RV Repair: Water Leak, 5th wheel, water leak

Question
A few years ago, we had a water leak and we took the 5th wheel into the dealership that we purchased it from.  Every time I would go inside, I could smell that same "mildew" smell.  I just assumed it was me.  Boy was I wrong!  I climbed up the ladder and started to remove the sealant that was bothering me because it always looked “blackish”.  I noticed the sealant was cracked on the corner so I pulled it way and guess what I found – an area of about 5 inches that the siding did not meet the edging on the corner of the trailer at the roof line.  Needless to say, it was not my imagination, the thing was still leaking!

We paid a dealership to fix this water leak and this is how it was fixed – with sealant!
How do we get the siding off?   The wood underneath will definitely have to be replaced as it has water damage and how much damage, I don’t know until the siding comes off.

We had actually looked at selling the trailer because of this smell however I am thankful we did not because no one should be stuck with this problem!

If you could tell me how make this repair, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Delores  

Answer
Hi Dolores:
I am certainly sorry for your troubles. The siding was not made to come off and taking it off is always a pain. Usually the siding is spot glued and all those place will come apart with some amount of work. The glue is so strong that the wood backing rips instead of the glue coming apart. We almost always do something different from the last time and have not found anything that works well. Taking it off without ruining it so it can be reused makes it harder. Tenacity and sturborness are good traits to have for this job. There is no set easy way. Sorry thats all I have. I would have some choice words for you dealer. Good luck.
Bill