Camper Repairs

[ronerjones]

Was out last weekend and noticed a small section of the wood decking that seems to be on the starting end of getting dry rot/water damage. I have a 2002 Coleman Utah with a storage bin in the front. The water heater is in that storage area and right under the heater from the under side I notice the wood is not looking great. I this something that can be repaired or do I need to just wait till it gets so bad that I tear apart the whole thing.

Is there anything that I can do to the wood to make it last longer? Can it be water sealed or painted?

[spicyville1]

I do not think water sealing will work at this point but it may. I would ensure the wood is dry and then paint it if that is what you are going to do. Another option is to get a 4x8 sheet of 1/2" plywood, cut it to fit the entire storage area and place on top of the existing flooring and you could caulk around the edges. Could buy you some time. Just my thoughts though.

[wavery]

Wood rot is a living organism (bacteria). It's best to rip it all out so that it doesn't spread. The sooner the better because it can spread fairly rapidly and do a lot of damage in the damp winter months. It loves moisture, very dim light and stale air.

If you want to slow it down, you can try spraying it with a 10% bleach solution and leaving a bright light on it.