Hello everyone, I am fairly new to this group and being a Montana owner. We purchased a 2011 290RLT in March of this year. IMO its a very nice trailer, one that was well cared for and thus the reason we purchased it. However, I have discovered there is water damage in the crossover storage bay with mold and rotten flooring which I am in the process of removing now. This could be the reason the people sold it. As it had a musty odor. My question is what do I use to replace the old particle board original floor? My first thought is Marine Plywood? If so do I need to further seal it. I only want to make this repair once...It is 3/4 inch thick. I would use a Plastic material if I could find it. Secondly, what and (were do I get) the floor covering material? Vinyl ?? Finding where the water is coming from will be the next challenge but wanted to get the mold out as soon as possible. I am a person that likes to do things right the first time and I believe I can do a better job than hiring it done but I am not above asking ( paying for help ) if its above my capabilities.
Also, I have questions about the roof. I know there are many variables as to how long they last. I don't believe I have any issue with leakage at this time and I have used Dicor's lap sealant where I think problems could occur. I want to be proactive with roof maintenance, as I know how important it is. I am seeing small cracks (hairline ) over the surface. How should this handled ? I am enjoying this group and value the resource. Thanks in advance !
Marine ply would be my first choice as well if I was in your shoes. I would seal the edges and the top side with epoxy as a precaution against further issues. As to hunting for leak sources, check any connections in the convenience center to make sure that isn't the source of the water. If your trailer still has the thetford aqua magic 2 toilet, you should think about replacing it with the dometic 310 or 320. The thetford seemed to have had a lot of issues like overflowing the bowl if incoming water pressure sagged below a certain level as well as other problems. This happened to me in Georgia and the water flowed into the passthrough area then out the front leveler area. John
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2012 F350 6.7 L dually, 2013 3800RE with 6 pt leveling, Sumitomo 17.5" load range h tires, Samsung 18 cu ft residential fridge, 8k Morryde I.S. with disc brakes. Full timing since 2012.
Forgot to add....the floor covering in my 2013 is a really thick vinyl over the wood from the factory and I didn't have any issues from my flooding toilet issue. I would source it from any residential flooring store like Lowe's, etc. There is a product called 'Kanberra Gel' which is tea tree oil in gel form that removes odors by attacking and degrading mold, mildew, fungus, and bacteria.(WWW.KANBERRAGEL.COM)
On the roof, as long as the grazing isn't deep and going through the material, you should be safe. I think the warranties were 10 years...but certainly can last longer than that. Others can probably give you more advice on the roof. John
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2012 F350 6.7 L dually, 2013 3800RE with 6 pt leveling, Sumitomo 17.5" load range h tires, Samsung 18 cu ft residential fridge, 8k Morryde I.S. with disc brakes. Full timing since 2012.
I looked up your floor plan to see where the possible water sources for a leak are located. You did not say if the floor was rotten on one side or the other, or if it is all the way thru the basement floor. Seems to me that a leak that would rot the basement storage floor would have to be reasonably constant for quite a long time - like a leak in the convenience center would be. A leak behind the white wet bay would NOT be seen and would tend to rot the floor radiating from that corner of the basement. If the leak was from the bathroom sink or the garden tub - you would have rotten floor on the level above the basement also. Try to check out the floor below the bathroom and the garden tub. Those basement bulkhead walls are removable - so take them out and it might make it easier to chase a plumbing leak.
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MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Another leak source, the black tank flush system has an anti siphon vacuum breaker valve, normally located under the sink, but some model have them built into the walls. (Do a search on that).
Run your black tank flush and look for leaks. It is normally installed on white PEX pipes. Trace them until you find it.
Another source is rain leaking through the basement door hinge. One of our members drew this diagram from a previous discussion regarding basement leaks. I would add, Caulk around the frame on the outside of the fiber glass door. I believe it wicks through and gets into the inside.
Update: Floor removed and everything cleaned and ready to start putting it back together. Took a few pictures to include with this post but haven’t figured out how to include them yet. I had a hard time finding marine plywood. But have located a source and we’ll go get it on Monday. I have not yet found the leak source but suspect coming around the convenient center, as the wood was completely rotten below it. There was also evidence of water damage on the other side of the bay as that is where I found mold. I do not see any evidence of water leak below the shower or the sink as the flooring above looks good. After I install the new flooring and floor covering I will hook up the water and try to discover the source of the leak. I will keep you all posted. I very much appreciate those of you that took the time to reply to my original post as it is very helpful in helping me determine how to proceed.
When you put it back together, put some neoprene under the water pump to help quiet it. The thicker the better. I also put foam pipe insulation between every pipe and anything the pipe touched to help stop reverberating pump noise coming up the walls.
I used new insulation from Home Depot it had to be cut to fit.
I used Marine Plywood ( $200 BUCKS !!! OUCH !!! )
Painted Marine Paint on plywood two coats
Used 1/4 inch rubber mat ( Amazon )
I used Dicor self leveling sealant around the entire bay including the convenience center.
Was not a easy project but well worth it as there is no more musty smell and all the mold is GONE!
Our 2019 3821FB needs the floor removed to dry out. Toilet overflowed due to black tank flush. But I don't know how the floor comes out. Is it like a panel screwed fast or will it need cut out?
Don’t know for sure if you can remove the flooring - but in the factory the floor goes onto the frame then the walls go over the floor. Google “Montana factory tours” and watch some of the videos. I have not experienced your issue but I would get everything out of the basement and run a fan thru there to get some air circulating. I don’t think a “one-time soaking” is going to do any permanent damage to the floor of the bathroom or the basement.
The pic below shows a frame before they install the flooring. The underside of the frame is enclosed with plastic sheeting called coroplast. I think the flooring that had to be replaced in this thread suffered damage over time. Wait until your rig is dry then test the flooring for soundness before getting the saw out.
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MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Well I’m not sure since yours is a 2019 but I would assume it’s of similar construction. There is an obvious metal strip with screws in the front of the bay that must be removed. The convenience center must be removed and the access panels on the rear of the bay. Once these things are done you should be able to see screws holding the floor in place. But the flooring material is sandwiched between the aluminum framing of the trailer and an exact fit from side to side. I don’t believe you’ll be able to remove it in one piece. Mostly will have to come out in pieces. I was able to put mine back together in halves. The was not an easy repair. Good luck!
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2022 Ford F250 Super duty 6.7 Diesel, 2011 Montana 290RLT, Reese Gooseball hitch.
To correct my previous post - they build a floor structure (aluminum tubing + OSB plywood) on a separate table - then hoist the floor structure on top of the frame. The insulation is installed into the floor structure.
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MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
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