Looking for frame plan for a 1999 SaturnT-24A

HowNan · 07-05-2021, 08:09 AM

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum but have a question about my Saturn T-24A.
I purchased the trailer a few years ago and have had very few issues with it. It is a great trailer. However, when I purchased the trailer the person I purchased it from explained that a tree had fallen on the trailer and as a result he had the roof replaced. Everything looked in good shape and the price was right so I bought the trailer anyway. Over the 5 years I have had it, I have noticed that a small section of the floor is a little soft and getting worse. I suspect that when the roof was damaged that there was a leak and the flooring got wet and is now deteriorating. My question concerns cutting out that section of floor and replacing it but I am concerned that if I do cut the section out, I may find not framing to install new flooring on. Does anyone have any type of plan that would show the metal framing of the floor? Has anyone else had to deal with a similar issue? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

**JohnB** · 07-05-2021, 11:50 AM

Hi,

You did not say where the floor was getting soft. Reason for asking deals with how the floor got wet. The way I have seen campers get and advance water damage, you may have an active leak in a wall that may not be from the roof or is from the roof along with a wall leak.

The floor is OSB board. Basically, large wood chips glued together. It is a common building material and does well, is economical compared to plywood. The reality of it, the rating used is not meant to become wet for long period of time. The glue starts breaking down, the floor gets soft and when advanced enough, it falls apart as there is no glue left.

If you have made it to the soft floor stage, odds are favorable the floor joists under it have some level of rot too. There is a way to inspect for how big a problem there may or may not be by using a moisture meter. You can scan the floor down and then get under the camper, and scan up against the black waterproof membrane. Floor rot ends up with wet insulation and the meter can scan and find it. The meter will read about 3/4" deep into the surface so it will find wet insulation scanning up from the bottom.

You can also scan the walls and ceiling inside the camper to find water wet behind them which may be how the floor got wet. The meter will find water damage in a wall that you cannot see or smell in the living space. Water coming down inside a wall stops at the floor. The water cannot get out, so it start rotting the floor out.

This post will help on the moisture meter. This can help tell you how big an issue there may be before taking anything apart. Then you can decide what you want to do or not do. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...per-17613.html

This thread will help show you what a wet floor and walls means to rebuild. This is a total restore thread of one of my project campers. Your 1999 camper will be built very similar as far as how the floor, walls are made and how the steel frame under the camper holds up the floor. There is a lot of pics to help show all this. The floor repair is later in the post. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...avy-17684.html

If you can tell us more about where the floor is soft and where it is not, we can help better on where the water may have come from. Getting the moisture meter will tell you a lot more. We can help with how to interpret the numbers the meter is reading and what it may mean for you to expect when you start taking the camper apart.

Also, once you understand how the camper got the floor wet, the meter will tell that, odds are high there will be some level of wall repair and then the floor. The walls area placed on top of the floor. To fix these campers, most times it helps to make a better overall repair to take the camper apart from the outside, rather then the inside. This leaves the wall board more intact and less damage to repair.

Hope this helps you get started. Tell us more info and we can better help what to do, in what order and what to expect this effort may take so you can decide if you want to do this or not.

John

HowNan · 07-05-2021, 03:54 PM

Thank you so much John. First things first, I will take your advice and pick up a moisture meter and thank yo for the floor rebuild guide. Second, the area in question is right outside of the bathroom door and goes mostly across the aisle.`
I tried to attach a floor plan but am not sure I did it right. The affected area does not seem to extend to the floor under the wardrobe or under the bunk area. I have not noticed any wet areas after rain nor any accumulation of water above the black waterproof membrane but will check with the moisture meter. Also have not notice any musty or moldy smells. Water lines all appear to be intact and holding pressure. I am fairly handy and if there are wooden floor joists on top of the metal frame, then I may be able to make a repair. Again, thanks for the information...it will be a big help.

**JohnB** · 07-07-2021, 10:41 AM

Hi,

Your floor plan shows fine. Good job!!!

If you have basic wood working skills, these Sunline’s can all be repaired. It takes time, but they are very fixable.

That spot right outside the bathroom gets a lot of traffic due to the location. If the floor wood is water infected, even partially, the constant walking on it could make it soften more then an area right next to it with the same water infection that could feel hard.

By chance is there an overhead roof vent in that area? The bathroom very often has one, but the living area may also. A prior owner could of had a leak on the roof vent from a cracked plastic cover, that may have allowed more water to that area. Even the bath vent could aggravate the situation.

The moisture meter can scan down through the floor tile as the tile is thin. You can see how large the wet spot is. Check the floor under the bunks and cabinets to see if the wet goes all the way to a wall. Check all around the base of the toilet too. A toilet floor gasket leak has happen before.

The black membrane under the camper can be wet in the inside and not show any signs of water on the outside. It is waterproof. The insulation soaks up water too making it hard to ever dry out. The meter will scan up from under the camper and tell you how big or small the wet area is.

If you find the floor wet to the walls, start doing the walls down close to the floor as water from a wall ends up infecting the floor.

This link will take you to our files section and a pdf showing how to understand the meter numbers and make sure the meter is in wall mode for camper scanning. It shows some on how a member scanned their camper and made a wetness map of all the walls etc to help what could be expected behind the walls.
https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/d...o=file&id=5638

Good luck and hope this helps

John

HowNan · 07-07-2021, 11:39 AM

John, again thank you for the information. My moisture meter should arrive today and I can start looking for dampness. There is no vent directly above the area. The bathroom does have a fan and there is an A/C unit further toward the front of the trailer. I am still wondering if the original damage was a few year back and that it has just deteriorated over the years. The moisture meter will help to determine that. I have also located someone local who has worked on rebuilding older trailers that may be able to provide some input. At any rate, I will keep you informed about my progress. Thanks again ....Howard

HowNan · 07-20-2021, 02:46 PM

John, again thank you for your advice, suggestions and pictures. I did check for moisture and found only a minimal reading (it was during a very humid period on the Cape). The pictures of the project you were working on gave me the confidence to remove a section of the floor in the area I indicated to assess the issue. I found that a small section of decking and one of the floor joists had suffered from some previous water damage and needed to be replaced. The surrounding area appeared to be ok. I was able to piece in the joist, replace the decking and cover the section with new tile. I plan to replace the remaining linoleum with matching tile at a later date. Floor level, problem solved.

**JohnB** · 07-21-2021, 10:33 PM

Hi Howard,

Thanks for reporting back. Glad it all worked out for you. Have a great camping season.

John