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Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
 Hello All,
I’m hoping to get some clarity & advice from those of you who know a thing or two about LD’s. I don’t feel confident moving forward on the repairs/restoration in rear corners of my LD. I have a 1998 26.5ft mid bath that has a good amount of rotted wood under rear end caps & I suspect front cabs as well (where the the cockpit joins camper). Today I’m trying to determine the best method to gain access &  restore rear area.
So far I have removed lower portion of passenger side end cap &  from inside i cut a section of corner area away.  What I can see thus far is its totally rotted in corner running vertically from bumper up to window. I don’t know how far up the side of window it goes. (I thought about removing upper portion of end cap) but looks more difficult than lower section.  From inside I can see a section running horizontally under rear window that is solid dry wood. There are telltale signs that the drivers side rear cap area has similar damage. I plan removing that lower end cap today.
On this forum I have found some brave souls who have taken on this daunting project and have been so kind to post pics/videos which has been very helpful to get a visual.
My confusion is how to best gain access to remove old and rebuild. I have very little experience in this type of work. I am fortunate to have a well stocked workshop at my disposal.  I’ve seen some folks remove rear panels, ladder, bumper etc & I believe some folks went from the interior. I fear removing exterior panels if the bumper needs to come off.
Anyone who could shed light on this could you please let me know the pros and cons of each.
Whether from inside or outside I realize it is a great deal of work but I’m not in a position to afford shop prices & I purchased this to travel full time, sadly I’ve not going anywhere fearing it doesn’t have structural integrity. I live in RV full time in the Mts of eastern TN where hiring a handyman has proved to be futile.
Onward-
Very grateful for your time, advice & opinions
Thanks in advance for your help
Cheers,
Sonja
I will try to post pictures soon!
1997 27' ?
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #1 –
Hi there,

Pictures would definitely help since all models are different.  Mine is a 22.5 and you may have seen the videos.  I think the first question you need to ask yourself is:  How much do you want to know/find out?  And the second question is:  How well do you want it repaired?  If you are an OCD nut with any of these two questions, you shouldn't tackle this yourself. If you are comfortable with a "solid enough" 20+ year old rig, you probably can do this. 

With mine, I started discovering soft interior walls where I could put my finger through the paneling.  I was completely unfamiliar with the construction of Lazy Daze but I figured my first step would be to pull out any rotted interior paneling for investigation first.  After all, no matter what, that would have to be replaced since it's just flat out ugly.  Next, as I discovered there appeared to be water intrusion around some windows, so I took out ALL the windows.  It seems daunting, yet removing them was a breeze (putting them back in was a little more challenging but mainly because the repairs we had done around them made the windows seat just a tad differently).  Then in a cabinets, there was a spot on the ceiling that was a little crispy and spongy. To this day, I did not repair that spot. Too much work for very little gain.  But it did tell me that there had been water intrusion from the roof.  So I took off all the caps. Taking off the caps isn't hard.  But previous owners slathered sealant over many of the screws, so some caps/rails (mainly the roof line) became a tedious venture as I scraped off old and hardened sealant to gain access to each screw.  The corners were where I found rot so I'm glad I investigated. 

It sounds like you have an indoor shop.  If so, that will be the most amazing tool in this whole process.  I had to cover mine and once the cold started settling in, especially because even if covered, no sealant and/or glues will cure properly.

For almost everything, except for framing under the caps (or if you had to replace the ceiling) you should be able to do from the inside (if you aren't needing perfect).  Lastly, I repeat, how much do you really want to know? If things drive well, most things still seem pretty solid, and you can live with other areas on the rig "possibly" having rot, I'd fix just what you know now and then re-seal everything super well.  Honestly, I could have done a fraction of what I did to mine and it would most likely still have some good years of service ahead of it.  But while far from a perfectionist, as you'll see from the work I did, I just had to know more than I probably needed to.

