The problem with changing out the windows...

So, as I was advised, if I changed out the window gasket material, at some point I'd run into a problem with the wood on an RV this old. So, today was that day.. I changed out the left front bunk window without problems and also the kitchen window -- no issues there either. However, we decided to do the window next to the dinette after the first two.. I had to remove the curtains, valance and window shade in order to gain access to the upper screws holding the inside frame into place. Once the screws were removed however, indications of problems started showing up -- debris coming out from the window opening.. Uh oh..

Once the window was removed, this is what I found...

Notice the damage in the front lower corner -- all of it is dryrot that is due to water infiltration. Interestingly enough, even some of the interior wood panelling is in poor shape but I had not even noticed it.. I'd suggest that if you're going to look at an used RV more than 5-10 years old it might be a good idea to press on all panelling around every window to ensure no rotted panels that are hiding.. Had I done this I might have changed my mind for buying this particular RV -- even though it was in better shape than many others we looked at.

Below is a photo showing the mock-up replacement wood we fabbed up. We found something similar to the original 1x3's used in the window framing and made up a few replacement pieces. I used a Fein Multimaster tool to cut-off the end of the bad area on both the horizontal piece and vertical side beams. The vertical material is not 1x3 -- something much more substantial, which we trimmed off enough material to shove a 1x3 in place and anchor it to the old material on the end with a thin strap tie (e.g. Simpson StrongTie).. More photos to come once it's installed. Meanwhile here's the mock-up below...

In the picture to the right you can see what I ended up with -- using Simpson StrongTie connectors to tie the old to the new..