# Water Leak



## bouchfam (Apr 8, 2006)

Hi,
Just pulled the trailer out to dewinterize and set up for summer camping trip. Noticed warping on bottom edge of trailer under queen bed slide. Found small crack in caulting on top. Thats the easy part. Because of lots of rain a few weeks ago the rear under fiberglass is soaked.

Recommendations on how to proceed. Do we try to let dry and just throw some glue and reseal bottom to trim. Or should we try somehow to get in there and tear out what is wet behind fiberglass and try to replace. Nothing on the inside of trailer appears damaged. So it is just the stuff directly behind fiberglass.

Thanks for all your input.

Gail


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## gzaleski (Aug 29, 2009)

try a dehumidifier in the camper with the windows closed for a few days...

glen...


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## therink (May 13, 2010)

Can you post pictures? Or did you already fix it? I had a similar problem with water intrusion though break in caulk along the slide drip edge/molding strip along bottom edge if slide. I did a fairly thorough repair and it wasn't too difficult (because I caught it early)
Steve


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

therink said:


> Can you post pictures? Or did you already fix it? I had a similar problem with water intrusion though break in caulk along the slide drip edge/molding strip along bottom edge if slide. I did a fairly thorough repair and it wasn't too difficult (because I caught it early)
> Steve


I'm not sure what the damage is you're describing. By "stuff directly behind fiberglass" do you mean the styrofoam insulation? If you can get it completely dried out you're probably ok if you can get everything to fasten and seal back up. But since it's apparently been leaking for a while, you want to be really careful not to overlook some more significant damage inside - and don't assume the damage would necessarily be right on the other side of the wall.


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## bouchfam (Apr 8, 2006)

BoaterDan said:


> Can you post pictures? Or did you already fix it? I had a similar problem with water intrusion though break in caulk along the slide drip edge/molding strip along bottom edge if slide. I did a fairly thorough repair and it wasn't too difficult (because I caught it early)
> Steve


I'm not sure what the damage is you're describing. By "stuff directly behind fiberglass" do you mean the styrofoam insulation? If you can get it completely dried out you're probably ok if you can get everything to fasten and seal back up. But since it's apparently been leaking for a while, you want to be really careful not to overlook some more significant damage inside - and don't assume the damage would necessarily be right on the other side of the wall.
[/quote]


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## bouchfam (Apr 8, 2006)

The leak is in the back right at the bumper. We believe the leak was from the top of the trailer. One little crack that must of happened during the winter or spring. The padding at the bottom swelled and pulled the outside skin away from the bottom edging. We can fit a few fingers in and feel the padding. It is drying out now. If we can get it completely dry do we just push the skin back in the edging or should we try to glue the backside of the skin down to the padding. 
The inside is dry. We also keep the trailer tilted back so the water would have to push up to go somewhere besides right behind wall. Although anything is possible. We have not noticed any other water damage.

I will try to post a picture tomorrow.

Thanks for all your input.
Gail


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## therink (May 13, 2010)

Gail, yes pictures would be helpful. Aside from close up shots of damage, include a photo standing back a distance from the trailer so I can see what section or area on slide you are referring to. Also is this a rear/rear bed slide or a side slide at the rear?
Steve


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## bouchfam (Apr 8, 2006)

ok, i have pics now (gail's husband here). We have a 25RSS (2005)queen rear slideout. I checked the trailer a month ago, and didn't notice anything wrong. When I got it home this weekend to prep for a trip, I noticed about 18 inches of the fiberglass right under the spare tire had popped out of the metal channel that holds it in place.







I inspected the roof and found a small slit in the roof calking, at the left rear corner of the roof. I figured the water got in, dripped down the left rear side, and pooled at the bottom. So Sunday was spent sealing the roof edges. There is absolutely no evidence of water damage on the inside of the trailer.

When I unscrewed the channel, water poured out of several of the screw holes, so there were several cups of water in there. I pulled out most of the fiberglass from the channel so I could get air circulating. I've had a fan blowing on it for a few days now, and it all seems much drier. In the 2d pic, you can see the metal channel on the bottom, the black waterproof membrane, cardboard-like material (completely water logged: boy I hope it wasn't luan), then the fiberglass.








I reached up above the black membrane, which runs up the back side of the trailer well over a foot, and touched all the fiberglass batting and felt nothing wet or clumped at all, so now I'm thinking the water came from someplace else. Possibly, the heat from the sun broke the fiberglass loose from the cardboard (trailer rear faces southwest so gets hot virginia sun most of the day/evening), popped out of the channel, and water got into the channel that way, and then wicked up the cardboard.

We've had 2 hard rains since then, and no more water has gotten in (roof sealed, and I have the rear slide out and tarps covering the edges while it's drying)

I will have to seal it up this weekend, so here are my q's.
1. Has anyone else had this happen? What was the cause?
2. Is it just cardboard backing?
3. Once it's totally dry, what adhesive is best? I can't get up very far, so am wondering if double back carpet tape would work? Or a spray adhesive? or is there something safe for the inside of fiberglass?
4. Do I adhere it up as far as I can, or just the lower edge? I don't see where adhesive ripped off the cardboard except for the bottom couple of inches closes to the metal channel. 
5. is the cardboard so compromised from being so wet (even after completely dried out) that it won't accept adhesive, or will just pull apart? 
6. Do I adhere the back of the cardboard to the water membrane? It doesn't look like it. 
7. The inside of the channel looks like it was filled with adhesive, so I will clean that out and caulk that well, and then will caulk the outside edge of the metal channel where it meets the fiberglass. 
8. I noted that the gasket on top of the slide is cracked in half down the length of the gasket. Could that be a factor (I don't think so, but who knows)?

This winter also resulted in some delamination around the front left running light. I caulked that too, but can't tell if water or the famous delamination problem occurred. it's only about 2 square feet, so I guess that's not my biggest issue right now, as that's ugly, but the rear issue is more problematic.

Thanks for any insight you may have into this.
Chip


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## bouchfam (Apr 8, 2006)

bouchfam said:


> ok, i have pics now (gail's husband here). We have a 25RSS (2005)queen rear slideout. I checked the trailer a month ago, and didn't notice anything wrong. When I got it home this weekend to prep for a trip, I noticed about 18 inches of the fiberglass (or i think it is Filon)right under the spare tire had popped out of the metal channel that holds it in place.
> View attachment 1791
> 
> I inspected the roof and found a small slit in the roof calking, at the left rear corner of the roof. I figured the water got in, dripped down the left rear side, and pooled at the bottom. So Sunday was spent sealing the roof edges. There is absolutely no evidence of water damage on the inside of the trailer.
> ...


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## therink (May 13, 2010)

I wish I could help you on this one. The rear slide on your OB is different than the rear (side) slide out in my 5er. The bottom line for your situation and what is needed purely depends on how long the water was present and the extent of internal damage. 
Hopefully someone with same slide and leak damage as you may chime in. 
You could also try this post on keystonerv.org. All Keystone owners there as well.
Good luck.
Steve


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