Leakage from rain?

Have you had rain water leak into your TM?

  • Total voters
    64
Hard rain only

My wife and I are new to TM'ing and this forum. And yes, we have a roof leak.

We purchased our '03 3023 last year and took it out just 3 times before storing it in the garage for the winter. Each time out, we had measurable precipitation but no leaks during the first two trips. However, on the third trip out we were in a real downpour for over 2 hours and observed a steady stream (.25" wide) of water coming down the right side rear shell where the wall and roof meet. The water comes down and pools slightly just behind the stove and then drips down to the floor by the door. The leak would seem to be right where the front shell and rear shell overlap.

I did a quick inspection and did not see any gaps or obvious missing caulk before I put the TM away for the season, so I plan to do a careful check when I de-winterize, hopefully in March.
 
Leaks

We had several leaks on our new 2009 TM. All were due to what appeared to be failures in the caulking. Several were hard to find as the actual entry point was some distance from where the water showed up inside. Finally recaulked all the roof /trim and exterior light seams ( after removing original lose caulk)and all is well. Used Dow 5200 marine sealant as it is more viscous and and remains more flexible than silicone. To find bad caulk joints, use a hair dryer on cool setting and direct air flow at caulk/ TM surface interface and look for movement of the caulk edge ( flapping). Dirt under the caulk will confirm a bad seal. A little recaulking from time to time is a small price for the benefits the TM offers.
 
rumbleweed said:
We had several leaks on our new 2009 TM. All were due to what appeared to be failures in the caulking. Several were hard to find as the actual entry point was some distance from where the water showed up inside. Finally recaulked all the roof /trim and exterior light seams ( after removing original lose caulk)and all is well. Used Dow 5200 marine sealant as it is more viscous and and remains more flexible than silicone. To find bad caulk joints, use a hair dryer on cool setting and direct air flow at caulk/ TM surface interface and look for movement of the caulk edge ( flapping). Dirt under the caulk will confirm a bad seal. A little recaulking from time to time is a small price for the benefits the TM offers.
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If you use 3M 5200, I would suggest practicing with it a little before taking on the job.

I have been a sailboat owner for many, many years and I have used 5200 for many applications. I can tell you that, if used properly, it will be the last time that you will ever have to caulk.

A few things to remember. Make sure that your work surface is extremely clean. Wipe it down (carefully) with acetone on a rag (don't' pour acetone on the surface, it will melt the foam core if it gets inside). Use Mineral spirits for clean-up and keep your bead small.

3M 5200 takes 24 hours to skin, 3-5 days to set and 30-day + to cure. For best results, caulk when you will not be moving the trailer for at least 30-days.

If you ever have to remove 5200 (God help you) it is not easily removed. Hopefully, you won't have to. That stuff adheres like nothing you have ever seen before. I have places on my 1st yacht (which I am still in contact with the owner) that were caulked in 1983 and are still holding, even after that boat has been sailed around the world twice.
 
You are correct. I thoroughly removed old caulk and cleaned well and used the smallest bead the tip will provide. Then let cure for 3 days before closing and several weeks before moving. I also use 5200 on my boat and choose it so I would not have to caulk again. It takes extra patience , but is worth it.
 
I had a small leak around the A/C unit after a particularly hard rain. Turns out the mounting screw had worked loose. The dealer found it and tightened it and I've had no problem since.

BTW, why is there no choice for No? It seems that a comparison of folks on the forum who have had leaks with those who have not would be instructive.
 
BTW, why is there no choice for No?
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Same problem. I thought I was opening the ballot and next I would get to vote yes or no. Instead I voted yes without knowing.
Come to Florida there is an opening on the elections commission.
 
Adirondackham

Yikes. Recently bought an '06 2619 from Camping World only to find the unit leaks like a sive. Water is under the interior ceiling aluminum skin in the corner by the door and drips onto the rear, left, corner of the stove.
2nd location for water is the vent directly in front of the AC unit in the ceiling. It apparently originates from the one corner under the clear caulk in place That required a bucket - major leak.
3rd location is in the passenger side forward corner near the reading light under the overhead storage shelf. Given the condition of the reading light fixture, this has been going on for some time, thank you very much previous owner(s).
4th location list night was a few drops in the curtain channel above the base of the forward bed.
5th location was dripping out the top of the large window to the right of the sink.
Last but not least (#6) , water last night was found trickling behind the mounting of the awning on the exterior of the camper siding above the door. One would think that would not be of concern except that this water promptly disappeared behind the top edge of the door, entered the interior and ended up on both the floor and magazine rack.
I recently recaulked much of the upper parts of roof seams and vents/AC with exterior with high grade latex caulk but obviously the effort was for for naught. Love the concept and design of the camper but we are about to drag it back to the dealership in total frustration. We are both deeply disappointed and frustrated.
 
