Soft spot

Voyager · October 7

I have a water stain in the plywood behind the bed. We had a bit of water 2 weeks ago due to condensation. Touching the plywood thoroughly we discovered a soft spot right under the Alde black tubing, pretty spongy. Till now, after reading a lot of threads on this issue, I thought it was just cosmetics. But that soft spot is making me nervous. I went to the Nucamp dealer closer to us and showed them pictures. They couldn’t tell me what is underneath that plywood. Shocking that the dealer doesn’t know how they are built. So my question is, does anyone know what is underneath there. Should we be concerned? My other dealer is a 3 hour ride, one way. I also sent an email to Nucamp but didn’t get a response. Maybe they are very busy now.Thank you all.

vhollow · October 9

Yes, concern is warranted. A fluid stain of that size indicates enough moisture to cause wood rot. You can do a few things to identify the source. First, is the level in your Alde fluid expansion tank stable? If so, it is a water leak, if not, Alde pipes, radiators or the boiler are the problem. Second, if you have water in your fresh water tank, and pressurize the lines with the water pump, will they hold pressure overnight? That is, pressure up the system, turn off the pump, turn it on in the morning. If it stays quiet (doesn’t activate), the lines are holding pressure well. If the pump cycles, you have a leak somewhere. Is the trailer stored level? Then the leak is probably close by. If the front is higher, the water may have traveled farther. While there may be plumbing lines below the wood in your photo, a leak from them should show in the belly pan, not level with the floor. Finally, if plumbing lines and the Alde are in order, check your fender fasteners and around wheel wells, and at seams and fittings through the walls.

webers3 · October 10

Same here, very common on the early years of the 320. Still trying to identify the source but it's most likely the rear tail lights, the area around the front handles, or who knows where, very frustrating. Underneath there is half inch foil faced foam insulation.

Voyager · October 10

@vhollow I will try to check all that, but first I’m thinking it may be the tail light. Thank you for the thorough response! @webers3 Nucamp also thinks it’s the tail light. I’m covering it with duct tape to see. It will rain tomorrow. Sorry to hear you have the same issue. Is it as big as mine?

webers3 · October 11

@Voyager Yes it is, a big area on the driver side. I've caulked the tail lights but I still have water in that area. Since it hasn't rained here in a while and I am still getting water I am thinking it's the condensation on the outside. In the morning I find the trailer wet as if it rained but it's the condensation, the water is running down the back and front. If the water is coming in somewhere through the front then it must be running under the floor and showing up in the back area, that could cause a serious damage to the wooden floor under the linoleum, disappointing.

Voyager · October 11

@webers3 I understand that the flooring is not wood but Azdel, which is a composite material that doesn’t rot or swell. That’s exactly what I’m trying to confirm with Nucamp. They asked for my VIN to give me the info. I don’t have it just yet though. I’m not sure about yours, being from 2017, but you can email them or call. Be patient though, they are not quick to reply this time of year.

webers3 · October 11

@Voyager I will ask Nucamp, thanks.

Voyager · October 12

it is definitely rain. It rained all day yesterday. I put a dry towel on the area. Camper lines and tanks are drained, everything was turned off and no one was inside. It has been dry for a week. The towel has 2 blotches that are damped. We put some duct tape around the tail light but it still got in. Not sure if it was insufficient or if water is coming in from some other place. It’s still the same corner and camper is leveled.

Voyager · October 12

@webers3 Nucamp response: your floor would have consisted of aluminum framing, foam block insulation, Azdel, Meranti and linoleum.
the Azdel in the floor is water resistant and helps tremendously with water damage in the flooring itself. Any issues with water damage in the floor would typically show up as soft spots, the structure is still very strong due to the aluminum framing structure that is throughout the floor.

Soft spot

Comments

Categories