Small leak. Looking for some hints/tips.

[Pulln]

I have found some water in the globe of one of my lights in the garage of Fuzion 402. I don't see any staining in the ceiling around it or on the walls but I have emptied the globe and found that it captured some more rain after a recent rain.

I'd like to know if there are any good tips or tricks for finding leaks. I am considering replacing the roof but would obviously like to put that repair off if possible.

Much appreciated.

[JRTJH]

Do you have any damage or have you seen problems that lead you to the decision to "replace the roof"? I would guess that unless you've got some damage to the roof, it's likely a sealant problem around one of the vents, roof penetrations from a ladder mount, TV antenna, Roof Rack, tank vent or some other item that's mounted near the light in question. You could have a staple or screw that has "backed out" and rubbed a hole in the roof membrane or punctured it. All of those conditions are easy to repair.

Before I spent $3000 plus to replace the roof (that's guaranteed for 10 years, BTW) I'd start by climbing on the roof and carefully inspecting everything up there. I'm suspecting you'll find that a $10 tube of self leveling DICOR will resolve your issue.

Good Luck

[Pulln]

Do you have any damage or have you seen problems that lead you to the decision to "replace the roof"? I would guess that unless you've got some damage to the roof, it's likely a sealant problem around one of the vents, roof penetrations from a ladder mount, TV antenna, Roof Rack, tank vent or some other item that's mounted near the light in question.

Before I spent $3000 plus to replace the roof (that's guaranteed for 10 years, BTW) I'd start by climbing on the roof and carefully inspecting everything up there. I'm suspecting you'll find that a $10 tube of self leveling DICOR will resolve your issue.

Good Luck

Thank you for the speedy reply John; I think I read your post about the roof replacement earlier today while searching. Did you use camping world or an independent RV repair shop?

I have been up on the roof and have not seen any damage that stands out. Before I started resealing everything I figured that I would ask some seasoned vets as I didn't want to create extra work or throw money at something that wouldn't work.

[JRTJH]

When the tree fell on our Springdale, I took it back to Camping World in Houghton Lake, MI. They are a 'recent" CW franchise, having been a family owned business for years and years. The family still runs the business, so it's the same "take care of the customer" attitude with a CW sign out front. It's not necessarily the same at all CW locations. Some are awesome, some are not so good and I suppose some are TERRIBLE... the sign out front won't assure you of good or bad service, so if you do decide to have the roof replaced, I'd urge you to do your investigating long before you drop off your trailer for repairs. Even then, there's no guarantee of good a good result, but you'd have a better expectation of a good result. LOL

As for how to inspect the roof, I'd get a bucket, a mop and a good bristle brush, climb on the roof with Borax/Dawn solution in warm water, scrub, soak, scrub and use the brush to get all the mold, mildew and as much of the dirt and "goo" as you can off the roof. Let it dry, then climb back on the roof with a sharp "pick" and get on your belly, crawling around looking at everything closely. If there's a question, use the pick to see if the sealant is loose, cracked or damaged. Pay close attention to the big flat open spaces, you might think they are OK because nothing is there (from above), but get down and look/feel for screwheads, staples or other things that might be penetrating the structure. Pay close attention and double check/triple check in the area 2 or 3 feet from where the lamp is filling with water. While a leak can "run" for what seems like "miles and miles' before it finally finds an inside place to drip, usually it's within a couple of feet of the leak.

Sure, it takes a little elbow grease, and some of your time, but even if you can get the roof replaced for $4000, if your annual income is 100K a year, you're looking at a good 2 weeks salary just for the "cheap repair".... It's much better to spend a couple of weekends and know the job is done right.... And as I said earlier, unless you've damaged something by low hanging branches, cutting or walking on the roof in golf shoes, etc, there's probably no reason to even consider a replacement this soon.

Break out the old jeans and worn out sneakers, a bucket and have a cooler filled with your favorite adult beverage (for the end of the day) and face with with an adventurous smile..... It's really not an impossible task and the benefit is you KNOW it's done the right way.....

Good Luck,

[Festus2]

Pulln -
I see that your unit is an '09 model and if there hasn't been any regular roof inspection and maintenance each year since '09, there is a strong likelihood that the leak could be caused by one (or more) of the culprits described by John.
As he suggested, I'd get up there and spend a good chunk of time cleaning and thoroughly inspecting your roof and especially the condition of the sealant around all of those protrusions - vents, antenna, TV aerial, etc. Even if it looks good, apply a fresh coating of Dicor.

