# The Rain She Is Comin In !



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

After a recent and large rainstorm I discovered that I had a pretty serious leak. I found the top and bottom bunk beds totally soaked on the outside wall side of the mattress'. Upon closer inspection inside I discovered that water was infiltrating at the place where the wall and roof meet, and dripping down the wall. Not just in one spot but along the whole length of the bunk bed! Yeah it was a dandy leak.

I found the culprit in the form of a 2" split in the roof caulking on top of the camper and in the right rear corner, right over the bunks. This is a low spot and where the water can collect and form a small puddle. It was the perfect storm situation of roof leaks as it really did a great job of holding water there so it could have time to drain inside the trailer. The fix was easy enough and after sealing it with goop it's now fine (it rained again today).

I gotta say I'm surprised that a split like this could form so fast as we have only been actively using our new camper for 10 months. It's not like a factory defect or anything as they put plenty of sealant on everywhere. It just gave up and split. While I was up there I also found sealant splits around the base of the T.V. antenna too.

So moral of the story, even if your camper is quite new be sure to routinely check your roof for problems.


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## rdowns (Oct 20, 2004)

DH is a roofer, and can routinely inspect these things, knows what to look for, I will tell him about yours however. Up here in the Black Hills we have a great variety ot temperatures which I would think would hasten the breakdown. Glad you caught yours and fixed it up. Maintenance- gotta take care of our babies.


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

The thing about your roof is it takes the most abuse of any surface or any component on your trailer. It's sort of like my car. I wax it once a year. On vertical surfaces I put two coats of wax. On horizontal surfaces I put three.

Reverie


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Make sure that you use a caulk rated for rubber roof's. I think Keystone recommends Dicor products.

Tim


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Checking the roof sealants is one of the easiest and most important things you can do to protect from leaks. I check mine three times a year or so and usually find a small split or two in the sealant each time.

Like Tim mentioned above, the Dicor sealant is what my dealer sold me. It comes in a tube you can use in a caulking gun. Make sure you clean the area well before applying the sealant. I use rag with a little naptha on it as a cleaner. The manufacturer says not to use solvents on the membrane but I haven't had any problems using naptha sparingly. The type of membrane (TPO?) on the outbacks is supposed to be more resistant to solvents than the other kind of rubber roof membrane.

Also check the sealant on the two clearance lights on the front panel of the trailer. One of mine leaked a bit.

Mike


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## Explorinator (Jul 6, 2004)

Thanks Jim,

I am running out right now to the storage yard. I was just there three days ago and all seemed fine. I didn't check the bunks though. Last storm I had the roof vent cracked open. That sure won't happen again.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I wish I had your problem.

No...I take that back. I'm just mad because it was -37 F this morning. The water don't flow too good at these temps.

Seriously...I have had splitting in the sealant too. The only place on the roof I've had leaking is the skylight (found during my initial inspection at the dealer) and the TV antenae.

Thanks for sharing...it will help others ward off future leaks.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder Mike. I did check the front marker lights and what do you know?! The silicone running accross the top was split open too. I sealed them up with new silicone. Everything else checked out fine. Phew!









Jolly -37F







I can't even comprehend that


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Jim...I was off by two...it was actually a record breaking *-39F*!
That's when your antifreeze is like a slushy Margarita,
and your engine oil is like chocolate pudding!

Right now:
Temperature: -24Â°F

Feels Like: -42Â°F

Dew Point: -28Â°F

Humidity: 73%

Wind: S 8 mph

Gotta love it!

Anyway...the marker lights! I make darn sure they are sealed too. I've seen many other campers getting water inside this way.

I think the moral of the thread is: Check your seams, seals, roofs, often.


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> Jim...I was off by two...it was actually a record breaking *-39F*!
> That's when your antifreeze is like a slushy Margarita,
> and your engine oil is like chocolate pudding!
> 
> ...


Hey Jolly, Please keep up with the weather reports from the frozen North, they always make me feel , well.....WARM. How anyone can deal with that kind of cold and still cal themselves Jolly is beyond me.









