Water leak.

Ah yes, welcome to the world of older RVS. Water leaks are a nuisance.

Look at it this way: If this was not a Barth, there would be structural rot and wooden framing to replace. In this case, seal the leak(s), replace the damaged panel(s) and clean out the old crud. No permanent harm usually, but a real PITA.

To remove the cabinet screws make sure you use the proper bit. This is a square drive bit.

There is a good that your rear air might be where the water is coming in. If you search this forum you will find that other have had cabinet out and made similar repairs.

By the way. We do love pixs of others working on there Barths.

My guess is that the floor is not treated. I know Dustyjeeper replaced bad floors in his cut down coach. Good luck with this project.

I had a similar situation with the walls on our coach.

The window openings were cut larger than they should have been on 2 of the openings (the bottom corners) when the coach was manufactured and when the window frames were installed the butyl caulk did not come in contact with the outer skin and the result was a very big gap that you couldn't see without removing the windows.

The walls on mine were lauan board with foil bubble insulation adhered to it, very easy to rip out and replace. The board was attached to the aluminum frame with #4x1" wood screws (steel) and they of course will rust because of all the water that will accumulate in the trough of the aluminum framing and run the length of the frame (like an eaves trough on a house), as the screws rust over time they will allow more water to seep through adding to the dry rot situation on the lauan board.

What I see on the top of your window is that the caulking outside on the top of the window frame dried out and allowed water to again accumulate along the trough of the inside aluminum frame (not uncommon on any rv) and the water wicked up (water can run "uphill") on your wall, I don't see any sign of water from the roof down, and that's a good thing.

The first thing I would suggest you do is remove and replace the windows using a double layer of butyl caulk tape between the window frame and the outer skin of your coach, then replace the walls.

The floor on mine is not treated but unless you really notice a "spongy" feel I wouldn't mess with the floor, again just my opinion.

This is a link to what I did with our walls and ceiling (I'm not sure if this is how you insert a link so if it doesn't work search "cedar wall remodel") maybe it will help to give you an idea of what to expect........

https://www.barthmobile.com/eve...521086952#8521086952

I do not think from looking at the pics you posted that you have any problem with your roof.

Years ago while working on an old SOB with a carpenter I learned that if you start by tightening screws just ever so slightly you can "pop" the rust on the threads and then the screw will back out easier that working against the rusty side first and risking breaking off the head and inside, clean, portion of the screw. This also works on frame and engine bolts that have seized in place over the years. However, unlike bolts, you cannot usually use penetrating oil to disolve rust in the paneling inside the coach.

If I were doing it I would use a foam insulated board. They are available as sandwich panels using aluminum or plastics. You can then glue it to the aluminum channel and you get a higher R factor, plenty of strength and no retention of water or vapor. Costs more than luan etc, but is basically forever. If you use this stuff you could add weep holes to the floor under the aluminum framing and then you don't care if a small leak occurs.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom and Julie:
If I were doing it I would use a foam insulated board. They are available as sandwich panels using aluminum or plastics. You can then glue it to the aluminum channel and you get a higher R factor, plenty of strength and no retention of water or vapor. Costs more than luan etc, but is basically forever. If you use this stuff you could add weep holes to the floor under the aluminum framing and then you don't care if a small leak occurs.

I like that idea the drawback would be that it is easy to dent but you could replace sections. I suppose you could put wallpaper on top of it with wood trim.

If you were to drill "weep" holes in the aluminum channel on the floor you would be going through:
1) the aluminum channel that sits on top of-
2) the 3/4" plywood floor that is on top of-
3) the heavy gauge steel 2"x2" underframe of which there is attached-
4) a thin aluminum sheet that is on the very bottom of the coach which in turn would-
5) drain out into the area either into a bottom compartment or the area that the outer skin curves around on the very bottom of the coach where it is riveted to a 1"x1" .083" thick steel tube and collect there because the skin is tight to the 1x1 tube

That's if I were to do that on my coach, yours may be constructed differently.

I would think it could be possible to do this as long as you connected a drain tube (sealed around the top) through all the different materials and directed it away from the side of the coach where it finally exited and not over a compartment or into the bottom skin area. But it would be an opportunity for insects to find an easy way in as well.

It's a unique concept but I wouldn't even attempt to do it on mine though.

I resized (in some cases) and sent the images to Photobucket; please do not attach images as it consumes the website's finite server space. See here for the how-to.

You can also send pix by email to Bill NY or me, and we'll post.

Obviously, you wouldn't have known this, so it's not a problem...

Thanks!

Wow, you are wasting no time proving you are a true Barth caretaker/rejuvenator. (not afraid to bare it all!)

A somewhat ambitious project I'm sure you could have lived without... Just another example of how different each Barth can be (Not just how they left the factory but also how the years have changed them since)

That is some of the most advanced water damage we have seen. Must have leaked slowly for a very long time, too bad the former owner didn't reseal the windows in time.

Good luck with the project, we love the pictures! (if you use Photobucket links it takes less site memory here, not too bad once you get used to it)

For my latest Barth work, I am replacing my (original!) water heater and installing a Honda generator to replace the Kohler klanker. I'll have photos soon.

....try to get marine plywood [they use them for boats] and they are completely waterproof and sturdy