When you've completed the inspection and re-application of Dicor, you might try spraying some water on the roof and check the light fixture again for signs of leakage.
Chances are, you won't see any and you'll have saved yourself $$$$$.

Good luck with the inspection and "repair".

[Pulln]

When the tree fell on our Springdale, I took it back to Camping World in Houghton Lake, MI. They are a 'recent" CW franchise, having been a family owned business for years and years. The family still runs the business, so it's the same "take care of the customer" attitude with a CW sign out front. It's not necessarily the same at all CW locations. Some are awesome, some are not so good and I suppose some are TERRIBLE... the sign out front won't assure you of good or bad service, so if you do decide to have the roof replaced, I'd urge you to do your investigating long before you drop off your trailer for repairs. Even then, there's no guarantee of good a good result, but you'd have a better expectation of a good result. LOL

As for how to inspect the roof, I'd get a bucket, a mop and a good bristle brush, climb on the roof with Borax/Dawn solution in warm water, scrub, soak, scrub and use the brush to get all the mold, mildew and as much of the dirt and "goo" as you can off the roof. Let it dry, then climb back on the roof with a sharp "pick" and get on your belly, crawling around looking at everything closely. If there's a question, use the pick to see if the sealant is loose, cracked or damaged. Pay close attention to the big flat open spaces, you might think they are OK because nothing is there (from above), but get down and look/feel for screwheads, staples or other things that might be penetrating the structure. Pay close attention and double check/triple check in the area 2 or 3 feet from where the lamp is filling with water. While a leak can "run" for what seems like "miles and miles' before it finally finds an inside place to drip, usually it's within a couple of feet of the leak.

Sure, it takes a little elbow grease, and some of your time, but even if you can get the roof replaced for $4000, if your annual income is 100K a year, you're looking at a good 2 weeks salary just for the "cheap repair".... It's much better to spend a couple of weekends and know the job is done right.... And as I said earlier, unless you've damaged something by low hanging branches, cutting or walking on the roof in golf shoes, etc, there's probably no reason to even consider a replacement this soon.

Break out the old jeans and worn out sneakers, a bucket and have a cooler filled with your favorite adult beverage (for the end of the day) and face with with an adventurous smile..... It's really not an impossible task and the benefit is you KNOW it's done the right way.....

Good Luck,

I haven't done the full on belly crawl up there yet and defintely plan on getting that done this weekend. We are due for a good washing and alrady have all the stuff to get that done.

I'll make sure to keep the golf shoes on the ground with the cooler for when I am done and ready to rest :)

From the few times I have been up I can tell that there has been no reapplication of sealant so as you and Festus pointed out it is the proper place to start with given the lack of apparent damage.

[Pulln]

Pulln -
I see that your unit is an '09 model and if there hasn't been any regular roof inspection and maintenance each year since '09, there is a strong likelihood that the leak could be caused by one (or more) of the culprits described by John.
As he suggested, I'd get up there and spend a good chunk of time cleaning and thoroughly inspecting your roof and especially the condition of the sealant around all of those protrusions - vents, antenna, TV aerial, etc. Even if it looks good, apply a fresh coating of Dicor.

When you've completed the inspection and re-application of Dicor, you might try spraying some water on the roof and check the light fixture again for signs of leakage.
Chances are, you won't see any and you'll have saved yourself $$$$$.

Good luck with the inspection and "repair".

Every time I go up on the roof i am awed by the amount of stuff installed up there.

I know it is hard to estimate a job without being able to see it all but any guesses on how many tubes of Dicor I should plan for on this? Nothing has been recoated up there so it might be best to just hit it all.

[Pulln]

Is this the sealant I should be looking for? http://dicorproducts.com/catalog/roof-products/replace/epdm-lap-sealants/

[Festus2]

Is this the sealant I should be looking for? http://dicorproducts.com/catalog/roof-products/replace/epdm-lap-sealants/

Dicor Self-Leveling is what you want. This sealant spreads out and "flows" over the area rather than remaining in a bead. It is best used on flat areas - such as the roof. Don't use the self-leveling sealant on vertical or slanted areas as it will just run down.
Before you apply the sealant over places that have already been sealed, be sure to thoroughly clean the old sealant.

[Steve S]

I have found some water in the globe of one of my lights in the garage of Fuzion 402. I don't see any staining in the ceiling around it or on the walls but I have emptied the globe and found that it captured some more rain after a recent rain.

I'd like to know if there are any good tips or tricks for finding leaks. I am considering replacing the roof but would obviously like to put that repair off if possible.

Much appreciated.

