I’ve been dying to update everyone on all the progress we’ve made renovating the RV, but I’ve been working so hard I haven’t had any time to write. The work has been hard and long, but I have really enjoyed spending time with my mom and learning every square-inch of our new home. 

  

Since my last update, we discovered that the leak in our bedroom was more extensive than we thought. We ended up needing to remove almost the entire back wall all the way to the studs and metal. Apparently, the roof was leaking all across the top, not just in the corner as we had first thought. 

  

We cut out all the old, wet wall board and scooped out the soggy insulation. Then we removed the studs that we water logged and replaced them. My mom had a genius idea to add new support beams across the front to support the sagging roof. It worked beautifully!

Next, I repaired the leak in the roof by using a six-inch-wide adhesive tape that was made for RV roof repair. I went over the whole front seam 3 times. We plan on going back over the entire roof with a product called Liquid Roof to make sure the roof is fully sealed. But we have to wait for some dry weather. It’s been monsoon season here in the hillcountry!

  
Today mom and I plan on working on the slide out. We discovered that water was wicking up from the underside of our slide and soaking the subfloor. We have attempted to repair this area 3 times on our own, each time tweaking the process slightly, but every night the rains came and soaked the floor again! We finally ended up with a solution on the 4th try. I won’t bore you with the details, but I will say that installing a 4 inch rubber drip edge did the trick. 

  

We’ve been waiting for the plywood in the slide out to dry so we can treat it with some epoxy to harden it up. Then we plan on reinforcing it with 2×4’s, which shouldn’t show since they will be behind the dinette and couch. Once that’s complete, we can add linoleum in the slide and replace the furniture. It all sounds so easy! But I have learned that each project takes twice as long as you think. Unforeseen problems always crop up, but mom and I like to think of them as opportunities to be creative. 

  
This process has made me extremely thankful for my mom and her construction expertise. I have learned so much from her. She has taught me to remain positive and keep looking for a solution, especially when it looks hopeless. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to learn from her and lay my hands on all the guts of our home. Even though it’s been tough work, I wouldn’t trade one day of it. Plus, I love the smell of sawdust!