pop up roof help

[wiess]

HI i have a 1986 starcraft that the roof is full of water,  if i stick a screwdriver throw the foam water drips out, is there anyway to dry this foam, or how do you fix this problem with out replacing the roof.

[gtxsuz]

Hello, when we bought our 76 starcraft the roof leaked and the foam was full of water.  we tried to put the stuff on the aluminum roof on the outside. but that did not help the inside. so we tore all of the old foam out! what a mess, have plenty of garbage bags and take out your mattress first. then we took aresol glue (get this at Lowe's) put back the blue insulation. this still left a gap between the sheets of foam so not sure what to do we installed 1x3 wood pieces all the way around the top and through the center. then not liking my new blue ceiling  I primed the foam and wood and painted it all white!  looks good and it works. we have some insulation on the ceiling to reflect the heat etc....  just like new with no payments. this was not a one day job.  this took us about two weekends and some weeknights.  but we are happy with the finished product.

[wiess]

Hello, when we bought our 76 starcraft the roof leaked and the foam was full of water.  we tried to put the stuff on the aluminum roof on the outside. but that did not help the inside. so we tore all of the old foam out! what a mess, have plenty of garbage bags and take out your mattress first. then we took aresol glue (get this at Lowe's) put back the blue insulation. this still left a gap between the sheets of foam so not sure what to do we installed 1x3 wood pieces all the way around the top and through the center. then not liking my new blue ceiling  I primed the foam and wood and painted it all white!  looks good and it works. we have some insulation on the ceiling to reflect the heat etc....  just like new with no payments. this was not a one day job.  this took us about two weekends and some weeknights.  but we are happy with the finished product.

Thanks for the info, I was told if you remove all the foam that the roof might cave in is this true? I was thinking of trying to take the roof of the camper and repairing it that way but your way sounds alot better. What is the best way to remove foam? I also have a broken lift cable that might be from the weight of the roof full of water, that is my next adventure...
Sorry for all the questions.

thanks again

[gtxsuz]

my husband just stuck a screwdriver into the foam and made a hole.  and it all came down with a little help from there.  when we had only small pieces left he went over the whole roof with a putty knife. just to clean it up. it was a pretty "easy" fix we had tried other things but they did not work.  some of our wood that is around the top had rotted too.  but we used the camper last year in August (very hot) and when we turned the ac on it was real cool it has been in the rain and so far (knock on wood) it has not leaked again!
Good Luck!

[gtxsuz]

I forgot we had a broken lift cable too. Not sure why maybe the weight or age. he had to fix that too.

[gtxsuz]

Weiss,
after going back and re-reading your orginal post when we bought our camper we had to replace the matteress they were dry but they stunk like mildew. where they had been wet and left there.  anyway we replace the foam. I wne t to Sleep Outfitters and ordered the foam to fit. for the table too.  then I recovered the foam with new fabric.  we had orange, brown, and tan. 70's colors with yellow floor and countertops. anyway the fix looks good I laso painted the dark brown cabinets white to brighten up the space the lights did not work so I bought rope lights. and got some clips at Lowe's to hold them up. we took them down when we replaced the roof stuff but we put them back they work so well.  the roof did sag some but when we put some of the trim wood up it helped some of the sag.  
good Luck on all of your repairs.

[wiess]

Weiss,
after going back and re-reading your orginal post when we bought our camper we had to replace the matteress they were dry but they stunk like mildew. where they had been wet and left there.  anyway we replace the foam. I wne t to Sleep Outfitters and ordered the foam to fit. for the table too.  then I recovered the foam with new fabric.  we had orange, brown, and tan. 70's colors with yellow floor and countertops. anyway the fix looks good I laso painted the dark brown cabinets white to brighten up the space the lights did not work so I bought rope lights. and got some clips at Lowe's to hold them up. we took them down when we replaced the roof stuff but we put them back they work so well.  the roof did sag some but when we put some of the trim wood up it helped some of the sag.  
good Luck on all of your repairs.

gtxsuz

Thank you for all the info. Last weekend my friend and i pulled the foam out and fixed the lift cable I have one more cable on order that was bad, I also have some rotten wood that we  will replace  and next will be cutting the whole in for the ac and putting in more suppport then putting new foam and 1/8 paneling  back on that my wife is going to pick out at lowes, she wants to change the colors and make it lighter inside and change the flooring, I will be happy when the roof is done then start on the floor. Sounds like alot of baby steps.....

Thanks again
Wiess

[ScouterMom]

I also had an old 1976 starcraft - I think it was a 'starlette? or starlite? we sold it a few years ago.   it was atiny one - beds popped out sideways over the tires, and the door opend over the back bumper, rather than the typical pop-up configuration of beds over the hitch and bumper and door next to the wheel well.

Anyway - I bought it cheap from a friend when it was already 20 yrs old - he had kept it in the garage, canvas was perfect and original, but it had a leak around the roof vent that caused water to pool under the insulation and around the sidewalls of the roof - causing the wood to rot.  Water did not come into the camper - it ran down inside the roof and side wall of the roof cap, and would sit in the channel created by the aluminum outside and the plastic wood-look interior (looked like contact paper on cardboard) held together by the aluminum channel that ran all around the roof to fit into the bottom of the camper when folded. This was mostly apparent near the door - the screws holding the door  would come out - nothing to 'hold' them and the threads had rusted off!  the track that held the canvas to the roof on one side also had most of it's screws rusted out and the wood underneath was rotten. the hardest part of replacing the roof / sidewall frame was getting the rusted lag bolts out of the corner posts without totally destroying the aluminum 'skin' of the roof!  

We did not replace the whole roof (probably should have, but I had no idea what i was doing, and I was afraid to.)  Now, I would tackle it - no problem.  

the roof is a 'sandwich' of aluminum skin, with foam insualtion and sometimes, depending on  how big a span you roof is, some pine supports (stringers).  On the inside, you would have a thin skin of wood-look or plastic sheeting that shows as you ceiling. Most of the 'wood' is fiberboard, and it holds water like a sponge!

We replaced 2 of our 4 sidewalls  (the 2 closest to the leaky roof vent.)with treated plywood cut to size.  I'm sure I was a bit heavier, but it was also alot more solid to sink a screw into! I didn't bother to 'finish' the inside - just sanded the plywood and put some clear deck varnish on it.  the hardware fitted back on perfectly, and I bought new screws and lag bolts.   Everything was caulked thouroughly. ( perhaps TOO thouroughly - don't use clear caulk - stuff works UNDER it  and looks icky after a year or two - we had a number of tiny holes poked in ouraluminum top - previous owner carried stuff on top, which he shouldn't have)

We also replaced the lift cables, as one broke the next summer.  while at it - it's a good idea to replace the pulley wheels - the original old ones are plastic - they wear out and break - the new replacements are aluminum or metal, and won't wear on you.