I hear your pain. We purchased an 01 and almost got flooded out. That said the middle seem was the culprit. I used eterna bond redid seams of vents used 3m 4200 and redid all roof seams and lights. So far it has been a simple fix. Don't give up
 
We have a 2004 3326 and once in a while we will find water on top of the wardrobe. Not sure where it may be coming from. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Jimmy
 
For some reason my Firefox won't render the poll correctly, but I'll post here:

No. No rain leaks. 2009.5 model.

Just FYI as a data point.
 
Strange as it may seem, some of the front end leaks can occur where the antenna cable enters the roof at the base of the antenna. The rain boot will slip off or degrade, and water will run down the cable into the roof. From there it can show up anywhere. It has happened on both our TMs. I fill the hole and the boot with silicone, then press the boot down onto the base.

As to the poll in this thread, the original poll is from 2003, the server may not even have the data from the original poll. It's no surprise it does not appear correctly in the web page.
 
Application of 3M 4200 or 5200 - naked finger?

Do you use just a naked finger, or do you need to use one of those little blue "caulk applicator" tools to avoid chemicals on your fingers?
My original "roof side" caulk runs, front to back at the corners of the shells (against the long plastic corner pieces) are beginning to fail, I should re-do them. Probably 4200 "fast-setting", because I'm going on a lengthy trip in less than 30 days.
 
JBYRNE7844 said:
We have a 2004 3326 and once in a while we will find water on top of the wardrobe. Not sure where it may be coming from. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Jimmy
Click to expand...

If I recall correctly, the backing plate for the rooftop latch sits above the wardrobe when open. I had to take mine apart and re-bed everything soon after buying my 3326 a while back.
 
You can not caulk over the old caulk. You need to check all the seams for loose caulk. Lots of posts on this. Use a hair drier to find loose caulk. Remove the old caulk and clean the area. The re-caulk using Dow 4200. Most RV's will eventually leak and need recaulking.
 
lots of rain in Estes Park this weekend

This was our first trip in our 2720 and it did really well. The only thing was that the all of the sky lights and the TV antennae leaked. As much as it was raining and as hard as it was raining I think it did really well.
 
Had a couple of small leaks here and there, but removed old caulk and fixed just fine. Though the small leak over the window next to the door resulted damp curtains. Washed by hand. The fabric was discolored on the header, which I had to remove and replace.
 
2019 2720 QB, roof leak source: hole forward of ac where wires in the plastic wire chase ceiling, inside.
- with foam and plywood to displace my bodies load on roof, inspect to find opening void in caulk in between the roof seam separator sealer and ac housing. Plan to caulk opening today.
 
vnmtm1 said:
My wife and I are new to TM'ing and this forum. And yes, we have a roof leak.

We purchased our '03 3023 last year and took it out just 3 times before storing it in the garage for the winter. Each time out, we had measurable precipitation but no leaks during the first two trips. However, on the third trip out we were in a real downpour for over 2 hours and observed a steady stream (.25" wide) of water coming down the right side rear shell where the wall and roof meet. The water comes down and pools slightly just behind the stove and then drips down to the floor by the door. The leak would seem to be right where the front shell and rear shell overlap.

I did a quick inspection and did not see any gaps or obvious missing caulk before I put the TM away for the season, so I plan to do a careful check when I de-winterize, hopefully in March.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised how much water can leak even when there are no visible gaps. My preference is to use ProflexRV. It remains soft and doesn't have to be completely removed like silicone seal.

My technique is more involved, but seems to be guaranteed to work:
1) Remove vents/AC units.
2) Apply ProflexRV between where the vent or AC will attach to the trailer. If there is a riser, you need to remove both the riser and vent and do the same for between the riser and roof, and between the riser and vent.
3) Place the riser and vent into position.
4) Apply ProflexRV to the threads of the screws if using screws
5) Fasten the vent or AC.

I had tried resealing around vents without removing them and they still leaked. After doing this, I had no leaks.
 
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