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Old 03-18-2023, 06:31 AM   #1
MrGallegos
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Default Water leaking, but from where does it enter?

Hello All,

I bought my TM used back in 2021 and noticed it has some previous damage to the door, which looks like it had a water leak. Currently I do not see any sign of a continued leak. But I wonder if the small opening at the edge of the bottom window is a concern for water to seep into? (see attached picture)

Also, I noticed (after a recent rain and also a couple of previous rains) that water is leaking out of the street side rear front shell pocket stop (see picture). I noticed that the foot stirrup had water dripping off it (as water fell from the pocket area down onto the stirrup), so much that rust is forming on it. What is the most likely point of entry that water is entering? I have not notice anything obvious.
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Old 03-20-2023, 10:31 AM   #2
Bill
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Water leaking into the interior of any wall structure, including the door, is a serious issue and not to be ignored. You do not see any sign of a continued leak, so that is good. On a nice day, you might consider spraying a hose or sprinkler on the entire window for a while, then drying the area, and then looking for leakage.

Regarding the window, I can't quite see the "small opening at the edge of the bottom window" in the photo, but markings on the window suggest that is a Hehr window that was recently replaced. The fact that it is a Hehr window is good - they make a good but expensive product, used throughout the RV industry (TMs no longer use them, by the way). If it leaks, I see two probable causes. First, the narrow drain slots at the bottom of the window may be clogged. Any water that runs down the glass and gets into the frame is supposed to drain out there. Try running a pipe cleaner or something similar into each slot, and see if you can dislodge any crud.

Second, since it appears that the window was recently installed by someone other than the factory, it may have been installed wrong, with the outside leak seal misplaced or omitted. In this case, the water might not have come from the "small opening at the bottom" that you mention, but is getting behind the frame itself, likely near the top. You can check the leak seal relatively easily by disassembling the window.

Several years ago, I had to remove a Hehr window, and it was pretty easy. The window is actually composed of two major assemblies - the inside frame and the outside frame. As the trailer is built, each frame is inserted into the corresponding side of the opening. A dozen or so long screws are inserted into holes in the inside piece, where they bridge the gap and screw into corresponding holes in the outside piece. This clamps the two pieces together, and clamps each one firmly against the wall. Between each piece and its wall, there is a weather seal. If the seal is omitted or improperly applied, water will leak between the frame and the wall, and into the frame. If you remove those screws, the frame pieces will come apart (don't drop them!) and you can inspect the installation. As I recall, you will need some sealant when you reassemble. It would be a good idea to go to the Hehr website and find the assembly instructions, so that you know exactly what to expect.

And yes, the big loose paint patch looks like water intrusion to me. To confirm (or deny), you might open the door all the way, remove 3 or 4 screws from the hinge near the flake, and confirm that there is water in the area.

Bill
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Old 03-23-2023, 08:49 AM   #3
MrGallegos
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Thanks Bill for the information. On my 2nd picture, I have water running down in-between the shell panels and dripping on the stirrup. is the most likely point of entry for water where that the roof and wall meet?

If water were leaking around the Fantastic Fan roof vent area would it travel down the path to where the water is coming out from the area shown on the picture?
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Old 03-23-2023, 10:26 AM   #4
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The leak in the second picture is going to be more difficult to find. You might start by poking a light up inside the cavity to find the direction that water is flowing. In other words, is it coming from the front of the cavity and flowing straight down? Or is it coming from the top rear of the cavity, and flowing across the top of the cavity before turning downward.

I'm trying to think how it could be related to the window leak. That seems to be a pretty thin possibility.

The leak could be coming from any number of places on the roof. Since the roof is arched, water coming in anywhere would tend to flow to the edge of the roof before turning downward. I'm looking at the air conditioner, vents, the seals at the edge of the roof, and so forth. I'm assuming that you have looked closely along all of these things, checking for loose or missing caulk. I'm also assuming that you have had no interior leaks that might steer us.

I hesitate to suggest that you remove the narrow panel at the edge of the shell, above the leak site. I've never done it, so I don't know what is inside there.

Several suggestions have been made in the responses above. You need to tell us what you have and have not done about them before we can hope to go further. Sad to say, there is unlikely to be a magic "Aha!" solution.

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Old 03-23-2023, 12:15 PM   #5
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I have looked at the following:
1. air conditioner,: I do not see anything obvious, nor did I notice any leaking from that area on the inside.
2. Vents: I did have some moisture from the Styrofoam around the fan vent (I removed the plastic garnish and felt around the edges and noticed it being moist but not dripping). I suppose it is possible that the majority of the water is passing by that area and flowing downward and towards the back.
3. Seals at the edge of the roof above the affected area: it seemed fine, nothing obvious. But then again, so did the caulking and edges around the vent.
4. I have not look in other area along the edges further down, so it could be coming in toward the mid or front edge and flowing down.

I think if the weather is good, I will try your idea of using a water hose and apply water to specific areas to see where it flows and notice when and where leaks start appearing.
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Old 03-23-2023, 01:33 PM   #6
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I probably should have been a little more specific. When I said "look at", I didn't mean simply "eyeball it". The bead (stringy thing) of caulk can detach from the substrate, but stay in place since it is elastic. The gap between the detached bead and the substrate can be very small and hard to spot. You can probe it gently with a small screwdriver, for example, to bring to light any bond failures.

The air conditioner is set on the roof on some sort of foam gasket, which is then compressed by screwing down the air conditioner. Occasionally this foam seal can fail, either because the airco has come a bit loose, or because it wasn't installed quite correctly. I won't try to tell you how to investigate this, because I have not done it. Other members have done so, and can help. If you have time for a deep search, you will find several discussions about this seal.

One other possible airco problem is that the condensate drain tube can get clogged, and the drain pan overflows. By any chance does your leak seem to start after running the airco for a couple hours on a hot humid day? If you can tell us the brand and model of your airco, we can hep you find the tube.

Good luck.

Bill
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Old 03-23-2023, 07:26 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill View Post

One other possible airco problem is that the condensate drain tube can get clogged, and the drain pan overflows. By any chance does your leak seem to start after running the airco for a couple hours on a hot humid day? If you can tell us the brand and model of your airco, we can hep you find the tube.

Good luck.

Bill
I only ran the AirCon once to test it, so it was not on long enough to notice any issues. My AirCon is a RVP 9000 series (according to the instructions), model 8333B676 (according to the "Recreation Vehicle Data Card")
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Old 03-24-2023, 10:38 AM   #8
rtcassel
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Default Is there a valance/drip cap above the door?

Some TMs did not get the drip cap and water entered the door.
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...ead.php?t=3627
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