Leaky Roof

[BertP]

Hi All,

The roof on my 5er (Wildcat 28BH)has started to leak near the front. I went up there to see if there was anything obvious wrong, but it all looked fine to me. Is there something I can apply to the roof to seal it?

Thanks

Bert

[ChipChar]

We have had significant leaks in our fiver. The butyl tape and caulk reached their limit. In one instance, by the time the problem start coming through the paneling, the insulation was soaked and most of the framing had to be replaced. I learned alot needless to say the hard way. If you take off the corner trim, use new butyl tape and the right caulk (preflex etc..not 100% silicone from a box store) If i can figure out how to insert photos, i'll show the front and the back of ours. Good luck.

[dadnjesse]

donn0128 wrote:
Get a seal test done, or do it yourself using a leaf blower. This method will guarantee you find all the leaks.

How do you find a leak with a leaf blower, I get that you pressurize the rv but how do you find the leak.

[Beaker]

I went up there to see if there was anything obvious wrong, but it all looked fine to me.

The "obvious" usually doesn't show up and if it does there may be others.
Had an older fifth that took Katrina and a garden hose to find the leaks.
The present one I Eternabond on top and is looking good but it won't stop all the leaks, just the seams that were done with Eternabond.

One of the leaks on the old was down a screw on the top side that held the awing. Another one around the window. Another down the corner, one thru a taillight.

Although of course I wasn't happy with the leaks, it was a cheap learning lesson for looking for leaks. On the newer one, I do a lot of checking of inside cabinets, below cabinets and windows

My very first trailer was totaled by insurance company within 3 years for water damage.

Don't know why we RVers pay what we do for such junk.


Actually I know why.

[kmbelt]

I had a small leak on the front of my camper. It was at the metal strip where the rubber roof meets my front cap. It was leaking as the screw heads were not properly sealed. I got some Dicor Self-Leveling sealant and proceeded to fill the metal track to seal it permanently. I also used some Dicor Non-Sagging Lap Sealant to re-caulk areas that looked questionable. If the current sealant is cracked in any way, you should re-seal it.

I haven't had a leak since.

[BertP]

OK, it looks like I need to do some work 🙂

The only part that seems to be damaged is the drywall inside the front closet on the right side. I can't see any other damage anywhere else. Of course, the leak could be anywhere and is just showing up at that point in the closet.

I have never done a pressure test. Is there a particular procedure to it?

Thanks

Bert

[2oldman]

Heng's RV roof seal.

[donn0128]

Get a seal test done, or do it yourself using a leaf blower. This method will guarantee you find all the leaks.

[gbopp]

You definitely want to find/fix the leak quickly.
If you or a friend can not find the leak, check with local RV dealer to see if they can do a pressure test on your RV.

[MPI_Mallard]

You gotta' get a handle on this right now before you find yourself in a real pickle!! That leak could be coming form anywhere in the suspected area as water will migrate so if it were me I'd probably go and get some Eterna-bond tape and re- seal that entire part of the roof if not the whole she-bang just for good measure also there might be someone out there where your at that could re-coat your roof, I had mine done last fall at a very reasonable price as a preventive measure. a small leak can really ruin a trailer if no dealt with, good luck!!

Red Green:
And to the rest of you, thanks for watching. On behalf of myself and Harold and the whole gang up here at Possum Lodge... keep your stick on the ice.

[laknox]

BertP wrote:
Hi All,

The roof on my 5er (Wildcat 28BH)has started to leak near the front. I went up there to see if there was anything obvious wrong, but it all looked fine to me. Is there something I can apply to the roof to seal it?

Thanks

Bert

Bert, you =really= need to localize where the leak is coming from. It could be a hole in the roof membrane, along the edge where the membrane meets the side or front cap, through a skylight/vent/AC hole, running lights have been known to leak, too. Lots of possibilities. Once you find the leak, you can use Eternabond tape or Dicor self-leveling caulk to seal it if it's not too bad. I've read here where people have snagged a branch and ripped their roof open pretty good, and simply laid the membrane back down and used Eternabond tape of the appropriate width and length to make a permanent fix.

Lyle