Beside what has been mentioned about roof repairs here's my take on things.
If the water is in the globe I can guaranty that the water is running along the power supply wire and if you follow it you'll find your leak.
I've seen this many times over the years in home repairs.
Water will follow the easiest way and it always goes downhill.

[Pulln]

Dicor Self-Leveling is what you want. This sealant spreads out and "flows" over the area rather than remaining in a bead. It is best used on flat areas - such as the roof. Don't use the self-leveling sealant on vertical or slanted areas as it will just run down.
Before you apply the sealant over places that have already been sealed, be sure to thoroughly clean the old sealant.


Thanks for the heads up on that I was wondering if this could be used on vertical surfaces. Is there a product for the verticals? From what I have read they use butyl tape behind surfaces but haven't read anything about how to seal/reseal the vertical areas.

[Pulln]

Beside what has been mentioned about roof repairs here's my take on things.
If the water is in the globe I can guaranty that the water is running along the power supply wire and if you follow it you'll find your leak.
I've seen this many times over the years in home repairs.
Water will follow the easiest way and it always goes downhill.


Good point! I know wiring diagrams are practically non-existent but would have to think since this is in the garage that the wires are probably a home run shot from the breaker since there is only the wall at the garage and the vapor door is right there and the slide out is on the other side.

[Festus2]

Pulln -
Dicor also makes a product which is almost identical to their Self-Leveling sealant but it does not have the "self-leveling" designation. It is referred to as "Non-Leveling/Non-Sag Lap sealant which would be ok for use on vertical areas.

The butyl tape can be used, for example, when you are removing and replacing a window in your RV. The tape would be used as a seal behind the window frame. The old butyl is removed, the area cleaned, the new tape applied, the frame set against this and tightened evenly so that the butyl starts to "ooze" out around the edges.

[Steve S]

Pulln -
Dicor also makes a product which is almost identical to their Self-Leveling sealant but it does not have the "self-leveling" designation. It is referred to as "Non-Leveling/Non-Sag Lap sealant which would be ok for use on vertical areas.



Festus just for future references where can I buy this in our area?

[Festus2]

Festus just for future references where can I buy this in our area?
Steve -

Any of the RV dealerships/repair facilities should have Dicor products in stock. You've got a few in your area and they all should carry it.

[Steve S]

K thanks, I hope I never need it.:)

[abneynormal]

here is a helpful link to videos rudys rv has several that help there are more how to videos to watch. note you can use soap and water to clean instead of dicor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsCoHAqKO9Q&feature=share&list=PLu9IGWYaqJMATyvKFcTiS1LlcsmpYfR6z&index=7

[Festus2]

abneynormal -
Dicor does, I believe, make a rubber roof cleaner but in the posts above, Dicor was referenced as a sealant not a cleaner. The OP was asking what product to use to reseal areas of his roof and Dicor was recommended.

[Festus2]

K thanks, I hope I never need it.:)

Steve -
Having a tube of Dicor sealant on hand is a good idea - whether you need it or not. Instead of using it only when leaks are discovered, it is good, preventative maintenance to use it to reseal spots where the sealant has cracked. These cracks may be too small now to cause leaks but, over time, they widen and could cause leaking.

[Pulln]

Steve -
Having a tube of Dicor sealant on hand is a good idea - whether you need it or not. Instead of using it only when leaks are discovered, it is good, preventative maintenance to use it to reseal spots where the sealant has cracked. These cracks may be too small now to cause leaks but, over time, they widen and could cause leaking.

Yeah I think the previous owner of my camper failed to see the wisdom of this. I know I will be keeping a tube of the leveling, non-leveling and some of the patches.

[Steve S]

Steve -
Having a tube of Dicor sealant on hand is a good idea - whether you need it or not. Instead of using it only when leaks are discovered, it is good, preventative maintenance to use it to reseal spots where the sealant has cracked. These cracks may be too small now to cause leaks but, over time, they widen and could cause leaking.

Yup preventive maintenance is a smart thing to do, it always amazes me how many people will leave things before they get too bad.
I already have 3 very small silicone jobs to do once the weather warms up. Nothing detrimental just the gutters have drips where they join and it drives me nuts.
I plan to keep a good eye on the roof over the summer as the last thing I would want is to have any separations form from expansion and contraction due to the heat.
I have formed an opinion from reading lots of posts, not really from here but on other forums that people think that an RV takes care of it's self while they leave it alone in the weather for months.
An RV is like a house, it does need maintenance and if you don't take care of it, it won't take care of you.