Here come the leaks

[rahangman]

Well, here in NW Arkansas we have had 6-8 inches of rain the last few days. No real wind issues, just lots of water coming down. Well, I noticed some wet area on the wooden TV case over the Driver's seat and removed the new Flat Screen and voila, wetness. Not just damp, but not puddling. The ceiling liner is spongy wet. I dabbed up most of the wetness after cutting all power (on 50 amp AC at home) then put a fan into the compartment to dry out what I could. Then got up on the ladder and looked for possible penetrations. I don't see anything that looks like it is a problem of this magnitude. We had some leakage this last May behind the first window behind the Driver, and had a local RV center "Seal" any suspicious areas with DiClor (sp). No problems till this last week. Much worse, and the previous area is dry. I remember a posting about roof products. Anyone help with that? The seams look good, and the actual paint (original I guess) looks ok, not nearly enough to leak this much. The running lights look good, lenses with many spider web type cracks and damp on inside, but I suppose from condensation not rain. A forward Dish for DataStorm was removed in May but looks (?) ok. SO, what product do I want to do this with?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

You can't find leaks by looking. I've tried and failed miserably. Water somehow finds a way through joints and roof penetrations that look perfectly sealed.

I have used this: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/proflex-brushable-sealant/21208 and its companion product a caulking like material.

The procedure for finding a specific leak is to pressurize the bus. Close the windows and use any means possible to push air into the bus such as a leaf blower duct taped to a window opening, and then use a soapy water spray on all roof penertations such as seams, areas around vents or antennas or where screws enter the roof skin. If there is a leak you will see bubbles.

Rather than do that I used the material above, masked around the seams and pentrations so it looked neat and brushed on the sealant. It was easy to do the whole bus and I did not have to mess with the leaf blower. It is self leveling and clear, and remains flexible. Pull the tape immediately after you seal a section while it is still wet and the edges of the sealant are clean and neat.

I'm sure there are other sealants but this one is the best I have used.

[kenrobertson]

rahangman- I'm not a bettin' man, but if I was, I'd bet a bunch that those harmless looking marker lights are the culprits. I would remove the lens, check the sealant around the fastening screws, and the base itself. They have a habit of turning into a funnell. Replace the cracked lenses with new and then recheck for leaks. Good Luck Ken

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ken is a smart guy and is likely right on the money.

I completely forgot to mention that even though you brought it up in your post. What I do with marker lights, before I even get a leak is to run a small bead of RTV silicone around the light base. That's for the older style that sat on the roof caps and had a removeable lens.

For the style that mounts in the face of the caps, I draw a small bead around the top and down the sides. In both cases I smooth it out with my finger and wipe off excess sealant.

This not only eliminates water leaks, but it also eliminates a wind whistle due to air entering as the coach is in motion.

As long as you are considering leaks, another major source almost totally ignored are the cargo lamps on the side of the coach. These are the converter installed lamps for patio lighting (for example) and which have come off of old style Chevy pick up trucks. The gaskets are very poor quality and water can enter and run down inside the sidewalls of the coach. A small amount of sealer where they join the body or new gaskets (which soon leak) are all that is required.

[rahangman]

I am looking into the Clear product John W mentions. We spent a good part of today on top with a product called DiChor (sp) which is pretty amazing stuff. Hard to clean up and I am afraid that I got it a bit messy, but, rain is not stopping here and I don't have a roof for it (yet), so , even though maybe making a little more work for myself, I am trying to "git er done" and heal up so I can make it to OKC rain or no...thanx again and looking forward to meeting several if not all of you .
Signed, W18, Rodger

PS, sheesh here I am just starting to get a good grip on the "Leans" due to air getting out, and now I gotta figure out how to keep water form getting in

[Yankee802]

I had a leak a few months ago, got up on the roof and found that one of the rivets had a hole in it, right in the center. I put a little sealant in the hole and no more leak, so after you check the lights, look at ALL the rivets and see if any have lost their center post things.

[Sid Tuls]

I had a leak a few months ago, got up on the roof and found that one of the rivets had a hole in it, right in the center. I put a little sealant in the hole and no more leak, so after you check the lights, look at ALL the rivets and see if any have lost their center post things.

Hey Yankee were ya been? You haven't posted in a long while are ya doing allright??