can i do this myself? pop up repair - corner molding and plywood frame

[loriandmatt 2]

so we have an older (2000 maybe) viking pop up that we used to use alot, but then the family and our responsibilities grew and we haven't used her much in the last few years other than for our daughter to have sleep overs in the back yard.    i recently discovered that the corner moldings needed some attention with one in particular having been far gone for a while and water was able to leak into the plywood frame on one of the rear coners of the camper exterior.  the attached pic (grabbed from web and edited) shows the area i am talking about. 

 

anyway, i am looking for instructions on how to go about A.) minimizing the damage until spring when i can get out and work in this and B.) how to do the repair.

 

i would think that the corner molding could be removed, pry back the exterior (fiberglass or whatever sheeting) and then i am wondering if it is possible to remove the first few inches of plywood frame from each of the two sides that come together at that corner, replace it (how would i fuse the repaired section to the existing section?) and then reseal.   is this something i could do on my own? (minimally handy but certainly not a carpenter - and time is not my friend - if i can't do it in one weekend, i may have to take it to a professional.)

 

as of now, i dont believe (from my interior investigation) that the water has gotten far enough in to damage the interior of the camper, so i am hoping this is just and issue of exterior framing.  

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

I don't think that will be an easy repair if the skin was glued to the plywood and since the side walls carry the weight when the top is down a splice will not be sufficient. You may find floor damage in that corner as well.

[Daverene 14]

Seems like a lot water is a nightmare good luck

[bord1niowa......Curt 79]

Not sure I would want to get into that.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Heck... I don't even know how to hook up our new trailer so, I'm no help but, I did want to chime in and say  :postcount:

Seriously good luck on the repair :)

[BigTom 76]

I always say if someone else can fix it, I can. may not be as fast, but usually I get it done.

[DinDavie 37]

I'm with Big Tom.  I used to think that I could fix anything cheaper than a repair professional could because I don't have to pay myself but I proved myself wrong while doing a brake job on an old car.  The parts to replace the brake shoes cost me 30 bucks.  The trip to the emergency room to save my eye was much more even with insurance.  My first reaction to this thread is, Yes you can fix it but how good do you need it to look.  First I would duck tape over the rotted area immediately to stop any more water from coming in.  When you have more than a weekend to spend on the project you could pry off the edging, pry back the exterior sheeting if it is not glued to the ply wood then cut out the bad plywood with a reciprocating saw.  Then go to Home Depot and buy a small piece of plywood that is the same thickness as the wood you cut out.  Glue the exterior sheeting back over the plywood and then replace the angle piece at the corner with a new piece that you should have also bought at the Home Depot.  Then you will have to paint the entire pop up to help hide all the imperfections in your week end mechanic repair job.  OR,  you can take to your local dealer and let them replace the entire side and front of the unit with factory made parts.  I vote for number B.  But thats just because i hate looking all the mistakes I made in all of my repair projects.  You could be different.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I'm with Big Tom.  I used to think that I could fix anything cheaper than a repair professional could because I don't have to pay myself but I proved myself wrong while doing a brake job on an old car.  The parts to replace the brake shoes cost me 30 bucks.  The trip to the emergency room to save my eye was much more even with insurance.  My first reaction to this thread is, Yes you can fix it but how good do you need it to look.  First I would duck tape over the rotted area immediately to stop any more water from coming in.  When you have more than a weekend to spend on the project you could pry off the edging, pry back the exterior sheeting if it is not glued to the ply wood then cut out the bad plywood with a reciprocating saw.  Then go to Home Depot and buy a small piece of plywood that is the same thickness as the wood you cut out.  Glue the exterior sheeting back over the plywood and then replace the angle piece at the corner with a new piece that you should have also bought at the Home Depot.  Then you will have to paint the entire pop up to help hide all the imperfections in your week end mechanic repair job.  OR,  you can take to your local dealer and let them replace the entire side and front of the unit with factory made parts.  I vote for number B.  But thats just because i hate looking all the mistakes I made in all of my repair projects.  You could be different.

 

I find the blood I lose doing these projects usually covers up my mistakes.

[Retired and Happy (Ken) 101]

I am cheap!  But do you know how much if any actual damage has been done to the plywood?  If not, I would remove the corner cover and see.  Maybe it just got wet a few times.  If so, you're in luck.  Just dry it out and seal it back up using sufficient sealant on all exposed joints.  I you do see some rot, then you can decide how extensive it might be and how much work it might be to repair it.  If there is just a little rot, there might be some framing to attach new plywood cut-to-fit pieces to.  In any event you need to find out how much of a problem you have.  Then if you have it professionally repaired, at least you will have some concept as the the magnitude of the job.

[geoffdaddy 33]

I'm with Big Tom.  I used to think that I could fix anything cheaper than a repair professional could because I don't have to pay myself but I proved myself wrong while doing a brake job on an old car.  The parts to replace the brake shoes cost me 30 bucks.  The trip to the emergency room to save my eye was much more even with insurance.  My first reaction to this thread is, Yes you can fix it but how good do you need it to look.  First I would duck tape over the rotted area immediately to stop any more water from coming in.  When you have more than a weekend to spend on the project you could pry off the edging, pry back the exterior sheeting if it is not glued to the ply wood then cut out the bad plywood with a reciprocating saw.  Then go to Home Depot and buy a small piece of plywood that is the same thickness as the wood you cut out.  Glue the exterior sheeting back over the plywood and then replace the angle piece at the corner with a new piece that you should have also bought at the Home Depot.  Then you will have to paint the entire pop up to help hide all the imperfections in your week end mechanic repair job.  OR,  you can take to your local dealer and let them replace the entire side and front of the unit with factory made parts.  I vote for number B.  But thats just because i hate looking all the mistakes I made in all of my repair projects.  You could be different.

 

I did almost the exact same thing to my eye replacing brakes on my in-laws car. I was tugging on a spring on the parking brake shoes with a pair of pliers when they slipped off and sliced open my eyebrow just above my eye. Lesson learned? Wear safety goggles no matter how safe a repair you think it is.

 

However, I will say that in my experience having other people do the work, while less the work is sometimes not completed to my satisfaction. Case in point the last oil change on my car at the dealer. As much or slightly cheaper than what I could do it for, but their service took three times longer than it would have taken me and the bottom of the engine is all oily now. Either they didn't do something right on the install or they didn't clean up after themselves.