Small leak spotted, 270BH

nachtmsk · 05-17-2014, 06:54 AM

Hi All,

When I brought home my ST 270BH a few weeks ago, I noticed some water droplets on the plastic wrapping of the queen bed. It wasn't much and I thought it might have been from my kids hanging out on it while holding their water bottles. But I told myself to keep an eye on it next time it rained.

Well, the other night we had tremendous amounts of rain here in NC, about 3 inches they are saying. I actually went into the rig and hung during the rain to see if anything was leaking. I found nothing.

But! The next day I did notice, in the bedroom, right above the head of the queen bed, in the middle were several drops of water. Not enough to have made it down to the mattress, but they were still there.
So today, I am going up on the roof and see what I can see.
The leak seems slight, obviously, but I'm a bit concerned that if it's been going on a while, even such a small leak, it might have caused some damage I can't see.
I will be telling my dealer about it on Monday.
The trailer is brand new, so I'm just at the start of my warranty.

My concern is that the dealer will see it and think it's nothing because it is so small. But then a year later (or more) I will see affects from the leak and I'll be out of warranty.

I'm curious to hear other thoughts on this.

Thanks so much,

mike

nachtmsk · 05-17-2014, 07:02 AM

image.jpeg

Sorry, wasn't successful in attaching photo in previous post. I think I figured it out now.
Mike

**Lloyd** · 05-17-2014, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtmsk

Hi All,

I will be telling my dealer about it on Monday.
The trailer is brand new, so I'm just at the start of my warranty.

My concern is that the dealer will see it and think it's nothing because it is so small. But then a year later (or more) I will see affects from the leak and I'll be out of warranty.

I'm curious to hear other thoughts on this.

Thanks so much,

mike

Mike, don't let your dealer poo poo it. Any leak is a problem, and has the potential of creating even bigger problems.
From what's been posted here in the past, I would suggest real close inspection where the front cap meets the roof line for starters.

mike06081969 · 05-17-2014, 07:51 AM

I agree with Lloyd. The slightest of leaks in an RV can create huge (and expensive) problems down the road. Make sure there are no gaps or cracks anywhere in the lap sealant and touch it up or re-do it if there is. Many on here swear by the Eternabond tape. Might be worth looking into. But make sure your dealer addresses this to your satisfaction. I would also make sure you document it so that if it isn't properly fixed, you will at least have something to fall back on for an argument that the problem started in warranty if you have problems down the road. Good luck!

mike06081969 · 05-17-2014, 07:55 AM

Here is a thread that documents what may be a similar issue to yours, as Lloyd referenced:

http://www.crossroadsowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=7786

phoneguy · 05-17-2014, 08:11 AM

we have a cruiser 28fb that had the same drip in the front bedroom table next to the bed. It is on the front outer wall and was coming in the electrical housing. The problem is where the front cap meets the roof. The silicone was bad on ours so we just resiliconed the entire span where cap meets roof. hope this helps

nachtmsk · 05-17-2014, 10:00 AM

Thanks everyone. I climbed up on the roof and found these small holes in the sealing.
See photo. Do you think this is the source of the leak or are these holes in the sealing normal?

Bert · 05-17-2014, 10:11 AM

Document everything well. Take plenty of pictures and video to show your dealer and CR if needed. Do what you can now so that it doesn't get worse. Good luck.

Bert · 05-17-2014, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtmsk

Thanks everyone. I climbed up on the roof and found these small holes in the sealing.
See photo. Do you think this is the source of the leak or are these holes in the sealing normal?

Wow. That could definitely be it. But keep searching.

dlwilliams48 · 05-17-2014, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Thanks everyone. I climbed up on the roof and found these small holes in the sealing. Do you think this is the source of the leak or are these holes in the sealing normal?

That looks a lot like what I found that was causing water to get into my front storage space and under my bed. I put some Eternabond tape on it and seems to have sealed the leak. We have had rain a couple of times since the repair, one pretty good rain shower, and so far I have seen no water in either place.

Good luck with it.

Tim D · 05-18-2014, 07:41 AM

Those are some weird looking holes. Almost look like bubbles came up thru it?

mike06081969 · 05-19-2014, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtmsk

Thanks everyone. I climbed up on the roof and found these small holes in the sealing.
See photo. Do you think this is the source of the leak or are these holes in the sealing normal?

That could definitely be it. Looks like it might have been a bad batch of sealant or there might have been some water there when they laid the bead. Odd looking, but that looks like trouble for sure. I'd go ahead and at least touch that up for the short term, even if you plan to take it in to the dealer. It wouldn't be unusual for it to sit on the dealer's back lot for several days/weeks before they even touch it. You wouldn't want water intrusion happening while it waits. Like another poster said, document the as found in pictures. Then call and discuss with your service manager, before you do a temp repair. Good luck with it!

nachtmsk · 05-20-2014, 07:25 AM

Thanks Mike,
I'm inclined to add more Dicor to that seal myself immediately. Others have suggested using some tape called "Eternabond" which seems like a good second step if the added Dicor doesn't solve it.

I contacted the dealer. All they are telling me to do is bring it in next week. I've asked them for advice on how to temp patch it, but they ignore that part of my email each time I ask it.

The dealer is over 2 hours away, and it's not a convenient time for me to go right now.
What are they going to do anyway, probably just add to the seal. I'm doubting they would take the cap off since there appears to be no water damage that I can see.

So what I'm thinking now is to try to patch the roof seal. See if that stops the leak next time it rains (it's a very small leak -- it literally rained 3 inches here and all I got were a few drops of water), and then bring the trailer into the dealer at the end of the summer. It's a brand new trailer, warranty is just starting as of last month.

Lets say I patch the leak now and it stops. How long will it take for whatever water has made it's way inside to do some damage. I guess what I'm wondering is if it's possible for it to take over a year for the damage to begin to show -- basically after my warranty is over!
Thanks,
mike

nachtmsk · 05-20-2014, 07:34 AM

Hi,
One more quick question. If I want to add new Dicor to the roof seal, I'm assuming I just put it on top of the sealant that is already there, correct? I don't have to somehow get the old seal off first, do I?
Thanks,
mike

cw3jason · 05-20-2014, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtmsk

Hi,
One more quick question. If I want to add new Dicor to the roof seal, I'm assuming I just put it on top of the sealant that is already there, correct? I don't have to somehow get the old seal off first, do I?
Thanks,
mike

You are correct, no need to remove the old sealant, just add some dicore self leveling lap sealant and it will patch it up good. you should check for cracks and holes in your sealant at least once a year

**Lloyd** · 05-20-2014, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtmsk

Hi,
One more quick question. If I want to add new Dicor to the roof seal, I'm assuming I just put it on top of the sealant that is already there, correct? I don't have to somehow get the old seal off first, do I?
Thanks,
mike

You might want to clean it up good before applying the new Dicor.
I usually scrub it up good with rubbing alcohol.

mike06081969 · 05-20-2014, 07:47 PM

Looks like your question about adding to the sealant has already been answered. I agree with the above posts that it is fine to just add lap sealant as needed.

As far as how long it would take for any damage to show up, I'm not sure. Rot is something that generally happens over a period of time, so you are probably okay if all you are getting is a few drops in a torrential downpour, especially since you caught it quickly. I'd bet if you go over your roof good and touch up your lap sealant and make sure any other caulking (around windows, doors, etc.) is in good condition, you'll probably be fine. I would definitely keep your pictorial proof of the problem as well as e-mails where you alerted the dealer. Dealer service managers seem to have a conveniently short memory. Then be sure to take it in when you can. You'll probably have a list of things you want done by the end of the season anyway.

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