sam-HILO
Senior Member
Dh and I have replaced several walls in our 1990 25ft. classic. One time dh had to rebuild the floor around the toilet. A little more inmformation would be helpful. What year is your HiLo? Towlite or Classic? Could post pictures of the damaged areas.? Some water leaks are caused by the windows needing to be taken out and lined with butyl tape and fresh lexel caulk. You tube has a video on how to do this. Several of us have had to do extensive repairs. If you have the time,$ and skill to do the work then go ahead with the repairs. Only you can decide this. Keep us posted.
Shamrock314
Member
setxjohn --
Wife and I bought an '83 25 footer and it's going to need the front half: ceiling, walls and part of the floor replaced due to water damage / leaks.
For the most part, it's rather straightforward (very similar to replacing a subfloor in your home) but, it won't be until you dig in and find the source of the leak(s) before you'll know exactly how difficult it will be.
Once you get started, feel free to take pics and post them here if you have any questions. There's a bunch of knowledgeable folks on these boards who can give seasoned advice and/or give moral support.
Wife and I bought an '83 25 footer and it's going to need the front half: ceiling, walls and part of the floor replaced due to water damage / leaks.
For the most part, it's rather straightforward (very similar to replacing a subfloor in your home) but, it won't be until you dig in and find the source of the leak(s) before you'll know exactly how difficult it will be.
Once you get started, feel free to take pics and post them here if you have any questions. There's a bunch of knowledgeable folks on these boards who can give seasoned advice and/or give moral support.
r67northern
Senior Member
Hello,
I did not have to go through work on the floor, but I did do a lot with walls and ceiling. Here’s a link to that thread where I tried to keep a log in place (with pictures) so that others could have some ideas along the way:
https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f35/2000-24-classic-rebuild-5496/
The group is full of help and info, and like Shamrock said above - good for moral support too.
I did not have to go through work on the floor, but I did do a lot with walls and ceiling. Here’s a link to that thread where I tried to keep a log in place (with pictures) so that others could have some ideas along the way:
https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f35/2000-24-classic-rebuild-5496/
The group is full of help and info, and like Shamrock said above - good for moral support too.
sam-HILO
Senior Member
Fixing floor around toilet.
If my memory serves me correctly DH took shallow cuts with a circular saw to cut the rotted wood around the toilet. Be careful as the black tank is close to the floor. Invest in some good knee pads if you don't always own them. It might be worth your $ to just buy a new toilet. I purchased our ADA height toilet from PPL motor homes in Texas. Get a porcelin one. Not a fun repair if done correctly you should have a rock solid repair that will last many years.
If my memory serves me correctly DH took shallow cuts with a circular saw to cut the rotted wood around the toilet. Be careful as the black tank is close to the floor. Invest in some good knee pads if you don't always own them. It might be worth your $ to just buy a new toilet. I purchased our ADA height toilet from PPL motor homes in Texas. Get a porcelin one. Not a fun repair if done correctly you should have a rock solid repair that will last many years.
Shamrock314
Member
r67 -- I read through your other thread... Amazing work on the walls and ceiling! I'm going to be going through the same steps as soon as the crazy Iowa weather clears (probably around May) as I've got similar issues.
I agree with Sam, though. Camper floors aren't very thick so shallow passes with a circular saw is a great way to test the depth without hitting your black water tank or any framing under the floor. Plus, if you can just clear out what needs to be replaced, no sense in doing more work than necessary, right?
I agree with Sam, though. Camper floors aren't very thick so shallow passes with a circular saw is a great way to test the depth without hitting your black water tank or any framing under the floor. Plus, if you can just clear out what needs to be replaced, no sense in doing more work than necessary, right?
r67northern
Senior Member
Thanks Shamrock, it took some time but it was saved and is much loved by the family now.
As a quick question / thought about the floor beneath the toilet ... how much harder would it be to drop that plastic black tank than something like an automotive gas tank? People do that all the time to replace fuel pumps - would the best access be from underneath with the tank removed? Or is it not worth the trouble, just take shallow cuts working slowly out until the good wood is found again?
As a quick question / thought about the floor beneath the toilet ... how much harder would it be to drop that plastic black tank than something like an automotive gas tank? People do that all the time to replace fuel pumps - would the best access be from underneath with the tank removed? Or is it not worth the trouble, just take shallow cuts working slowly out until the good wood is found again?
Shamrock314
Member
r67 --
From what I can tell, the blackwater tank has a couple of straps which shouldn't be too difficult to remove; just tricky to get to. I would guess the hardest part would be getting under the camper and having room to work (unless you have access to a "mechanic / inspection pit" which would make the job pretty easy.)
Without access to one, I know I wouldn't have the wiggle room.
For those who aren't familiar: Mechanic / Inspection Pit is a "hole in the floor of a garage, etc from which the underside of a vehicle can be examined and serviced."
From what I can tell, the blackwater tank has a couple of straps which shouldn't be too difficult to remove; just tricky to get to. I would guess the hardest part would be getting under the camper and having room to work (unless you have access to a "mechanic / inspection pit" which would make the job pretty easy.)
Without access to one, I know I wouldn't have the wiggle room.
For those who aren't familiar: Mechanic / Inspection Pit is a "hole in the floor of a garage, etc from which the underside of a vehicle can be examined and serviced."
r67northern
Senior Member
Great point - I forgot about the whole need to lift the vehicle off the ground part of the operation (unless it’s a truck). The trailer is definitely too low to pull that off without a pit like you suggest, and the frame isn’t meant to lift anywhere except around axles.
Sounds like a top-down fix for sure.
Sounds like a top-down fix for sure.
Angel-HILO
Senior Member
We're newbies and purchased a 1989 Classic model a few years ago; and not knowing what to check for before purchasing it; we brought it home and discovered it had a lot of water damaged on the rear wall and especially the floor area around the toilet. The seller saw us coming!! because he told us to just re-tighten the bolts that hold the toilet down which was real loose, (what a big lie!!). I had to replace most of the rear section bathroom floor!! and the rear wall!! That was a pretty big job. I had to remove the shower tub and cabinets (pretty much everything out of the bathroom area) to replace the floor!! Oh well; live and learn!! But she's a keeper now!
Treeclimber
Senior Member
You're not alone, I have an "86 in much worse condition, but I knew what I was in for. I'm going to replace the entire floor and custom build everything to my liking. Even the roof will be changed to a rubber roof. But it will be a new Hi LO when complete.
Tree
Tree
Angel-HILO
Senior Member
We are currently giving her an exterior paint job at home (a 2589RD classic; my wife named her Big Baby). We're about halfway done and she's looking a lot better already. Will post pictures soon.
Arlan Williams
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2015
- Messages
- 4
Bathroom floor.
I'm fortunate enough to have a sloped yard where I can back my trailer and get under it. However, when I replaced the floor around the toilet I used ramps to back my trailer up on. I then unhooked it and lowered the tongue to raise the back a little more. Lucky for me the damage was just around the toilet. I replaced that and for good measure I added another layer of 3/4 inch on top. After the tile went down, the hump looked like it belonged there. Did have to get a longer toilet base attachment but the RV shop had it on the shelf.
I'm fortunate enough to have a sloped yard where I can back my trailer and get under it. However, when I replaced the floor around the toilet I used ramps to back my trailer up on. I then unhooked it and lowered the tongue to raise the back a little more. Lucky for me the damage was just around the toilet. I replaced that and for good measure I added another layer of 3/4 inch on top. After the tile went down, the hump looked like it belonged there. Did have to get a longer toilet base attachment but the RV shop had it on the shelf.
Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days
- Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
- Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
- Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
- and much more...
