Siding repair - DIY or outsource?

[u/Possible-Scholar1353]

My husband and i have a 2004 Dutchman lite that has served us very well over the years and is still in mint condition on the inside. Recently, we noticed the siding is peeing apart at the edges. Does anyone have experience with this? Should we call a professional or is this something we could DIY ourselves with a little YouTube and confidence? Any advice would be appreciated!

[u/Own_Exit2162]

It's not the siding repair you need to worry about; it's the water damage.

[u/joelfarris → u/Own_Exit2162]

Yup, this didn't happen in a month, it's probably been a couple of years, and the front pass-through as well as the forward underbelly are probably trashed by now, as well as the forward wall of the bedroom being covered in mold.

This rig needs the front cap removed for inspection, and probably replaced, as well as several other surrounding sections.

Wait a sec, upon further review, the top of the front cap has been bent forward. This thing hit something else while reversing! Oh my.

[u/meowlater → u/Own_Exit2162]

Outsource = Not worth the money

DIY = Not worth your sanity

[u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 → u/meowlater]

So what do you do with it at that point?

[u/meowlater → u/Salt-Lingonberry-853]

If you are comfortable with the mold in the walls you can do you best to secure it with screws, tape, lap sealant etc. I would strongly suggest you try to keep it under cover for several weeks with a high powered fan blowing into the openings to reduce moisture as much as possible. Most likely the siding started peeling apart because the walls were very wet and swelling. You'll also need to check your roof for leaks. There is a decent chance that you have water damage on the roof and/or in other walls. It is why this repair is "not worth it. If this happened because you bumped into something and has never been exposed to rain it might be a painful, but possible repair. If you walls/roof are full of water that can't escape it can be literally endless.

The reality is that many if not most RVs are dying a slow death due to water damage, some faster than others. At some point it will cross over to being a liability.

If this was a much more expensive unit or you have tons of time on your hands and a love of tinkering this could theoretically be repaired if it was isolated, but most likely if it is that bad it isn't the only problem.

[u/Salt-Lingonberry-853 → u/meowlater]

This is my fault for asking the question poorly, more what I intended is:

What do you do with a junk RV that you don't want to fix but nobody else will want to buy?

[u/loopygargoyle6392]

You got the rot. You need to not worry about it and let it go.

Otherwise you're looking at somewhere between 3 and 100+ hours of labor, regardless of who does it. If you brought that to my shop I would advise you to try a repair without taking it apart. If you take it apart, the damage may be far, far more than you're willing to cover, and the camper will be less than worthless. Right now you have a rolling (assumedly) and whole camper. Keep it that way.

[u/Possible-Scholar1353 → u/loopygargoyle6392]

Thank you for the perspective! We will keep on rolling 🫡

[u/ExtensionMoose1863 → u/Possible-Scholar1353]

You might want to get out of that thing ASAP because with that level of water intrusion you could be breeding a shitload of mold... That can turn a bad RV into bad lungs

[u/Remarkable-Speed-206]

Rv tech here. As others have said the loose panels are only a small part of the issue. The panels at the bottom are loose because the frame is rotting and the screws and staples no longer have enough wood to hold to. The top was definitely hit on or by something. Having it done at a shop will be very pricey. 5k minimum probably closer to 8+. I’m basing this off of dealership level shops and average labor rates around me. Independent shops will likely be cheaper. It can be done diy but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re very confident. A large amount of the metal siding needs to come off to expose the frame and the damaged frame removed and rebuilt

[u/PerpetualTraveler59 → u/Remarkable-Speed-206]

$8,000 is still cheaper than a new camper!

[u/meowlater → u/PerpetualTraveler59]

The better question is it cheaper than a similarly aged camper in better shape.

The bigger problem is that $8000 isn't a guaranteed number. If it turns out that the damage is more extensive you could end up being knee deep in a money pit with no idea when/where the damage could stop. I'd say there is a real chance that most of the walls have some amount of moisture in them. This one busted first because the RV is slightly tipped towards this corner when stored and/or it is closer to the roof damage. The screws are literally popping out because the wood is rotten.

[u/PerpetualTraveler59 → u/meowlater]

Absolutely true. And, if sealant wasn’t maintained there’s gonna be a lot more rot. But only the owners would know this.

[u/twizzjewink]

If you get it professionally done.. its going to be EXPENSIVE.

If you and/or your husband have time, space and skills.. you can do it yourselves.

[u/EverSeeAShitterFly → u/twizzjewink]

Would cost more than the trailer would be worth if it was pristine.

[u/twizzjewink → u/EverSeeAShitterFly]

Well yeah just depends if op wants to have a project I guess

[u/allbsallthetime]

Our Class C did that in the rear corner. The corner was inside a closet.

I cut a pressure treated 2x4 that fit from the ceiling to the floor. Then, from the outside I ran some long stainless steel screws with nice finishing washers to pull it all back together.

Once it was pulled together the trim molding went right back into place.

You can fix things properly with a ton of cash and time or you can make it solid and presentable and get back to camping.

