Drop That Sound
Well-known member
It was time to take on another boss. I didn't take too many pictures, but you can sort of see what I was dealing with. I got rid of the worst rotten floor panel sections under the cabinet. Some so soft and dry under the lenoleum that I could poke my finger through to the foam. I had already dug out most of the rotten wood frame boards down in the metal skirting, as I had access from inside, and everything was pretty dried out since.
Everywhere you see shadows/gaps was framing, that had eventually rotted away from moisture (I think the sink plumbing might have leaked at some point too, and the main door frame as well as the bad spot on the metal skirt).
On the missing floor joist section closest to the flower room wall/wheel well, there used to be two or three 1/2" pex like water lines running along the floor joist, and underneath the second floor panel layer from the other side with the water heater to feed the sink. And one for the main water tank that used to sit under one of the dining table benches. They did have some water when I removed them months before, so they could have leaked too and contributed to the rot.
Outside, I had used a large prop stick and barely jacked the side wall of the trailer up, to take the stress off the whole area. Enough framing had rotted away that the lower outer side wall of the trailer kind of bowed out where the siding meets the skirting. Jacking inwards and upwards a tad on the upper part of the exterior wall made it go away.
Notice there is a rounded bolt head sticking up by the wheel well where the missing floor joist is... That's where the trailer frame runs underneath. I later re used it to bolt the new floor joist board down, that had I pounded all the way across and underneath the floor, to the other side of the trailer, from outside when I peeled up the metal siding and skirting. Tricky as heck but I pulled it off, and hard to explain exactly.
I went right next to what was left of the old one, down the empty channel where the water lines once were, as there was a perfect sized empty slot, and no foam in the way either.
Also notice the grey pipe, that's the conduit where my main power cord runs down through, both the countertop and floor. The sub panel is up directly above on the wall. Next to the pipe down by the floor, I'll be drilling a couple 2" holes through the wall to bring return large 2" plumbing lines to each of the control reservoirs, from the 2 RDWC systems coming from the flower room on the other side.
Finally having a good solid plan worked out, I just kept working and doing the best job possible, from inside a cramped cabinet no less. I would seal things up with different products, and start framing back in all the missing and extra lumber, ten times better than they way they built it in the first place. I fixed up the inside wheel well panels from underneath too, and sealed it off better, just in case the trailer ever see's a rainy road during a move. The other side of the trailer is all good at least, and should stay that way as I sealed everything over there too..
Man, most travel trailers and RVs are made cheap I tell you! Not meant to last at all. Absolute junk really. Good thing I have been levelling up my skills and learning how to repair them, and know exactly what to look for before I would ever buy one again. Haha I wouldn't unless its free, and probably not even then. Well. Maybe.
If I had to start over I'd just build a tiny house or enclosed cargo like structure on a bare trailer frame, and probably wouldn't choose wood to construct it with either. Steel or aluminum and composites only. Better yet just use a 28ft or longer semi dry van, but that's for another project on my list.
Just a heads up in case anyone gets inspired here to convert an older or even brand new trailer, your sure to run into many problems that get in the way of the build....
Everywhere you see shadows/gaps was framing, that had eventually rotted away from moisture (I think the sink plumbing might have leaked at some point too, and the main door frame as well as the bad spot on the metal skirt).
On the missing floor joist section closest to the flower room wall/wheel well, there used to be two or three 1/2" pex like water lines running along the floor joist, and underneath the second floor panel layer from the other side with the water heater to feed the sink. And one for the main water tank that used to sit under one of the dining table benches. They did have some water when I removed them months before, so they could have leaked too and contributed to the rot.
Outside, I had used a large prop stick and barely jacked the side wall of the trailer up, to take the stress off the whole area. Enough framing had rotted away that the lower outer side wall of the trailer kind of bowed out where the siding meets the skirting. Jacking inwards and upwards a tad on the upper part of the exterior wall made it go away.
Notice there is a rounded bolt head sticking up by the wheel well where the missing floor joist is... That's where the trailer frame runs underneath. I later re used it to bolt the new floor joist board down, that had I pounded all the way across and underneath the floor, to the other side of the trailer, from outside when I peeled up the metal siding and skirting. Tricky as heck but I pulled it off, and hard to explain exactly.
I went right next to what was left of the old one, down the empty channel where the water lines once were, as there was a perfect sized empty slot, and no foam in the way either.
Also notice the grey pipe, that's the conduit where my main power cord runs down through, both the countertop and floor. The sub panel is up directly above on the wall. Next to the pipe down by the floor, I'll be drilling a couple 2" holes through the wall to bring return large 2" plumbing lines to each of the control reservoirs, from the 2 RDWC systems coming from the flower room on the other side.
Finally having a good solid plan worked out, I just kept working and doing the best job possible, from inside a cramped cabinet no less. I would seal things up with different products, and start framing back in all the missing and extra lumber, ten times better than they way they built it in the first place. I fixed up the inside wheel well panels from underneath too, and sealed it off better, just in case the trailer ever see's a rainy road during a move. The other side of the trailer is all good at least, and should stay that way as I sealed everything over there too..
Man, most travel trailers and RVs are made cheap I tell you! Not meant to last at all. Absolute junk really. Good thing I have been levelling up my skills and learning how to repair them, and know exactly what to look for before I would ever buy one again. Haha I wouldn't unless its free, and probably not even then. Well. Maybe.
If I had to start over I'd just build a tiny house or enclosed cargo like structure on a bare trailer frame, and probably wouldn't choose wood to construct it with either. Steel or aluminum and composites only. Better yet just use a 28ft or longer semi dry van, but that's for another project on my list.
Just a heads up in case anyone gets inspired here to convert an older or even brand new trailer, your sure to run into many problems that get in the way of the build....