The new to us Aliner has been used twice for camping this summer, thankfully not in the rain. The unit was sold with “no leaks” but on the way home in the rain it did leak at the front window. Later while removing a broken blind I found that it leaked kind of profusely at what seemed to be the area between the roof panels. Water was running down the inside of the wall to the window and pooling above the trim. Once I removed the trim it began to leak in earnest.
I learned that the area under the air conditioner where the cabinet had been removed to install the non-OEM version was unstable. A new hole had been cut in the camper and it interfered with the existing cabinet. So they had eliminated it. However the cabinets are what hold the sides to the floor! So with the advise of online Facebook experts, I rebuilt a cabinet with leftover lumber and some white board I picked up for free. I also installed a heavy triangle bracket between the wall and the floor, bolting it to both.
The cabinet rebuild was rewarding. I was able to use some free items I had sitting around. I installed a slide out trash can holder and a drawer into the cabinet. I picked up the melamine fiberboard for free and had enough to cover this cabinet and the top of the refrigerator.
I purchased vinyl edge trim to finish the cabinet and installed existing hardware. Another upgrade made right away was to replace the power cable outlet. The cable was just strung through a hole in the side of the camper. It really needed to be a plug. It was not difficult to cut the wire at the exit and rewire a built in camper 30 amp plug. Now it’s waterproof and the cable can be stored neatly coiled with the surge protector.
I also bought a butcher block table after deciding to replace the plywood counter top with something nicer. Butcher block counters were over $100 so I cut one out of this used table for $15. I picked up a free stainless sink but it was too deep for the cabinet so I bought one as a “good” return. it has a little bent corner but it’s fine. I also got a new folding faucet for my birthday. It is cold only so if I install a water heater will need to replace it. I also eliminated the propane stove because we have a portable propane stove.The area under the stove is a nice shelf area for the portable stove.
The trailer wiring had a huge bundle of wire twist caps. I replaces the twist caps with clamp type clamps and contained the smaller dc wires inside an electrical project box. Something happened to the main breaker during electrical testing. Apparently the extension cord I was using was wired with reverse polarity, frying the breaker. It took some time but it was an easy replacement.
There was also some broken plumbing. This is a new drain plug installed after the old one crumbled in my hand as I tried to turn it. The outdoor shower connection was also broken and the first time we pressurized the water tank, it spilled water all over the floor. Inside the compartment the old hose was molded and disgusting. I had a replacement hose from the RV when I installed a new stainless one. I picked up a new nicer shower head but it didn’t fit in the compartment. So I had to clean up the old one.
I wanted to replace the old dull brown refrigerator door with a piece of metal that would hold magnets. I had a difficult time finding the right size piece of white metal. Most metal sheets being sold second hand were too thick or too expensive. Instead I ordered a metal access panel that despite its large size was not very expensive. I cut the panel with a grinder and smoothed the edges with a variety of dremel bits. It was a reasonable task to slide the old fiberboard door panel out and slide in the new white metal one. Looks much nicer and bonus it holds magnets.
Repairing a broken blind should be relatively easy but getting it out of the window area was difficult. The window trim was cracked and broken anyway so I ordered new trim from Aliner.
When checking out the trailer I was able to check the corners for soft floors that would indicate a leak. However I didn’t notice the soft floor right in front of the door. When I was installing the triangle I realized the floor was compromised right at the door. I happened to have some left over epoxy that I mixed up and applied to the threshold area. It seems to have worked well. Next I need to replace some of the rolled vinyl tile. The owner left me a bit of replacement roll.
We had fun with the trailer during our next family campout. But there is still more work to do. I have a complete seal kit and will need to replace the caulk around the windows. Waiting for some cooler weather.
