Photos tell the story--truck camper damage repaired

We've devoted the last couple of blog entries to our little "run in" with stupidity in Wells, Nevada, wherein our errant camper driver failed to retract a jack leg before dropping truck into gear with predictable results. Some asked to see photos of the repair work that we detailed in our last entry. With a nod to those of you who are ready to move on to something else (we'll devote the next entry to something else altogether) we herewith post these pictures.

First, the nastiness that came from too much torque at the wrong time.


And the follow up photos demonstrate just what a couple of determined character can do with a new panel and a fiberglass repair kit can accomplish.

The results aren't "factory" to say the least. But when we look back on what condition the rig was in when we first bought it, our little "camper project" is slowly making advancement. Next summer we hope to open up the street side rear corner of the camper, dig out some dry rot, and put it back together. At that time, we'll work on the "accent package," and re-stripe the side of the rig.

The white paint field between the jack and the current striping shows the need for the re-stripe job. This is an area where we used did a bit of fiberglass repair, as opposed to yanking another whole panel and fussing to replace it. When the jack parted with the rig, the original panel tore in several places. Still, with a bit of Bondo and some concerted efforts with a sander, the whole effect isn't as bad as the gut originally indicated it might be.

And thanks to the reader who suggested tying something to the steering wheel to note an "abnormal condition." Our driving half now attaches a small, white "ball bungy" to the steering wheel when there's something that needs tending before leaving, be it the TV antenna up, a wheel chock, or (perish the thought) a jack leg down. It's already 'saved the bacon' once.

Repairing major body damage

In our last post we spelled out the damage done in a dumb-RVer trick when a corner jack was left down on pavement and the driver pulled away. Since that post much of that damage has been healed. Several of you left condolences, and we appreciate that. Incidentally, to clarify for some: RV dump stations at Flying J truck stops are for the use of RVers and are generally located in an area inaccessible to 18-wheelers. Does this writer feel stupid about the whole event? Without a doubt, one of the major dipstick moves of the year for me.

Our contractor buddy, on hearing of the damages, told us without even seeing the damage that he figured we could put things to right in a day. Sounded pretty cockeyed optimistic to us, especially when the appointed day came and Contractor John wasn't even available until noon. But we started out, removing that "dislocated" corner jack. Prying back the fiberglass siding panels revealed not only damaged timbers, but some amount of dry rot. All that needed to go, so off came the most damaged panel.

As many truck camper folks have ruefully learned, the "wing" area behind the truck's rear wheel is a common site to find rotten wood. Ours was no different, so that damaged piece of wood was pulled out. John rummaged in his scrap pile and located a suitable board for replacement: Straight grain Douglas fir. Beautiful stuff, hugely expensive, and all to be hidden away behind a side panel! We're not talking about Doug fir plywood, but rather a panel of fir. John also tossed in some nice oak timbers for added strength and because they were available.

When the jack had been rudely pried away from the corner of the camper, it also yanked pretty hard on camper's rear bumper. Sliding underneath we found the bumper was largely held in place by lag bolts, running up through the bumper and into the TC's flooring. Quite a number of lag bolts were absent without leave, and we blew new holes through the bumper and installed fresh lags for security.

While several of the fiberglass panels had been damaged in the incident, the lowest side panel had taken the worst "hit" of them all. One of the local RV dealers had a panel squirreled away in their back room. John at Coumbs RV gasped when he saw the damages, and generously donated the panel to the cause. You meet the nicest folks in the trade. The panel was cut to replace the old one, and worked in fine. That still left damage to one other side panel, and a couple on the rear of the rig. We could have opted to try and replace those as well, but with the door, a couple of windows, a roof ladder, and other accessories all in the way, we had to come to a decision.

The camper was most recently in the hands of a family who, after putting the rig away for the winter, never gave another thought to the rig until the next summer rolled around. Sadly, the rubber roof had been damaged along the line, and the fierce rains of winter had taken a terrible toll. They "unloaded" the rig and their pickup on an RV dealer who figured the primary value was in the truck. As a result, he "fixed" some of the water damage, largely by covering it up, and sold the TC to us at a below-rock-bottom price. We knew coming into it we were buying a "project" camper, but wow, what a project it turned into.

With all that in mind, we determined that we'd try repairing the fiberglass panel damage. In another life, Contractor John had worked in a fiberglass boat factory, so his experience came to bear. After we replaced a damaged piece of aluminum angle that serves as a major corner support, we brought the fiberglass panel corners together and applied fiberglass mat and resin. This effectively filled in the missing pieces of panel, and joined the side panels and rear panels together as one. By this time, day was ending, and we were putting out lights to see by.

