Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

We have discovered water damage on our home built trailer. The ply wood has soft spots. We think the damage was caused by run off down the exterior wall from a tarp covering the roof and hanging hallway down the side of the trailer. The plywood had been painted and then covered with an epoxy coating. We have never had a leak except on the roof at the seams. We have since covered it with epdm. Suggestions for repair or a new covering. One friend suggested the Stabilit shower wall covering, but we are worried about the extra weight.

The epoxy should have been under the paint, not on top. At this point, short of stripping off all the top coatings and starting over with epoxy and maybe glass first, you're next option is to cover it all with something and that is going to mean extra weight no matter how you look at it. Did you radius the wall to roof corners on the exterior? If so, that will make it difficult to lay flat material over the trailer. If so, your best bet is glass cloth on top of a stripped down body. You will need to apply multiple layers of epoxy, 1 isn't going to do it. If you put a load of silicone over the "leaks" in the roof seams, that will all need to be removed and prepped prior to epoxy application. If you already have soft spots...it probably won't get any better over time.
Doug

I am sorry to hear of the damage. You can use CPES to strengthen the wood after killing the rot.
One of the potential problems with using sower wall material is that it is not UV stabilized. Filon or other FRP that is intended for exterior use would be a better choice.

if you end up stripping the epoxy and paint, I would recomend using a painteater http://www.walmart.com/ip/14895590?wmls ... 90&veh=sem . It won't load up with paint and epoxy like sand paper will, and it won't damage your wood the way sand paper can.
I stripped a boat back down to bare wood this spring, the paint eater took the three year old paint off, but left the super thin vener of the cheap plywood I used in the same shape it was before paint. It even left all the pencil lines from construction in readable shape.

Thank you for the replies. The paint was laid dowm them fiberglass painted on over it, not epoxy. Thanks again

Either way, epoxy or polyester fiberglass resin. They both need to be applied first, then painted over. UV will tear up the resin if it's not protected. Good luck on your repairs. Doug

MUhunters wrote:Thank you for the replies. The paint was laid dowm them fiberglass painted on over it, not epoxy. Thanks again

A little late but are you talking about Fiberglass cloth or resin? The best way to fix a soft spot is to cut it out! You will eventually get a mold issue and the whole thing will be harder to fix. Sorry not good but a repair is better than covering it up.