The roof....

[sundawg]

Ok here it is...pulled off some of the sagging spot, the vinyl covering on inside has turned to powder about 5 inches away from brace...The wood on the edge1x1 maybe looks good still...and there is a 1 inch styro foam insulation between.
Question is...i want to replace it all ...will buy new foam and 1/8 panel board but what do i use to secure foam to roof( read 5 pages in a search) from what i can tell is PL 400 the best?  you can see there are supports on outside, that i think i will keep on. and then coat outside with either liquid roof or that white roof coating. Do i need to put some kind of bow in it? if so how? Oh is there anything better then these hooks to hold the door up?










couple more pix....and now another broken part....glad it didnt but the arm through the roof...

[sundawg]

I will replace frame work....Thinking about adding some extra supports also....Good idea or NOT? I will run wires for lights and maybe for exhaust fan....Or is it worth it?  The long 1x2 s have a metal strip on the side...All rusted. Should i replace these also? Or just leave them off.

[4Campers]

WOW that roof looks like a wreck!

I would suggest you replace as much as possible, wood, steel supports, foam, etc as long as you're that far in to the job already. No sense doing all that work only to have a rusty beam snap in a year or so. Glad you found some glue that will hold. Good Luck in this project!

[sundawg]

going to get some foam tomorrow and try to find some u channel for supports...Update...Well have the foam, foam board adhesive that says will work on fiberglass also....now if i knew it would have been soooo hard to find a piece of wood that is 1x1 1/2...i would have reconsidered ripping it all off....

[4Campers]

PS - for the door clips, in ours there are two plastic clips mounted in the ceiling. These are the same ones that hold the door at the top when down, also same as the ones on the side to lock it into place in the frame. One alternate may be a bungee cord with eye hooks.

[sundawg]

Well the interior of roof is done...added extra supports for door...closet...and a couple extra in the corners just cause. Also added the extra metal strips on my 2 rafters...pushed the wood up, to bow it and screwed it on...More pix soon!
I was putting it down and heard some creaking and checked out the side board...(Not door side) it was not in good shape...kind of crispy and soft at the bottom...almost 3/4 of the way down it. So i figured i better have a look pulled it off and yuk...needs to be replaced...went and bought a 12inch x 12 ft x 3/4 inch peice of pine...used the old board for a template  and added some metal plate around where hardware  attaches and used some of the white board that im putting on the ceiling to make it look all nice..

[austinado16]

Man, that's nothing short of a party right there!  Woo-Hoooooo! :yikes:   I hope you didn't pay more than a dollar for that camper

I think at this point you should consider removing the roof and turning it upside down, supporting it along the edge wall.  I think it would be much easier to build that way.

Then you could do something like lay down the glue, lay in the styrofoam panels and then put something like a few 12x12 concrete pavers in on top of the styrofoam in order to put pressure on it and have it glue into the aluminum roof securely.  

You'd then do the same thing when you go back with the 1/8" ceiling panel (Abitibi) or similar.

If you don't have an air stapler, go grab one.  That and galvanized sheetrock screws will put it back together very strong.  

Also, if you can weight down, or clamp stuff, Gorilla Glue is unbelievably strong.  you just have to have your glued items clamped or weighted because this glue likes to expand as it dries.

[4Campers]

My only thought here is the selection of wood for rebuilding the sides. Pine has a tendency to warp and twist in time, especially a piece that long. I would have opted for some plywood, painted on all edges to seal it. Also, the pine will be heavier than the original particle board used by the factory which may put additional strain on the cables. You are one brave person to undertake this big of a challenge.

[wavery]

My only thought here is the selection of wood for rebuilding the sides. Pine has a tendency to warp and twist in time, especially a piece that long. I would have opted for some plywood, painted on all edges to seal it. Also, the pine will be heavier than the original particle board used by the factory which may put additional strain on the cables. You are one brave person to undertake this big of a challenge.

I have to agree with 4campers. That piece of pine might not be the best choice. If you want to use solid wood like that, it's best to find wood that has aged for awhile. Pick 2 or 3 thinner pieces and laminate them together (you certainly have enough clamps for the job). This will keep them from distorting.

The cheaper way and possibly better way is plywood. I would spend a couple extra bucks and buy marine grade ply. It's lighter (because you can use a thinner piece and achieve the same strength) and less apt to delaminate. That's the kinda job that you don't want to do twice. Whatever you do.....seal that puppy up good. On a hot humid day, that piece of wood may not look like it does in that picture.

Good luck with it. I'm an avid believer in recycling but at some point....it just ain't worth it, unless you enjoy the heck out of what you're doing.

[austinado16]

I'm an avid believer in recycling but at some point....it just ain't worth it, unless you enjoy the heck out of what you're doing.

Mister, with an attitude like that, you'll never earn the coveted, "I rebuilt the roof in my PUP" T-shirt.

[sundawg]

any plywood that was 10 feet long.....or i would have used that instead.
Ceiling is up...may end up getting the proper supports inside....will see how it holds up....side wall back together, i glued it and screwed it back on to the roof.....had to plane it down a bit to get the bottom channel on....so now ill seal everything with a little silicon and use the peel and seal on all the corners....add a 12v roof fan, put the lights back up and coat the top with a paint on coating....whewww almost done!!!! I have lots of time right now and do really enjoy puttering on a project...only paid 400.00 for the trailer and have spent less then 300.00...so i think its still a good deal..

[wavery]

any plywood that was 10 feet long.....or i would have used that instead.
Ceiling is up...may end up getting the proper supports inside....will see how it holds up....side wall back together, i glued it and screwed it back on to the roof.....had to plane it down a bit to get the bottom channel on....so now ill seal everything with a little silicon and use the peel and seal on all the corners....add a 12v roof fan, put the lights back up and coat the top with a paint on coating....whewww almost done!!!! I have lots of time right now and do really enjoy puttering on a project...only paid 400.00 for the trailer and have spent less then 300.00...so i think its still a good deal..

That looks great!!!!!!

Just for future (or for other's) reference, plywood is easily scarfed together to make longer sections. You just take the ends of 2 pieces and cut the layers of ply in about 6" sections so that when you look at it from the side it looks like stairs. Coat the ends with epoxy resin, over-lap them and clamp them. After 24 hours you have 1 long, strong piece of plywood.

A proper scarf is often the strongest part of the board.

I hope that you put those steel strips back on the frames. They are there to prevent the frames from sagging. If you didn't, you may want to find some air conditioner braces to add to the inside.

The last thing that you want is a "flat" or concave roof. It is important that the roof remain convex (slightly bowed upward). That's where it gets it's strength.

You'll sleep better now, knowing that all that rotting wood is gone. :sombraro:

[austinado16]

Very impressive man!!  Excellent work!

[sundawg]

ok i see about the ply wood now......yes added extra supports and put a bow in the 1x2 's then screwed on the steel strips....hope it stands up good. i figure its 2x as good as from factory now....

[wavery]

ok i see about the ply wood now......yes added extra supports and put a bow in the 1x2 's then screwed on the steel strips....hope it stands up good. i figure its 2x as good as from factory now....

Sounds like you put a lot of thought into it..........you'll really feel good about you PU when you're finished.