Steve,
I have not seen or heard the issue of termite attacks on Airstreams
discussed on the list but I suppose it shouldn't come as a great surprise.
The floor is, after all, wood and termites are a fairly serious threat in
some parts of the country.
The floor is not only weight bearing as Tuna advised but it is also a
structural member and part of the overall strength of the trailer.
The repair is simple but not easy if it is widespread. You can remove all
of the interior cabinetry, bed/couches and appliances to access the damage
if required. The floor could be replaced in only the damaged areas.
Another possibly more practical solution would be to simply apply epoxy to
the damaged area to strengthen the damaged areas and to repair the actual
holes.
The use of polyurethane(?) resin is inexpensive and fairly common in A/S
wood floor repairs. A self described old boat builder named Jim Smith who
contributes on the list advised me to use penetrating epoxy resin because it
will soak into the wood fiber and completely fill the holes, voids, and
cavities and "attach" to the existing floor before it cures. I followed his
advice in repairing a wet rotted area in the rear compartment of my '66
Safari. The only problem I found with the repair method was that the
penetrating epoxy resin will run through the floor and drip on the floor
unless the bottom side is completely covered by some means. I even
sandwiched an additional layer of 1/4" plywood under the existing floor and
the penetrating resin found openings to escape through.
Good luck in your floor repair.
Harvey Barlow
Lubbock, TX
WBCCI # 1171, WDCU, VAC
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Boyd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Multiple recipients of VACList <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 10:38 AM
Subject: [VAC] Trouble with termites?
> Hi folks,
>
> I've been lurking on the list for several months now,
> enjoying the free exchange of information and gleaning much
> to help in restoration of my own 1968 Caravel. I now find
> myself dealing with a problem I've not yet seen discussed.
> In just the last couple of days I started seeing evidence of
> dripping from the front underbelly of the trailer, curb
> side. At first there was just one spot on the driveway and
> I thought the dog had "marked" the trailer. Beyond being
> annoyed at the dog for defiling the Airstream, I didn't
> think much about it, even when I saw the spot again the next
> day. Yesterday, however, I saw three spots under the
> trailer when I got home from work and I knew then I had a
> leak in the fresh water tank.
>
> When I first got the trailer a couple years back, I found
> there was a small, pencil lead-sized hole on the tank bottom
> a couple inches in from the outlet. I repaired the hole (in
> a fashion), and replaced the rotted flooring which had
> resulted from the leak. Not wanting to go through the floor
> repair hassle again, I immediately drained the tank, took
> out the front dinette cabinetry, and pulled out the tank.
> What I found blew my socks off! There under the tank was
> the unmistakeable droppings of some sort of wood boring
> insect, presumably termites, as well as evidence of some
> boring damage to the flooring under the tank. The
> previously repaired flooring at that! But wait, it gets
> even worse. The reason the tank was leaking is because the
> boring insect(s) had apparently chewed their way up into the
> tank, leaving a pencil lead-sized hole such as I had seen
> when I first repaired the tank. The position of holes in
> the tank matches points of damage in the floor consistent
> with termite or other wood-boring insect activity. Why they
> would chew into the plastic tank is beyond me, except that
> the presence of water may have been an irrestible
> attraction.
>
> I am a botanist, and museum curator, so I am all too
> familier with the potential damage caused by insect pests
> which attack natural history collections, wood carvings, and
> the like. But the floor of my Airstream was the last place
> I would have expected such problems. Therefore, here are my
> questions to the group.
>
> 1. Has anyone else had, or heard of termites or other wood
> boring insects creating problems in Airstream trailers?
>
> 2. If so, how was the problem dealt with?
>
> I'm not too worried about repairing the tank since the holes
> are small, and I've already been-there-done-that.
> Furthermore I was thinking of laying down a thin sheet of
> metal below the tank to prevent future penetration, though
> ideally it won't be an issue because all the little buggers
> have been exterminated once and for all.
>
> Any help will be most appreciated.
>
> Steve Boyd
> 68 Caravel
>
>
>
>
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