Water Damage Cargo Compartment

Citycamper

Advanced Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
61
Location
Canada
So was checking out the front cargo compartment on our 2010 210WBS to make sure the seals on the hatch were good when I noticed that the wall next to the cargo light was bulged out and wet looking. I cut into it and found that all the wood was wet and rotten, this is where the awning screws to and the power for the awning goes through the wall. Looks like they put some spray foam in it, but the water got in anyway. Although these things have an aluminum structure, the manufacture placed a slice of plywood up the wall and really didn’t secure it to the frame, so it is basically held in place by the fiberglass panel. I think I caught it before the floor went but fixing this is going to be a nightmare as the plywood appears rotten up a ways that I might not be able to get to. Also not really impressed by the aluminum frame as they only tack welded it together and no real solid welds. So I would suggest you guys have a look at your RV’s, open the awning and you should find a plastic panel on the bottom that just pulls out and under this is the wire to the power awning, this is where the hole for the wire is.
 

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Not familiar with the lay out of your trailer. Is the storage compartment at the bottom or top. Also, can you provide a picture of the exterior where the water was coming in.
 
Twinsrer2 this is the exterior of the trailer showing the cargo door and the support for the awning. Second pic shows the screws under the pop off plastic strip that are supposed to anchor the support to the trailer, (now screwed into a 2x4 temporary)
Above the screws is large hole drilled through the support and into the trailer for the power line to the electric awning.F6EA0CC2-F88C-4CC0-83D6-E1993DFE0D87.jpg8C0E418E-7285-4BE7-A597-5FEB73BE108C.jpg
 
I just checked mine and discovered a similar hole in my 2010 189FBR. There was no sealing where the wire came out which is totally idiotic. I added some caulking to seal the hole.
 
Here is a picture of the hole in my 2010 189FBR. Unbelievable that the put a little foam sealant that did not even seal the hole and called it good.
 

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I think by the looks of things you might have a bit of rot in the wood behind there. If you take out one of the bolts below the hole as they are really short screws and find they are rusty then water has gotten into the plywood. Had to cut the plywood up till I found stable wood, treated it and the surrounding wood with a wood hardner. Then cut a piece of plywood that was thicker then the stuff that was in there and soaked it in water sealer, laminated to the inner fibreglass with gorilla glue construction adhesive and applied another piece of plywood over it and glued secured it to the aluminum frame and plywood. Drilled a smaller hole for the wire then filled it with the same calking I use on the seams. Will see if this holds.
 
Possibly, but I'm not going to tear into it to investigate. The inner and outer walls feel sturdy, the awning rail is anchored securely and the hole is now sealed. With any luck, what moisture in the wall will dry out over time. In any case, this was a good heads up to avert significant damage down the road.
 

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