# Evidence Of Water Leak In 28Bhs..what Now?



## MSP381 (Mar 24, 2010)

I just purchased a 05 Outback BHS28 from a dealer in Wisconsin(Don't want to give names yet). I took delivery and when I was doing my own cleaning I noticed in the left front on the wall there is evidence of water entering in the trailer. Where the ceiling and wall meet there is a black in the joint(mold???) and on the floor(carpet against the wall there is very little black). The wallpaper is bubbled on the bottom. I am unsure if the units still leaks(don't think so, but has not rained much). I contacted the dealer about the issue. I asked the dealer if there was any evidence of water damage before I bought the TT and he stated "No".

The dealer stated it is not an issue with the outback because of the aluminum structure and no fiberglass insulation. I inquired about getting my money back and he stated no, but I can trade in on another trailer and he would give me what I paid. He does not have a trailer that I like at the moment or can afford. What should I do? Anyone have any ideas for me? I am 7 hours away from the dealer. I asked if the TT was inspected and he stated it was.


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

Seen this before....This is why I discourage any pre-owned purchase...no warranty and you dont know what your getting..Unfortunately you are pretty much stuck with it unless you trade it...Once youve inspected it at the dealership and have taken it off the lot...You own it...Very unfortunate situation...You can press the dealer with an attorney which sometimes will help but in this case if youve taken it home...well...


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## crunchman12002 (Jul 26, 2009)

MSP381 said:


> I just purchased a 05 Outback BHS28 from a dealer in Wisconsin(Don't want to give names yet). I took delivery and when I was doing my own cleaning I noticed in the left front on the wall there is evidence of water entering in the trailer. Where the ceiling and wall meet there is a black in the joint(mold???) and on the floor(carpet against the wall there is very little black). The wallpaper is bubbled on the bottom. I am unsure if the units still leaks(don't think so, but has not rained much). I contacted the dealer about the issue. I asked the dealer if there was any evidence of water damage before I bought the TT and he stated "No".
> 
> The dealer stated it is not an issue with the outback because of the aluminum structure and no fiberglass insulation. I inquired about getting my money back and he stated no, but I can trade in on another trailer and he would give me what I paid. He does not have a trailer that I like at the moment or can afford. What should I do? Anyone have any ideas for me? I am 7 hours away from the dealer. I asked if the TT was inspected and he stated it was.


MSP381,
We bought a used trailer too, not as nice as new one, has some issues but I could afford it and fix the issues one at a time. I know how you feel but we can help you fix it.
Did you get to inspect the trailer prior to buying it or did you have it delivered to you? All the dealers say no water leaks until you point it out to them and they react like they never saw it before and blame it on the service guys that inspected it. Biggest thing is to stop the leaks.
From what you desrcibe, it appears the trailer is officialy yours unless you upgrade but the dealer is responding well to offer full trade value in my opinion. Water is a killer but you can usually find the source. I would inspect the exterior roof area where the front cap rolls over the roof. Scrape of the old decor if it looks like it has gaps and reseal with the self leveling decor sealant. Also check around the light up there on the front cap, reseal it with the non self leveling decor. On the interior, a light bleach/water solution will kill the mold when wiped down. If you are handy, you can remove the interior paneling to inspect for damage and repair if needed. Yes, the structure is aluminum framed but skinned with 2" styrofoam backed with 3/4" plywood on the sides. They do use 2 x 2 pine for door frames and for scab pieces to accept screws. The front and rear are skinned with a paper/particle material and my rear cap by the slide did have fiberglass pieces in it. If any molding got damaged, I would have the dealer give you some and have him throw in a few tubes of decor when he ships it to you for free.
Congrats on the new to you trailer. I hope it all works out for you.
crunchman


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

I know that you are upset -- but before anyone jumps on and give you "Call this agency or this lawyer or BBB " advice, let me throw out a little free barely marginally legal advice.

Unless the warranty given to you on the trailer clearly states that it clearly covers leakage and damage .. and I mean CLEARLY states it... then your trailer otherwise falls under (in most state jurisdictions) a universal "AS-IS" warranty... or as the Greeks use to say "Caveat Emptor" situation.

That means that basically - your trailer should be covered for 30 days for acute damage which affects the SAFETY of your trailer -- ie axles, brakes, and propane leaks. After referring to your conversation with the dealer it does NOT sound as though he gave you a "bumper to bumper" warranty but an &#147;as-is&#148;.

It does however surprise me that he is willing to give you all your money back for the trailer (of course the truth of his statement would only become evident when you actually tried to swap the trailer and he did what he promised he would do), but anyway, it does sound like the dealer is willing to work with you.

If push did come to shove, a typical dealer is going to say is that his people went over the trailer with a fine-tooth comb and found nothing wrong with the trailer and therefore the damage must have apparently occurred after purchase. He is also go to say that a proper PDI was conducted and that you did not see any damage otherwise you would have pointed out the damage at that time.

Luckily it&#146;s not a major repair. Just an emotional inconvenience. I will have to leave it to one of the smarter guys to tell you how to do the repair, but to me, as long as you verify that the trailer is &#147;sealed&#148; and waterproof, then all you may be looking at is repairing some of the damage floor boarding and cleaning the carpet a little. I can&#146;t see that being that much of an issue.


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## MSP381 (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks for the advise everyone. I looked at the roof and did not see any area that would cause the leak. It is supposed ot rain tonight. I will look in the a.m for water.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Check around the marker lights up front. They are common problem areas that people forget to recaulk as needed.

