jeepdave
midwest
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Joined: 08/28/2008
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Hello all, 1st time poster.
I went and looked at a 1998 trail lite bantam today, and overall it looked to be in good shape. The only problem ( i think) is underneath, the aluminum skin is corroded is some spots, in one spot I can put a screwdriver through it, but not into the floor above.
I also saw some water spots on the front inside under the storage, it looks like maybe it needs to be recaulked.
Is this a deal killer? They are asking 5000. I wanted to make sure it is not something easy to fix, or something I don't want to bother with.
Thanks for any help.
Dave
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Coyote2cool
Denver, Colorado
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Joined: 07/13/2007
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says your from the midwest? Where about? Could be rust and the water could be coming in through places it's rusted.
If it has water damage and mold has started to grow the a deal killer it would be.
However, if it's water that someone spilled and didnt get cleaned up then that's a different story.
Wifes tend to smell better than husbands do. If you are married have your wife sniff around for anything that would smell like mold.
walk around the inside of the trailer and press many spots with your hands along the edges and feel if the floor is weak.
Good Luck !
-- Tim --
2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71
2007 KZ Coyote 23 CFK
2008 Total nights camping = 27
Just Remember: When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane 
Me (37)... DW  .... DD  (11) ... DD  (9)...Dog (1)
Camping photos & Mod's
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jeepdave
midwest
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Hey Tim thanks for the reply. I am from the Detroit area. So yes we use salt on the roads. I was thinking the spots underneath could be rock hits, and then the aluminum started to corrode from the salt.
Any ideas on how to fix this?
The wife was in and no musty or moldy smell, and it was closed up for a time in a storage lot.
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Mcdougal
Midwest
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I have a 2000 Trail-lite bantam that started doing this same thing a couple of years ago. It WILL get worse. Ours is now so bad that I cut a piece of plywood to lay in front of the door for the rest of this season. The aluminum is a very thin coating attached to a piece of 1/8" plywood, then there is 1 1/2" layer of styafoam and the 1/4" plywood/floor covering. I was just under the trailer again tonight looking at it and the aluminum/1/8" plywood in front of the door is rotted clear thru to the styafoam. I have been making plans to put it in my shop this winter and doing a floor rebuild on it. it will be a big job but will be better built (and a little heaver) than when it came from the factory. I called Trail-lite and talked to them about what i planned to do to it and asked if they could send me a drawing of the frame work so that i could make sure my ideas would work. They were very easy to talk to and had an engineer fax me the plans the same day. My plans are to remove a 7x7' section and put in some square tubing to use as floor joists on 16" centers. The only thing that I haven't decided on is what to use on the bottom for waterproofing. It will not be the aluminum stuff that came on the unit.
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jeepdave
midwest
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Thanks Mcdougal...that is what we were afraid of.... Does anyone know if Trail Lite Newer Models have a better material on the underside or is this something to look out for?
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johny_maple
Upwind of Toronto
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Joined: 05/16/2003
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I replaced part of the flooring in our 1998 B17 a couple of years ago (spilled liquid got under the vinyl floor covering), but it is mushy again right in front of the door and about a foot short of the bathroom door. I know I did a good job so the problem now must be underneath. I discovered during the repairs that the left support of the steps is screwed to a piece of 2x4 but the 2x4 isn't anchored to anything so when you put any weight on the step, it pushes up on the floor! I didn't know how to fix that and was going to get someone to weld the step support to the frame but never did. We've been using a stool as a step instead. I'm going to have the dealership look at it to determine if I can do the repairs myself.
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johny_maple
Upwind of Toronto
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Update: checked underneath and discovered four likely holes in the aluminum undercover where water could get in and cause delamination under the entrance-way floor. Looks like a dealership job.
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