Jump to content

Strange water leak


daveandmary

Recommended Posts

2005 Alpenlite 5er.

Used only twice per year, parked closed up most all the time.

Have had the rig 5 years.

Last year, when we got ready to go South the carpet, in the center of the rig, under the edge of the

closed up sofa side slide, was quite wet. We thought a jug of water under the kitchen counter had maybe frozen and leaked.

 

This year, after being dry for several months, and with no water in tanks or lines, now in rainy season,

it is quite wet again.

 

No evidence of leakage from above at all.

 

Looks like somehow water 'wicks' 4-5 feet, under the slide, to the center of the rig.

 

Doesn't seem possible.

 

Have any of you had a similar situation?

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have the slide seals ever been changed? Sometimes too little use is worse than too much use. Those seals(there is one on the bottom too) can be the culprit. Water may wick down the side p-seal and wick into the subfloor and show up on the carpet. Work backwards from the leak. Or be sure that a vent on the roof isnt leaking and the water is running down the vent pipe and onto the subfloor, inside and showing up on the carpet.

Those are buggers to find, it takes patience and usually a few tries at repairs before it is located.

Marcel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a similar problem. There are multiple seals on a slide. The ones that count when stored are on the outside, and seal between the flange of the slide (the part on the outside that sticks out beyond the "box" and the wall of the coach itself.

 

These seals are semi circles, like the letter "D", with the flat side seated in a track that is screwed into the wall. It is very easy for the seal to pop out of the track for a foot or more, especially when it's been closed up for a long time, gets sticky, and is then extended.

 

The water gets inside on the roof of the slide, then runs up against the inner flange, and turns left or right, depending on which way is down hill, and then runs down the side of the slide. It may then drip straight down, or run along the bottom and drip somewhere else.

 

The reason it sometimes does it, sometimes not, sometimes here, sometimes there is because you don't always EXACTLY park the unit the same level front to back and side to side. So, gravity plays a different game every time.

 

Bottom line, get on a ladder or on the roof and closely inspect the seal on top. If it is out of it's track it can be worked back in fairly easily, more so when warm.

 

A last thought, people try all kinds of potions and lotions to "lubricate" the seals, or to keep them from sticking. After being in this gig for a long time I have learned that most of the manufacturers recommend to clean with warm soapy water and THAT'S IT. I have come to believe they are right.

 

Your mileage may vary.

Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another possibility is a leak around the frame of a window, where the frame is sealed with caulking tape and contacts the exterior wall. We have had a couple windows develop a leak, and the gap may not be any more than that of a sheet of paper. The water travels down inside the wall, seeps under the interior wall at the bottom, and gets the carpet wet for quite a distance. I have fixed both by removing all the excess caulking tape from around the edge of the frame, and applying a bead of silicone caulk around the entire perimeter of the frame to the exterior wall. This solved the leaks in both windows. The other fix would be remove the window from the wall and put new caulking tape on the frame and put it back in the opening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This year, after being dry for several months, and with no water in tanks or lines, now in rainy season,

it is quite wet again.

With an RV that is 12 years old there are a number of possibilities that come to mind. What sort of maintenance have you done or had done on it over the years? If it has not been replaced, any caulking and any seals could easily be the source of such leaks. Rain caused leakage is very difficult to trace to the source because it often shows up a long distance from the entry point. While it does seem probably that the leakage is related to the slide, I'd sure take a hard look at all places that have caulking as well.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tips!

 

Have made some progress and actually saw a puddle of water coming from under the refer slide.

 

At least I now know where it's coming in.

 

When I get down to dry and warm country in a few days I'll be able to find out how it get in/under there.

 

Nothing obvious I could see in the melting snow today.

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...