Your situation is exactly why none of our used trailer carry a warranty. When we do trade appraisals, everyone claims their trailer is the cleanest, most trouble free thing on the planet, then we take the trade and it is water damaged in terrible shape.

Not knowing the complete history of what these go through is the exact reason that most dealers won't warranty a used trailer. That said, our techs do complete a trade evaluation and then seal any problem areas they find. Usually the damage is already done, and we won't throw a ton of money into a water damaged trailer to fix it.

Steve


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

My first thought was to check the front marker lights as well. Ours had one of the lights leak years ago and it caused a small amount of de-lamination on the front skin around the light. I've kept it properly sealed and it hasn't caused any issues since.

Be sure to check those front lights and the sealant around all the roof fixtures. The dealer may have checked them over but a good look at it can't hurt. Any cracks or gaps can be touched up with rubber roof sealant, it comes in a caulk tube and is very easy to use. I check ours over at least twice a year.

Mike


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## MSP381 (Mar 24, 2010)

Of course when I say it is going to rain we got snow instead. As far as the area of the leak it comes down the wall approximately 4" behind the front left sotrage cabinet. The right side is perfect and inside the cabinet is perfect. I suspect it is the caulking where the roof and wall meet. When it rains I will check. thanks for the advise. I am going to hear from the dealer on friday to see other options. I am hoping they have a trailer in my $ range with the options I like.


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

I was going to chime in this morning about the rain as you said you we're up by the Green Bay/Appleton area. Got a bit of snow up there eh?

Now that you know where the leaks are you can definitely take care of them. There are also great mold cleaners out there too that are freely available at stores like WalMart.


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## MSP381 (Mar 24, 2010)

I am actually in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Marquette area. So another 3 hours north of Green Bay. We have 2" on the ground now and the snow was finally gone a few days ago.


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

I hope that you can get things figured out with your unit. We have loved our 28BHS since we purchased it new at Burlington RV in Wisconsin. The 28BHS is a perfect fit for our family of 4. Knock on wood, we have had no issues with water infiltration or delamination. Be sure to keep us posted on the outcome. As others have suggested, if the cause of the leak can be found and the damage is not that severe and you have your heart set on this layout, see if the dealer will split the cost with you on removal of the interior panel and cleanup of the mold.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I had a leak in the front while under warranty and the dealer found some inadequate caulking around the markers. Just keep in mind that the outside opening letting the watter in doesn't have to be directly above where you see it on the inside.

Another time last year I had water streaming down the wall in the bunks during a heavy rain. I was getting sick depressed about it as I moved the wet bedding and mattress. I found the window wasn't quite closed tight, and it turns out that's all it was. Yeah, the window that's supposed to be able to be open in the rain... well apparently it doesn't work so well if it's open just a crack. Based on the position you describe, I wonder if it could be just damage from an open window.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

MSP381 said:


> Of course when I say it is going to rain we got snow instead. As far as the area of the leak it comes down the wall approximately 4" behind the front left sotrage cabinet. The right side is perfect and inside the cabinet is perfect. I suspect it is the caulking where the roof and wall meet. When it rains I will check. thanks for the advise. I am going to hear from the dealer on friday to see other options. I am hoping they have a trailer in my $ range with the options I like.


Re-reading your post initial post I think that you might want to take a knee for a moment.

The majority of trailers leak at one point in their life. In fact EVERY trailer I have ever had, has had some form of leak&#8230; You just find the leak and fix it. It does NOT sound as if the leak is very bad cause you say that there is very little black on the carpet and the wall paper is only bubbling. You make no mention that the wall is crumbling or turning green. Even if the dealer says that he will refund all your money -- that is NOT going to include title and license and associated paperwork (and if he does "refund it", he will simple tack it on to the price of the newer trailer).

You state that the dealer is 7 hours away. The avg person - towing - gets 12 mpg - and at 3.00 a gallon - round trip - you have spent an additional 238.00 in gas alone. PLUS - if you get another trailer - there is additional tax, title, yada yada PLUS NO guarantee that you are not going to have yet another form of problem (leaks, rattles, shakes) -- so my advice would be -- take the $400 that you would be out of pocket in tax, tile, fees, and fuel towing the trailer back and forth, and simply fix the trailer. And truth be known, You will be able to get it fixed much cheaper than the $400 you are going to be out of pocket trading the trailer anyway ...

The dealer is going to make out like a fat-cat on the deal... he is going to get the trailer back and be able to sell you a even more expensive trailer. I can guarantee you that he is NOT going to let you take a lesser value trailer (because legally there is absolutely no reason for him to and in this economy he is not going to take money out of his pocket when legally there is no reason to&#8230; no matter how nice the dealer is) .

Just curious though .. it there a reason that a PDI was not conducted on the trailer prior to you picking it up?


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I would say think hard about Ghosty's last advice. I know, I'm one of those that wants my trailer to look brand new forever, and so far we've done a pretty good job. But looking at the minor carpet stain here and there, I have to remind myself we've done a LOT of camping in this thing for 4.5 seasons with four kids, and have had 8-10 kids in there at times.

While I think the dealer's claim that water can't harm the composite walls is a going a little far, the truth is it may not be as bad as it looks. I wouldn't mess around with mold just because it tends to spread if not dealt with, so I'd make sure that was killed dead and maybe even take up a piece of carpet there.

There are ways to cover up / mask a repair even if you wanted to get super aggressive for piece of mind and take a look inside the wall. Of course, I think once you head down that road it would probably prohibit going the path of trading up at the dealer.


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