Some Fifth Wheel Repairs - November 30, 2014

Last spring, while driving up the coast of Oregon in the rain, I noticed some water dripping out from under the overhang on our fifth wheel. It seems that there was a leak on the roof along the front cap seal. I re-sealed the area and took care of the leak, but the damage was done. As the weather warmed up, the wood under the fiberglass started to buckle and warp.

Here are some photos of the area.

I picked up two 4 X 8 sheets of fiberglass/fiberboard paneling from Home Depot and decided I would tackle the job.

I removed the nasty, moldy, warped and rotten area and carefully measured the frame studs so I could attach the new paneling to them.

This is the old piece I removed.

I laid out the new panels and used the old piece to outline the pieces I needed to cut.

While examining the undercarriage area, I saw a couple of frame cracks and broken weld points. I took some pictures.

They don't look like stress areas, but I will contact Heartland and see if I should be concerned. There has been an issue of 'frame flex' in some models in the past. I use the Heartland User Group Forums and will definitely seek other opinions.

I used self tapping screws to secure the new paneling to the undercarriage. This repair should be stronger and more secure than the original.

After doing one side, the other was a bit easier.

Then a bit of trim and touch up...it's done.

Looks so much better now. Not too bad for a cheap repair.

Just in time. Moving day tomorrow. Heading for Quartzsite and a couple of days of boondocking.