What To Do With My 87 Itasca? Rehab Or Not

[Back East Don]

Hey all,

It took a whole lot of effort to get back on the site after so much time away. First, did I miss much?

Anyway I have a 87 that I've put an awful lot into work wise and to some extent money spent. Today I went out to see how things have faired over the winter. Good news is the tarp took care of keeping water out once the snow began to melt. Last year water got in around the roof vents once things began to melt. Interior looked ok except for around the vents themselves. However I'm still chasing a nagging leak in the rebuilt berth section after the original rehab. Try as I have, I cannot manage to stop the small little leakage in the two front corners. Rain or even condensation, I get two damp corners no matter what I've tried.

We had a great first year with this then the next year had in-laws come and live with us and didn't get out at all. This year I need to decide to either put in a rubber roof or think about selling. With all the trouble I found with the berth, I'll admit to being just a bit gun shy. One options is to install a layer of plywood on top after removing all the roof vents & such then installing a one piece roof. It's not that large of a surface but am concerned as to what I'll find to fasten down to. Would hate to have to remove & re-do the ceiling panels I put in to reinforce it structurally.

Any one with experience doing a roof on one of these care to chime in?

If I keep it perhaps on to phase two and add solar panels for the beach trips. Anyways thanks,

[MontanaChinook]

Others can help with the technical points of rehab for the cab over.

I'd just say that if you're considering selling it, think about it this way: are you still wanting an RV? If so, the problems you know are typically better than the problems you don't know. If the only thing wrong with yours is the leak, I'd commit to fixing it, even if it means gutting the cabover, before I'd spend the money on an unknown RV with unknown problems.

Unless you're considering getting out of the RV business all together, or want an all fiberglass or something much bigger or very different instead, it's probably better to fix what you have.

I've been chasing down a cabover leak myself. I think I'm finally convinced that it's not coming from the roof or windows. I think it might be the cab to cabover seal, plus condensation. The nice thing about the leak is that there's no drip, no dampness. At some point, the water has pooled sufficiently that it comes running out in a stream, usually but not always once I start driving it and get to the right angle, right into my lap, or the passengers lap. Sometimes the steering wheel takes the brunt of it, but usually right into the seat.

[Back East Don]

Thanks Zach for the input.

Cabover has already been rebuilt along with new fridge, new stove, completely rebuilt electrical including Led lighting, Electrical power center, TV entertainment system (runs on 12volts), more electrical outlets, microwave, 12 volt power jacks for phone charging and also running the miriad of devices like fans we have when we need to be fully self contained at the beach. Yes, I've much work into this and everything works perfectly and then some. I've replaced the gate valves for waste tanks. Put in a new toilet. Cedar lined the closet. Did an obscene amount of work. Still can't isolate this damn leak. Outside looks like an old RV. Drivetrain has 50k miles.

The initial part of your reply contains a bunch of questions I can only answer this way. I'd like to get at least another great season out of this. The leak is not the largest problem to that. Life has had its own way of keeping that from happening over the last couple of years. Wife keeps talking about getting something bigger but this is perfect for the weekend beach trips and is set up for it. There is no new/bigger RV in the picture this year but she'll win out eventually.

To make the wife happy I'll need to re-build the dinnette. I had replace it with a RV sofa that fold out to a bed. She wants a kitchen table. We don't need the additional sleep area. Cabinet construction is within my wheelhouse. Roof is what has me spooked.

[linda s]

The Itasca's metal roofs are known to get pin hole leaks that sometimes can't be seen. Have you just tried resealing it with the white stuff from the hardware store. Cool Seal I think it's called. Same stuff they use on mobile homes. You also need to check the clearance lights. Take them off and reinstall with butyl tape. Then hit her with the hose and see if it still gets wet

Linda S

[MontanaChinook]

You don't mean the wife do you, Linda???

Well, the wife wants what the wife wants I guess.

Yeah, that's a lot of work you've put in.

[Back East Don]

Thanks Linda

I replaced the clearance lights with Led and replaced the butyl tape then. I had picked up enough of the tape to do the whole RV. Long story but it was cheaper in volume and I got free shipping. Still got tons of it.

