# What I Never Wanted To See.



## texastraveler (Jun 7, 2010)

Ok, I have a 2005 28rss, just noticed a bubble on the door side towards the front, between the upper bunk window and front of unit. Just below roof line. Looked on roof don't find any areas that look like water might be getting in. but when i pressed on the bubble I can hear what sounds like water behind the outer layer. Delamination has begun. What can I do, can I get the water out somehow without hurting the integrity of the exterior??? I purchased the unit used about 4 months ago. and had not noticed the problem until recently. Should I rush to a repair shop, or is this something I can address. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Randy


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

So it's on the side? Can you post a picture?

First thing you need to find the leak (look for any exposed screw heads, or any areas where there is discoloration of the caulk, etc. Clean and re-seal. Now to get the water out. Perhaps a picture could hep us. Worst case scenario, you could literally drill a small hole and let it drain out before repairing the fiberglass. Hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion...


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## crunchman12002 (Jul 26, 2009)

texastraveler said:


> Ok, I have a 2005 28rss, just noticed a bubble on the door side towards the front, between the upper bunk window and front of unit. Just below roof line. Looked on roof don't find any areas that look like water might be getting in. but when i pressed on the bubble I can hear what sounds like water behind the outer layer. Delamination has begun. What can I do, can I get the water out somehow without hurting the integrity of the exterior??? I purchased the unit used about 4 months ago. and had not noticed the problem until recently. Should I rush to a repair shop, or is this something I can address. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Randy


I would look to find the leak first. Check the seal and putty around that window. Make sure the weep holes are clear at the bottom of the window on the exterior. Is there a marker light around that area? Is there staining or signs of water on the interior? Can you post pictures?
crunchman


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## texastraveler (Jun 7, 2010)

I think I found the leak, will get it sealed asap, but not sure how to go about draining the water that is behing the exterior and will the delamination continue to grow ??


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## Sweathog62 (Jul 28, 2005)

In a former life, I'd just drill a small hole and drain it out. Later I sealed it up with some caulk.


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## deanintemp (Apr 3, 2007)

If it were me, I would drill a very small hole to drain the water. I would also ask your local RV store for advice on a type of glue to inject into the hole to "re-laminate" the area. i would then cover the hole with a small dab of caulk and check it often. OH, of course, the first thing I would do is fix the leak.

Maybe you can post pictures of before and after and describe your remedy and how well it worked for others to learn from?


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## texastraveler (Jun 7, 2010)

Well I have repaired the area I believe the water got in on the roof, Drilled a small hole at the bottom of the bubbled area and water was behind there, after it drained the bubble area looked much better, will let it dry for a few days or more, and will check Home Depot for types of adhesive that could be injected behind the fiberglass layer. then will seal the holes. Hopefully this will work, I will post again on the final outcome, thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions this forum is invaluable.


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## JoeD (Dec 25, 2009)

Personally if the skin of the camper was thin enough.

Go to a pet store and get a kit for inoculating your pets. (they have thicker needles and a pharmacy will think your a drug addict if you ask them for a syringe)

Locate your problem area and the lowest point.

Slide the needle in through the skin puncturing the bladder of water, let it drain out completely. I recommend placing a small heater a few feet away to blow WARM *NOT* hot air on the outer skin to help dry the water out.

After it is completely dry get yourself some sealer\epoxy that works for the under material as well as the fiberglass.

Fill your syringe with the epoxy, just enough to hold the material do not push a bunch in the area or it will look deformed.

Start from the center of the area and work your way out and around in a circular path until the skin is sticking to the under material.

Place something flat leaning against the wall to hold the skin down so that it flattens itself and doesn't let it ripple and look weird.

take care not to warm the fiberglass skin or you'll end up with a goofy looking spot on your rig!

Hope that helps you!


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

Randy,

I would suggest using also a wet/dry vac and draw a vacuum on the hole. it will probably help accelerate the drying process and pull more moisture. Patching the weep hole carefully with a minimal amount of caulk will let you get back to the spot should you have missed something in the way of an opening.

I am not sure if anyone has tried this. But it may be worth considering.....

If it remains dry for an extended period of time and you are certain you have corrected the leak injecting epoxy may be the next step. Tape over the holes with a paint type masking tape. carefully remove the tape directly over the hole as to not expose the exterior finish.

If you can, park next to a building, tree or other firm object, construct a brace to be used as a clamp and test fit it to ensure it will be snug.

Prepare rubber or other soft material to be used to protect the side of the camper. Using a hypodermic type of needle inject quality 2 part epoxy as deeply around the hole and into the bubbled area as you can, perhaps a second hole at the center of the bubble would be a good idea as well.

Apply the rubber pad or other protective material between the pad used to apply the pressure to the bubble. Apply pressure on the bubble with the clamp, brace or other material, ensuring that the weep holes are exposed to allow you to wipe away any extruded epoxy.

*DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO WALK INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAMPER WHILE IT IS BRACED THIS WAY! The brace could be pushed through the wall and then you'll have a real problem!*

Allow plenty of time for the epoxy to dry. Depending on the type of epoxy, being sandwiched and not exposed to air may cause it to take longer to cure.

I think the worst case senario is that the bubble does not re-adhere to the substrate and you will still have a bubble. Best case is that the shell adheres to the substrate, and strengthens it as well, eliminating the bubble.

There may be an epoxy dot left at the weep hole. That can be carefully sanded down to the surface. Apply a dot of white enamel paint to the rough surface of the sanded epoxy and allow that to dry. Follow with a dab of clear enamel sealer. Remove the protective tape. Wash and wax the area. That may permanantly fix the bubble. if this works there may be others that wish to do the same. I do not have any bubbles in my unit but, being way out of warranty, I think this is the route i would go down to repair the problem.

Eric


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