Regards, Glenn


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

"How anyone can deal with that kind of cold and still call themselves Jolly is beyond me.

Regards, Glenn"

LOL


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## joshfrantz (Nov 30, 2004)

How do you guys get to the middle vents, A/C etc. without getting up on the roof. 10 foot ladders and long arms? Also, is it better to scrape off the old sealant before adding new?


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Jim, (and Glenn)

I'm with y'all. Jolly?????

JollyMan,

My hat's off to you.. ... My panama hat that keeps the sun out of my eyes and sweat off my brow, that is. LOL









Take care,
Mark


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I walk on my roof albeit very carefully stepping where the roof trusses are.

If you lay something like a piece of 2 inch rigid foam insulation or plywood with some kind of padding underneath to distribute your weight over several roof trusses, you can get up there.

I don't scrape off the old sealant, it is very gummy. I use a little naptha on a rag to clean it and apply new over the old.

Mike


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

joshfrantz said:


> How do you guys get to the middle vents, A/C etc. without getting up on the roof. 10 foot ladders and long arms? Also, is it better to scrape off the old sealant before adding new?
> [snapback]20916[/snapback]​


I guess it depends upon the type of sealant yuo are using. I use a product called Dicor and it specifically says to remove all old caulk before applying. The is however talking about adhereing directly to the rubber roof. I suppose if you are filling a crack in the current caulk it would probably stick to that OK.

Regards, Glenn


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Josh:

I CAREFULLY used a razor knife (aka box cutter) to trim around the affected area and remove any loose caulking. Then gave it a quick wipe with lacquer thinner to clean it off. Then just goop it up with sealant. More the merrier









I use a 10' step ladder when I wash the roof, but a 6 footer to just get up there and look. I keep a 3' square piece of 1/2" plywood in the garage and use it as a workmat when I have to actually go up there. That spreads your weight out over a larger area. Be carfull with the plywood up there too as the edges can tear the rubber roof.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I'm always JOLLY, but winter is just tougher! No camping, no cruises, no nice weather!

I'm jolly today cause it's above zero for a few hours!

Like CA Jim said...be very careful not to inadvertantly tear the rubber, or you may have more trouble. And remember...KEYSTONE says not to climb on the roof, so if you cause any damage, they may not fix it under warranty!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

[quote name='NDJollyMon' date='Jan 7 2005, 03:02 PM']
I'm always JOLLY, but winter is just tougher! No camping, no cruises, no nice weather!

I'm jolly today cause it's above zero for a few hours!

It sounds worst than a Canadian Winter






























Thor


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

You mean he's not in the Yukon????? Jolly, I just checked the Weather channel, and it's +39 in Adak, AK.







Oh wait a minute, that's warmer then it is here too.
















Tim


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

Just my two cents worth, from my own experience:
I had a re-curring leak that soaked bunks several times, and only when rain was
unusally heavy. I thought I was checking and re-gooping the roof sealant seams carefully - BUT - I was looking for the usual cracks in the sealant, easy to spot and fix. What had happened though, the factory sealant had come "UNSTUCK" in several spots, and water was getting in under it, and seeping (pouring) in thru window frames, wall seams, etc. 
When I figured out the problem, the fix was easy, peeled off old sealant along seam where front panel meets rubber roof, clean well, and re-goop with LOTS of Dicor sealant.
The real down-side to all this is that we now have a 5 inch wide by 5 foot long
"bubble" in the front panel, running top to bottom between the clearance light and
the corner trim. It seems that the filon skin is de-laminating from the repeated
leaks, and I am getting no response from dealer or Keystone about any help
with repairs. This isn't causing problems, just looks bad.








Also, the first leak we had was thru the front left clearance light. Easy fix - a little
silicone caulk, and good as new.
Anyway, as I've been told by experienced RV'ers, and learned the hard way
myself, check the roof sealant often, and use LOTS of sealant. No such thing as
too much here! This applies to ANY MAKE of RV. They all can and will leak.


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