The roof has had a fair amount of roof seal applied in various colors even from the previous owners. It is all dried out and cracked and pretty much a real mess. All part of the reason I was considering the rubber roof. I figured applying some sort of mastic stripper and scraping this crap off is likely going to do more harm than good. Roof is 3 vents. AC has been removed. Fridge vent and two drain vents. Replacing the whole thing seemed the right way to do it. Was hoping for insight from someone who's done it.

[Back East Don]

Here is pretty much what I think I've decided after a bit of searching the site. There are only a few posts here that deal with roofs but one with regard to liquid roof looked hopeful. A little bit more research and the game plan is to strip the top including the side mouldings. Re-do all the butyl along the edge and replace the vents including the refrigerator vent if needed. Then apply the liquid roof. My thinking is that this system is an epoxy type coating that will likely be less prone to shrinkage and cracking as the home type of coatings are. I had already pulled the 3 front windows out when I repaired the berth so I don't think there is the source of the problem. If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will but the cost is fairly cheap and is less of a major construction project.

This all came after a discussion with the wife about the camper. I let her know that I'm planning at least a couple of trips this summer. The issue with this is that last fall my 92 year old mother-in-law with advanced demetia moved in. After not going on any vacations for over a year, I told her I needed some sort of break from all of it, with or without her. She of course agreed. There are other family members who can fill in while we escape on a few weekend trips. I'll hit the lakes and do some fishing on weekends she can't come. She hates the woods.

Still have to research a bit more on how much of the old coating need to come off but the project now seems more possible than the initial idea of the rubber roof.

Well I got a plan. Now I just need some warm weather.

[MontanaChinook]

Cool, good luck and I hope my wife comment wasn't offensive.

Sounds like you're doing the right (and difficult) thing, so yeah, I'll bet you could use a break.

[jdfrost64]

I have done 100s of rubber roofs. as for me there that's the way to go. just put a new rubber roof on my mini. you can do a roof in about a day. as long as the under skin is good and I mean in great shape and use the right glue made for rubber roof. NOT contact cement like people think you can use. rubber roof glue is meant not to dry with age just get sticker the longer it is on. but under skin must be in good shape. and remember to go under the front skin and over the rear skin. what ever type of roof you use.

[Back East Don]

I have done 100s of rubber roofs .as for me there that's the way to go .

That was my initial thought but the issue for me is the amount of work more so than cost. The second issue is going to be return on investment. I figure on this motorhome that is just not going to happen. I'm ok with this up to a point. I know people who have spent way more money on a single vacation trip than I have in this motorhome. The question is going to be will I be able to keep it? If not, no reason to waste the most valuable resource I have, time. Summer is my busy work season so I have weekends only and family obligations cut deep into that as well lately. Time is limited so in reality that adds to the equation and becomes part of the overall question.

Otherwise I would simply bite the bullet, throw some plywood up and install the rubber roof. What I am looking at is probably the same amount of money but way less labor. The solution I'm looking at is EDPMCoatings I'll have to include the primer coat over the old roof cause of the tar based coating up there already but should be able to get this done in a weekend. A rubber roof over aluminum skin that has roof coating on it will require a luan base minimum plus I'll need an edge strip in front somewhere. With the liquid roof I can go much further forward and if there are pin holes it they will be sealed and job should look halfway decent.

I am fond of this little RV as I've got a lot of me invested in it. If it were only my choice I'd keep it and go full board with the next phase of restoration. I'd love to fix the mistakes I made with the first go round and fix and do a more complete roof job that included addressing some of the sag and flex of the roof. Good news is it held an awful lot of snow over the winter without issue which tells me that even though there is a fair amount of flex to the ceiling it is solid. This has created probably more questions than answers I know but that if probably a good thing. The discussion flushes out a lot of issues it would seem.

[Back East Don]

Cool, good luck and I hope my wife comment wasn't offensive.

Hardly. I chuckled.

[jjrbus]

Personally instead of fixing what might be the problem I would do a pressure test of the home. This is time consuming but may isolate the leak.

I have a rickety old keyboard, junky computer and a horrible internet connection so will not go into detail. The materials are simple and cheap, a strong fan, plastic sheeting, tape and soapy water.. Basically you are trying to introduce outside air to pressurize the interior of the home and spread soapy water on the outside, the leak should show on the outside as bubbles. Some things may be massive air leaks, such as doors and window and need to be taped and sheeted to maintain pressure. Super high pressures are not needed inside.

Isolating the sleeping area and testing just that may be an option??