1987 22' Rear Lounge
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #2 –
Thanks Kenny, I really appreciate your response!
 The workshop I mentioned is just a means to use tools and store new supplies. I’m also under a tarp-I looked into possibly building a portable type structure but it feels like more work piled onto a mountain of work I see in front of me & more $$. I appreciate the question “how much I want to know” lol! …..As much as I need to get myself on the road safely & not enough to send me into panic mode.  I’m not OCD (yet) I don’t want to be here for the next 12 years. Time is flying by and I absolutely don’t want to ride another winter out here.
 Being new to RV’s I don’t know what actually needs to be repaired for structural integrity versus what can wait that won’t effect integrity - I believe the rear needs to be fixed.  I envisioned the rig falling apart (for lack of better expression) while driving down road. I’m not looking to restore to perfection. I can live with it being solid & sealed up. I can replace the back interior wall the way I want once the wood frame is replaced.  I’m sure many LD owners would want to restore as close to factory as possible but I just want to stop the rot from spreading, replace wood that’s already disintegrated & dry rotted. I’m thinking that accessing the rear from inside would be less difficult for me but definitely messier while living in. I sleep in back the overhead in mine unfortunately has cabinets. I’d of preferred bunk overhead but after looking for a LD over a year I compromised. I do have patience for these type of things but I don’t have the mind that sees how things go together in building. So taking apart the rear from in or outside seems to have both pros and cons. Hoping for suggestion or what option is best to gain access so I can see extent of damage. I absolutely do not want to repair or replace any part of roof. I’m99% certain that the wood under end caps on roof is not good but I am not ready to take on. I hope that won’t effect structural safety.
I hope these pics/video show enough I’ll take more.
Thanks again
Sonja
1997 27' ?
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #3 –
To properly repair the wood damage, the rear sheet aluminum should be removed, as well as the remaining end cap.
It is a big and difficult job, especially for a novice wood/metal worker. I suggest finding some talented friends.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #4 –
This weekend, even though my project isn't complete, I went camping out in the desert.  There was a guy with a vintage (1980) class C on the same chassis as mine.  I got to see the inside and then wanted to get out ASAP.  The ceiling had lots of swelling and staining. The wallpaper was peeling in many places and the cabover was obviously rotted and even had some sag. The reason I am telling you this is because it takes A LOT of rot before these rigs completely fall apart.  Even if you just sealed it back up, you'd probably be able to get many years out of it before more problems arise. BUT, it's opened up and now would be the time to repair it.  Yes, the proper way would be to completely open it up and repair anything and everything with even the smallest amount of rot.  But it's a 1998.  A large majority of people in here I would assume are very financially sound.  And mind you, a "1998" Lazy Daze is probably nowhere near their radar.  Remember, these can be lived in but they are not real estate.  Every dollar invested in improvement to these rigs provide only pennies in return.  Also remember, it's YOU who will be using and enjoying this.  So as long as it is "sound enough" and YOU are happy with it, that is what matters.  There is no need to build this to the standards of others unless the motorhome still remains unsound.  I'm also willing to bet that many RV owners have at least some rot somewhere and completely unaware.  Lazy Daze are built quite well, but they aren't professional bus conversions with metal skeletons. Their framing is literally wood.

Looking at your damage, it looks fairly confined to the corners.  That is a good thing.  But I'd remove that back window.  Also, try not to take out the paneling in little pieces.  It helps to have a templet when cutting a new panel.  Because you are on a budget, just know that discolored wood doesn't necessarily mean the wood is completely bad. Often it can be surface.  If you can tell it feels like balsa wood or you can push a thin nail deep into it, it should go.  I know that for any wood that was just discolored but obviously maintained its integrity, I would just douse with wood hardener (an epoxy-like substance).

Anyway, your project isn't major unless you want it to be.  But it will require some skill level.  I know you said it was difficult to find a handyman in your area, but you should try. I worked right along side mine and saved a lot of money by doing more of the simple, time consuming things, while he did more of the technical stuff.  And I learned.  If you got everything exposed enough for someone to get the framing done, they could probably knock it out in a few hours and it will be the best money you ever spent. Then you could spend the tedious part putting the window and caps on, seal it up and do some painting. 

Lastly, your neck of the woods gets a bit of rain.  Invest in a quality class C cover.  It completely wraps the RV and still allows you to access the interior. Plus, unlike a tarp, it breathes.  Many people don't realize that tarps sometimes trap moisture underneath which creates the damage you are trying to fix.

Good luck!

***Quick edit, I did all the work on my rear part from the inside and had rot where you did.
1987 22' Rear Lounge
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #5 –
I have a few half-baked suggestions for the OP.  Search in your area for a Handy Person, review your project with 2-3 and if they seem responsive then ask for a quote.   I used a similar strategy when we installed luxury vinyl planking in our LD.  And it worked out just fine.

You might consider doing a similar search for a self-employed carpenter. 

Several Owners on this Forum took their LDs to Mexico and by all accounts received excellent service at very reasonable prices.  Perhaps they’ll reach out to you if that’s an option depending where you live.

If you are somewhat near to Southern California, perhaps call or email Todd from the now closed LD Factory.  He might know some ex-employees who have some kind of repair service. 

I would certainly shy away from most RV repair shops which seem to have a price schedule that I find outrageous … and with a waiting list too.

That’s the best strategies I can suggest.
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #6 –
Quote from: Ed & Margee  - 
I

Several Owners on this Forum took their LDs to Mexico and by all accounts received excellent service at very reasonable prices.  Perhaps they’ll reach out to you if that’s an option depending where you live.



That is actually a brilliant sounding idea!! There are some really skilled carpenters down there and I'd imagine would do a ton of work for the money. I'm only wishing this comment was around before I tore into mine!
1987 22' Rear Lounge
 
Re: Help Advice wood rot restoring rear
Reply #7 –
Thank you All so very much for your thoughts advice and shared experience. Here goes
1997 27' ?