it bothers carefully cut a flap, do what you need to and re-seal flap with eternal bond tape.
PaulB12

This was going to be my suggestion. First step is to thoroughly CLEAN that roof where you need to repair. Cut a flap in the roofing, fix the rotted roof and find the entry point of water. Close the flap, Eternabond tape and move on. Since you cleaned before you cut, the tape will adhere very well and be a permanent fix. 10 feet of Eternabond tape will cost you about $10. A replacement piece of luan or plywood will cost a little more. Total fix, under $50 and an hour or two of your time.

[jrfount]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I’ll look at how it lays out on edges and think about cutting it. I’ve never used eternabond but I’ve never heard a bad word about it either.