A Google search should find some info on this, does not require fancy hi tech equipment. HTH Jim

[85mirage]

I know what you mean as about the damn leaks after putting so much in. i rebuilt my Shasta yoda, all new 2x3 roof framing and new ply and epoxy resin and cloth. I have damn leak same place.

Best thing as others said is nothing beats a big garage or carport.

But late last fall i epoxyed small 3x6 in or so piece of cloth over roof and onto metal retaining bar which curves with cabover. Just the part where the roof meets that bar. Only one side.

I eliminated metal molding on sides of rv, near the roof, in new design. But had to keep the curved overhead bunk metal strip. I never replaced the screw cover plastic piece to them which but doubt that it keeps it water tight.

I think if i epoxied cloth over that metal strip and under bed it would make it water tight..

Any thoughts B.E.D.??

[Back East Don]

After some discussions with the wife some decisions have been made. First one is does it stay or go. In this case it has been decided that its cost per year is minimal as insurance is about $400 a year. Drive train is in good shape and has only about 65k miles on it. We put on just under 10k miles on it without any issues over the last few years. Everything in it works perfect.

Long story short, I get to keep it for as long as I want. The only caveat is if we downsize the house and don't have room to park it, I'll have to find somewhere to store it. Some guys my age buy a shiny new convertible or something similarly extravagant. This is relatively cheap and she gets to enjoy it too.

So the game plan is already in place. I've begun to lay out the new dinette to replace the couch I put in. I'll begin to draw up the plans in Cad and start construction soon. I've begun to price out custom cushions for it.

Roof is still up in the air a bit. The two choices are the liquid EDPM or sheet EDPM roof. What I've decided is to start removal of everything on top. All the vents, trim and old butyl sealant. I am looking to see what I'll find before deciding on one or the other. Either way I am pretty sure I am going to remove the front window and perhaps the side two. The new roofing will extend from all the way back to the front trim that goes to the bottom of the berth. I'll need to figure out a transition between the top plywood thickness and the 1/8" luan skin I'll need to install if I use sheet EDPM. I've used Italian bending sheets before. They are 1/8" thick and I can bond them to the aluminum skin and can match the front curve easily. In the long run I think due to all the asphalt based coating that is up top, the EDPM sheet is likely going to be the way I will need to go. Might also be the only way I can be sure I've got everything sealed up tight.

While I'm at it, I'll replace all the top pieces such as the fridge and sink vents and change the ceiling vents with the Fan-Tastic units. Last item might be to replace the roof top AC unit that was removed before we purchased it. Looking at the Dometic 13.5k unit on Amazon. Wiring is still in place and would only have to be hooked up. Figure the 1/2" plywood on top would also take care of some of the sag.

I've got almost 3 years of vacation budget as life situations have prevented us from going anywhere. We have arranged for help over the summer with my Mother-In-Law so we'll both at least get to enjoy it for a few short trips. Might just be what we need.

I started work today. Began to pull trim off the front and take apart some of the previous work. Only clue to be had was some signs of water staining above the front window the center of the new ceiling panel I installed. This indicates to me that I am probably getting water from above and it is going around the window frame and into both corners. I had a tarp on all winter and still have water up front. So I still don't know what to make of this. It is now all opened up and will need some time to dry out. I'll remove the tarp tomorrow from on top and have a better look.

[Back East Don]

An incredibly nice day out today. Got the roof stripped down. Removed all the vents up top and spent the day with a heat gun scraping all the gunk off everywhere. Got a bit left for tomorrow. I pulled all the trim off except for the rear. Don't want to damage them and they are so long. I separated the walls from the deck of the berth yesterday and it is looking like it is drying out quickly. Thinking about how to better seal the berth in general around the perimeter.

Did a ton of searching the forum. There was a post that mentioned being able to replace the aluminum roof skin itself. Given how much the top has bubbled and separated from the rest it has some appeal. I figure I could rebuild/repair/re-enforce the structure. I'll do some more searching the web and see what is available.

Otherwise tomorrow I'll likely pick up some plywood and begin to lay it out. I'll need some sort of trowel spreadable mastic adhesive that will stick to the aluminum. I'll bring my reading glasses and spend some time reading cans.

I should have taken some pictures but was really too involved in just cranking through it. Before I start tomorrow I'll grab the phone and take a bunch.