Folks,
I've been checking out some of your individual projects for a few months now. There's some great work and very innovative people here. To boot, it's really fun to watch these projects take form.
At the time I found the site, I was thinking of building a teardrop. But after checking out some of your builds, I found a nice deal on a 2001 5x8' Pace trailer on craigslist. The trailer was in fairly good shape, but has been used as a storage shed for a few years, and I noticed it had a small crack in the roof cap. But, it was a good deal, so I took it.
I've since gotten it home and taken the plywood off the walls and inspected the sidewalls and roof cap a little better. It ended up that the cap just had a few small cracks where the screws dimpled the fiberglass material. Over time, that dimple apparently cracked the material slightly. Where there was a crack in a dimple, rain could come through. The damage - The thin plywood under the roof had a small water stain on the edge, the front face ribs had some surface rust, and the front floor piece had a water spot. Not too bad. See photos of the rig here.
So, I am contemplating replacing the cap. I spoke to the folks at Pace, and apparently they started using a different material in 2006 (TPO vs. older ABS). Also, my cap has a seam on each corner where the fiberglass was bent. This new cap is one piece (no seams) and better material for about $150.
If I take the time and money to finish the interior of this trailer, I want it to be as leak proof as possible. So after a lengthy introduction, please comment whether I could get by with some caulk or if you would lean toward my thought of a full cap replacement.
Thanks,
J.K.