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Old 11-25-2018, 10:40 AM   #1
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Default What is under the roof on a 2006 T139?

This week we finally tore off the paper and foam core that had been put up to hide the damage from the leak in the front corner of my "new" T-139. It was more extensive than we thought, starting in the top corner and going 2/3 across the front ceiling panel, and all the way back to the cupboard. The cupboard seems to have integrity, feels very sturdy, so I think that's as far back as we need to replace. The flat roof panel was "replaced" in the same dishonorable fashion.

When we pulled the paper off the roof, there was a kind of "bunting" glued onto the wood. My friend, who is way "handier" than I, thinks that was part of the bogus repair, but I wonder if it was actually the factory insulation for the roof. Can anyone tell me?

Also, behind the wood, probably right under the outside shell, there seemed to be a kind of fabric - sort of like tarp material? What's this stuff? I think we'll have to replace the wood and bond the new wood to this stuff, (then insulation???) and then finish with wall paper or 1/8" panel. Does that sound right?

We've realized that this project is a little more extensive than we originally thought - more windows, etc., are part of it. I've copied helpful hints from some of the other posts to guide us through securing the front window and lights from future leakage - so grateful people are sharing their knowledge.
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Old 11-25-2018, 10:27 PM   #2
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Yikes! That sounds like a mess -- very sorry to hear about it. We had a leak in the front window of our 2003 T-139, but it was very easy to fix -- not nearly as involved as what you are now facing.

Is the exterior of your trailer aluminum or fiberglass? On our 2003, it was aluminum, and on our 2012 X-139, it is fiberglass.

If you are going to replace the wood, maybe use marine exterior plywood?? That way, even if the front cap leaks, the wood will not rot. But it is expensive stuff.

Once you have a watertight front cap and roof and have figured out what to do about the wood underneath, maybe consider a layer of Reflectix -- it is decent insulation and will not rot or collect water, unlike pink fiberglass wool.

Good luck, and keep us posted!
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Old 11-25-2018, 11:28 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by profdant139 View Post
Yikes! That sounds like a mess -- very sorry to hear about it. We had a leak in the front window of our 2003 T-139, but it was very easy to fix -- not nearly as involved as what you are now facing.

Is the exterior of your trailer aluminum or fiberglass? On our 2003, it was aluminum, and on our 2012 X-139, it is fiberglass.

If you are going to replace the wood, maybe use marine exterior plywood?? That way, even if the front cap leaks, the wood will not rot. But it is expensive stuff.

Once you have a watertight front cap and roof and have figured out what to do about the wood underneath, maybe consider a layer of Reflectix -- it is decent insulation and will not rot or collect water, unlike pink fiberglass wool.

Good luck, and keep us posted!
Yes, it was more damage than we thought was there. It's more like the whole front end (except one side is ok).

The exterior is aluminum. The wood walls are only two layers of 1/8" wood on the walls with insulation sandwiched in between. I don't quite understand what holds the trailer all together! The exposed structure seems to be quite feeble.

That's an interesting thought to use marine wood...I don't see that it's ever available in 1/8". But maybe it would make sense to paint the outside layer of hardboard with marine paint.

I'm really glad you suggested Reflectix. I bought panels of 1" insulation board today, but I really don't know that it's actually going to work, since it has to be "squeezed" into a frame made of 1"x2" boards - and the 1" is actually more like 3/4" (as I'm sure you know). I've wondered about the Reflectix, but nobody has suggested it when I've asked what options there are. I can change my order, which has not yet been picked up. I'll have to check with the friend who's helping and see if he thinks it's as good an idea as I do.

Thanks for your response!
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Old 11-26-2018, 08:57 AM   #4
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Bear in mind that the R-value of Reflectix is probably lower than one inch foam board. But it is a lot easier to use!
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Old 11-26-2018, 07:14 PM   #5
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That's a good thought. But I believe there's enough room to make a double layer of Reflectix between the boards. Per home depot, it's "R-3.7 to R-21, depending on the application". I daresay the doubling would more than double the 3.7. And the 1" insulation boards that are almost thin enough to use are only R-6.
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Old 12-05-2018, 08:35 AM   #6
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I agree with doubling the Reflectix. I've used it on several camper vans with excellent results.
The roof and front cap on our '05 T-139 was replaced by a boat guy before we acquired it.
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Old 05-27-2020, 11:32 PM   #7
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Smile update on T139 front end repair

I thought I'd let you know - after almost 18 months, the "repair" of the front end is done. It was more of a rebuild, from the edge of the kitchen cabinets forward. No, I didn't do it myself - none of that work is in my skillset. None, whatsoever. It didn't take 18 months; my FF sat for 17 months...and then it all happened, thanks to someone's limited work hours courtesy of CoVid-19 shutdown!
I was able to pay a couple of friends (a handsome fee, me-thinks) to redo the front end. Now it's watertight and the front is solid (although fiberglass again, not aluminum).
So I'm again about to begin the "adventure" of being a small RV owner and, hopefully, a small RV user. I've been trying to find all the things that need to be done and items replaced (like a few plastic covers that have just aged too much and have lost their integrity), smoke detector, fire extinguisher, etc. I'm adding screens for all the orifices I can find, because the trailer collected flies through the winter, as it sat.
I could post photos of the discovery of MAJOR, not minor water damage and the progress, but my intention is to leave this pain behind and this thread, as well. I'll likely be posting new threads with newbie questions.
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