After then fiberglass cured, we sanded extensively, smoothing up the fiberglass. After that, the "bodyman's friend," Bondo, was brought to bear. More sanding followed, and more Bondo, until finally, John declared the body damage fixed. All that remained for that session was to mount up the jack brackets, hang the jack, and send me home--at 10:00 pm. John was pretty close to correct--a "day's worth" of labor and the worst of the issue was handled. We're still waiting out the rainy Northwest summer weather to apply a shot of paint and reinstall a couple of chunks of trim, but that should go pretty fast.

I didn't have the heart to ask what it would have cost to have a professional RV body shop to do the work involved. Maybe it's best I not know. My heart would only take so much.

A tank dumping disaster

We sometimes wonder what new story we'll bring to Truck Camper News. It's a pretty specialized "news niche" and preparing something new can be a challenge. But we now have something that should give us plenty to talk about for a few weeks--interspersed with other applicable truck camper news and views. It all starts with a Flying J truck stop in Wells, Nevada.

Like most Flying J's, this one has an RV dump station. And like most Flying J's, the dump station is of an infernal design that makes one wonder about the competence of Flying J engineers. Picture, if you will, a sidewalk between a fuel island and the traffic lanes leading in and out of the truck center. In the middle of this sidewalk sticking up several inches, is the RV dump port. There is no "cutout" in the concrete, no appropriate dump station apron--you simply pull up next to the side walk, sling your sewer hose across the sidewalk, insert it into the dump port (after obtaining a key to unlock said port), and hope you can overcome gravity enough to get your tanks empty.

Mind you, the slope of the traffic lanes next to the "sidewalk" run at a fairly steep angle, away from the dump port. As a result, if you park your rig next to this sidewalk affair, you can anticipate that most of your gray and black water--through the miracle of gravity--do an excellent job of working against your best efforts of evacuating them from your holding tanks. To overcome the power of gravity, it's necessary to somehow prop up your RV in order to "level the playing field" and induce your tankage to make the trip down the sewer hose and into the drain.

So fellow truck campers, what's the simplest way to change the pitch of the rig? Sure, lower the passenger side camper corner jack, raising the camper appropriately. And that's just what I did, jacked the camper up until the angle allowed for getting most of the juices flowing. Mind you, without an apron or cutout, it's a bit of a trial to "milk" the sewer hose out before you uncouple the hose from the RV. Despite best efforts, there was a bit of spillage, which of course, ran down the pavement toward the traffic lane.

Since the rinse water tap is also in the middle of this "sidwalk" affair, and wasn't equipped with a rinse hose, I figured the best way to deal with this problem was that following the rinse out of my dump hose, I'd flush the mess with water through my relatively clean hose. I crawled up from the curb, carefully clutching my partially loaded sewer hose (there was no way to get all the contents out of it without standing up first), got it emptied, and cracked the handle on the rinse tap. No dice. The water was evidently turned off. No rinsing of hose, no cleanup of spill, no washing off my sewer gloves.

I walked across the island to the posted "drinking water" tap, and found it too, was anything but vital. It had been a long, hard day, I was thoroughly cross, and was thinking of all the dark and critical things that I could post in an appropriate blog. I carefully re-stowed the sewer hose and dumping gloves. I crawled back in the cab, muttering to myself, when the navigator appeared from across the parking lot, looking thoroughly tired out. In a complete gesture of the misplaced gentleman, I fired up the rig, dropped it into "Drive" and hit the accelerator, just in time to see a horrified facial expression and a frantic wave-off from the navigator. Simultaneously a harsh, grating noise and sheering sound reached my ears. It didn't take but a moment for my imagination to supply a visual image of what my camper corner jack was looking like about now.

My imagination was quite accurate. Standing off at about a 15 or 20 degree angle, the camper jack had manfully stood its ground, never flinching in its assignment in the face of war. With its "foot" dug into the pavement, still somewhat attached by its bracket, it defied the torn fiberglass siding, sheared plywood panel, and cracked timber framing of what remained of the outside corner of the camper. By the time the navigator reached the scene, I had about used up my store of expletives.

A building contractor friend and I trade labor. Perhaps it's a good thing that the ledger sheet indicates "he owes me big time." Together we will learn of the joys of repairing truck camper damage. I'll share our findings and photos here as we go along.

Meantime, the camper jack is still clinging to the camper, aided by a ratcheting tie down affixed to the roof ladder. The hideous, gaping hole in the corner of the camper reminds me of the awful wounds suffered in war. If I don't look, it doesn't hurt quite so bad.