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Post by vikx on Apr 9, 2017 20:21:05 GMT -8
One last thought:
The gap pictured at the front is probably not factory. I highly doubt even Shasta would have let one go with a flaw that obvious. And certainly they would not have stuffed steel wool in the cavity...
Check your floor/frame bolts very closely. Is it possible that side of the body slipped back due to broken or missing bolts???
In any case, inspect everything before proceeding. Now is the time to fix it rather than trying to do it after it's all back together.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Apr 9, 2017 21:02:53 GMT -8
What vikx said.
If both sides are not even, the roofing will buckle when it starts down the front or the back.
A problem that can not be ignored.
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Post by vikx on Apr 9, 2017 21:29:27 GMT -8
Somebody (careless PO?) may have given it a heck of a whack on the left front, knocking the body catty-wampus.
My Bellwood was "funny" on the left front. Large dent on the front which I attributed to a jack knife. Upon closer inspection, turned out the dinette had been shoved back two inches, breaking the dinette frame and into the icebox. A nastier mess than expected.
Measure Measure Measure. Check everything.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Apr 10, 2017 8:51:20 GMT -8
Good point about the body shifting. Was there extra skin in the front corner and not enough in the rear? If the skin was perfect in the rear with extra overhanging the wall in the front, I would guess the Body didn't shift. I wish I thought to check that myself.
Since the previous owner worked on the front corner at some point, we may never know.
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kwaggs
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Post by kwaggs on Apr 10, 2017 17:30:01 GMT -8
So I should measure from the front edge of the curb side panel to the rear bumper and the front edge of the street side panel to the rear bumper to see if it is "catty-wampus"? And then from the rear edge of the panels to the bumper? And what if the entire panel length is different? Should they be the same length?
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Post by vikx on Apr 10, 2017 20:03:06 GMT -8
I would measure from the front skin edge to the back of the trailer and also to the bumper. Repeat on both sides. The sides should be close, but don't expect them to be exact. Maybe 3/4" difference??
Also look under the trailer at the bolts. You should be able to see if they're bent or missing. Check that the nuts are snug as well.
If things "look" OK, I would plan on framing to match the skin rather than trimming it back. Believe me, I've been there with walls that don't fit. I had to lift one wall in my Hanson almost an inch. (Front window tattled on the build, it sagged to one side) LOL.
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kwaggs
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Post by kwaggs on Apr 11, 2017 7:01:20 GMT -8
I actually replaced the whole floor and replaced all the bolts with new ones and I don't recall any missing or bent. I will try and get it measured tonight though.
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kwaggs
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Post by kwaggs on Apr 11, 2017 14:56:46 GMT -8
So here is the data that I collected that had me even more perplexed. Curb side panel (passenger side) by itself measured 143", to front of panel to the bumper 151 1/2"
Street side panel (drivers side) by itself measured 143 1/2", to the bumper measured 152" The rear of the panel from both sides measured exactly the same to the bumper. This tells me I picked up 1/2" to the front of the street side panel.
Now for the perplexing part, my over hang is 1 inch at the bottom of the aluminum skin and the curbing or belting however Larry labels it, the stacked 1/4 plywood on the edge of the walls. It hangs over the stacked plywood 1/4" at the bottom of the window and is even at the top of the window. So the panel us
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kwaggs
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Post by kwaggs on Apr 11, 2017 14:59:43 GMT -8
So the skin is 1/2" longer on the drivers side but hangs over 1 inch at the very bottom so somewhere I lost 1/2 inch of interior panel and curbing/belting stacked 3/4"plywood. Understand all that?
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kwaggs
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Post by kwaggs on Apr 11, 2017 15:43:26 GMT -8
If I add that 1" of outer plywood to the curbing/belting stacked plywood the skin screws to, I then create the same 1"gap that was there and stuffed with steel wool when I purchased the camper. That gap had been there since its creation by Shasta and it was Shasta or the P.O. that filled that gap with steel wool, but the interior birch panels that I removed were Shasta issue and that gap was there. It tapers from the street side to the curb side because the curb side aluminum skin fits right up to the edge of the curbing as it should. So that gap runs all the way across the front of the camper until it reaches the curb side skin. If I trim that street side skin back to the curbing the only skin the would be affected would be the lower front skin. The rest of the roof would be one piece and not changed. What say you?
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Apr 11, 2017 18:33:52 GMT -8
So just to be clear, the gap is mainly on the street side up to the window with nothing irregular over the roof and down the rear? Walls haven’t shifted dramatically? Framing underneath shows no sign of an accident?
If that’s the case, here’s my guess: The factory botched up and built up the edge board/curving to compensate knowing that by the window it would be normal again. vikx finds it hard to believe, which I understand completely.
I think water leaked in that corner because their fix was half-baked and the previous owner tried stuffing it before doing the patch in your photo. Also beyond belief.
You did the logical thing and used the wall as your guide during the rebuild which actually recreated the same mistake. (no disrespect intended). Now you are too far along to rebuild the wall out to the skin.
I’ve made smaller adjustments by stapling & gluing plywood strips to build up framing. Then I took a belt sander to the plywood to create a gradual slope. In my case 1/4” over 3 feet. 1”+ over 7' will be ambitious but can be done. I think there are only one or two pieces of framing below the window? Then build up the edge board/curving to the skin. Does that make sense?
Here is the sticky part…when it gets to the window things get more complicated. The window will sit 1/4” deeper on one side, lower corner. On a Forester the screen would hide it but Shasta window trim is a stretch. I’d double check it will conceal (within reason) the window frame being deeper in one corner.
Not ideal as a fix but it should work.
Maybe others will have different solutions.
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