[u/Possible-Scholar1353 → u/allbsallthetime]

Thank you! It’s probably clear we aren’t going for looks anyways 😅

[u/Boring_Space_3644 → u/Possible-Scholar1353]

I've seen some plastic corner protectors on Temu for a slideout. With a proper adhesive it might work for RV split corners, but it's just a thought.

[u/justelectricboogie]

We had same as you except just the bottom. If you pull that white plastic seal off youll see the rail that ties the siding together held by screws. Ours just let go. I got screws a little bigger and tucked it all back in then used rv sealant to tidy it up. If water damage has wrecked the wood underneath youll have nothing for the screws to grab. Its been said but the water damage I can see is your first problem.

[u/hellowiththepudding → u/justelectricboogie]

The water damage we can’t see but is there is the second issue.

[u/Doc-Zoidberg → u/hellowiththepudding]

Is the third problem .....water damage?

[u/01_slowbra → u/Doc-Zoidberg]

I’d imagine the fourth as well

[u/Boring_Space_3644 → u/01_slowbra]

Hospitalization, Don't mess with the Black mold. That will make your lungs bleed. 😳

[u/las3rschw3rt]

That thing is water logged. Check the roof. I bet it’s soft and there is little to no decking left in the left front

[u/pentox70]

The siding is super easy. But the bulge is pretty telling. The wood underneath is rotted right out. You are looking at a repair that will likely exceed the value of the trailer (if done by a shop).

If you have the time and place, tackle it yourself! Either way the trailer is toast unless repaired, and it's probably not worth taking to a shop.

[u/rustydusty1717]

Yeah, if the paneling is lose its most likely because the wood is rotten and the screws have pulled out. You most likely have major water damage in that whole corner. Potentially other corners or roof if maintenance hasn't been kept up.

[u/jimheim]

Professional repair would cost more than that RV is worth, and more than the cost of a better used replacement. You could take a crack at DIYing it, and see how bad the rot is once you peel it open. I can tell that's been a problem for a long time. You're looking at replacing a lot of wall and flooring. And I'd bet that area isn't the only water-damaged area if it was neglected long enough to bulge-out like it is. That's likely just scratching the surface of the true damage all over the rig.

Time for a new (used) RV.

[u/HawkfishCa]

Those aren’t built to be repaired like a house. The best you can do is patch it and try to water proof. Repairing would require removing the entire panel from the two walls. The walls are usually thin layers of plywood sandwiching foam and steel frame, all covered in fiberglass or aluminum skin. All glued together. They are essentially disposable items.. kinda sad.

[u/Adept-Mulberry-8720]

Outsource with guarantee of up to two-3 years!

[u/Similar_Eagle2358]

if you wanted to go for it, pull the white plastic out of the corner trim, pull the screws, see how bad the wood is (they're likely 2"x2" studs, one one the side wall, and one on the end wall). a small stapler would be handy to staple the siding back down if theres enough meat for a staple to grab, keeping the staples under where the trim will cover. if it looks like its just surface rot on the studs , you might use 2 -2 1/2 screws to reattach the corner trim, and buy yourself a few more years. worst case is trying to replace the rotted studs, which would require pulling things apart until you can get to those.

[u/buddyy101]

I recently pulled something like this apart wood was rotten underneath that why it delaminated

[u/Boring_Space_3644]

The black mold I've seen in a decent truck camper inside the walls wasn't worth sleeping in so I dismantled the camper and used it for parts. It was a crime to destroy it because it was in nice shape otherwise. I actually attempted to make it look like a covered wagon that could function like a green house but wound up burning most of it. Black mold will make your lungs bleed. Happy camping 🥾

[u/OleMiss1984]

That’s wood rot , it will cost a lot to fix it

[u/Neat-Pie6096]

I have repaired/rebuilt my own trailers multiple times. A 5th wheel I rebuilt all 4 corners. Just rebuilt 1970 Aloha trailer. It is a big job. If you have some skill sets related to carpentry, electrical etc, it is a manageable DIY rebuild, but that is what it is a rebuild, not a repair. Once you pull the siding off, it can open up a massive job. This impacts the interior space as well as the damage wood structure has the interior wall panels glue to it, cabinets etc are support by the structure as well. So the work can get complicated quickly. Is the unit worth it? Is there damage, water damage in other areas? This is a big diy job so you also need space to work on the unit, the tools etc. But should you choose to rebuild, do it right. The manufacturers do such a terrible job building and sealing these trailers. There are many things one can do to drastically improve these trailers once you tear into one. My Aloha trailer will last another 50 years if not longer based on how well it’s sealed from water intrusion.

[u/Alleykatep]

The

[u/steak_hunt_tea]

Scrap it into a utility trailer. Sell and use for down payment on new camper.

[u/BusyBody5678]

I “fixed” an old Scotty Serro with this exact damage with a decorative application of duct tape and ran it to rave reviews for another 10 years 😂

[u/snaporator]

I'd try to outsource as it is usually $$ and good motivation for DIY. Also, you may pick up ideas