Need advice quick - roof leak

[tundrwd]

All, I have a roof leak I fixed last year, right at the junction of the roof panels on my 2016 Bullet. Some silicone came off leaving a "well" in the strips that seal and hold in the roof panel to the front panel. Used quite a bit of Dicor, and used it liberally over the area that looked problematic.

Well, in KS we've had nothing but rain for weeks now, many times torrential (2-5+ inches an hour at times. My dad who was flew in SE Asia during Vietnam said it reminded him of the monsoons in Thailand several times). And no end in sight just yet. Was supposed to be nicer today - but now forecasts of more rain later today, and the entire upcoming weekend.

That area is now wet inside the trailer (corner of the roof panels and the side meeting up). I can't get it dry as we're at extremely high humidity for the foreseeable future - until this stuff dries out, and I expect that to take at least a couple of weeks of dry south winds. I cannot fix it where its parked, there is a slope 12" to that side, so a scissor ladder won't stand up there at all, and be able to reach it. I can move it - but the ground is so saturated, the ladder will definitely sink up to the first rung - plus I now expose the trailer to more weather. (It's parked beside my shop right now, which protects a good portion of it the way the weather comes through here).

I can't temporarily put a tarp on it - it'll simply blow off within moments. I get a constant 20mph wind where I am - and it goes up from there. We've been getting 50+ gusts along with all this weather. So I don't see how to temporarily tarp it.

So - I want to FIX the problem permanently (several years). I can inspect and re-caulk, but don't like having to go back 3-4 times over the summer to check and go over suspected areas. I'm pretty pressed for time these days.

My solution is what I've been trying to avoid - using Eternabond tape. Probably the 4" width. I know several swear by it - several swear at it. But I really need a solution. And, I'm assuming that I can't really apply it very well since its wet underneath, and until that dries out (heavens knows when that will be) - an attempt to apply it now will just result in it "bubbling" back up as the water evaporates out of it.

So - anyone got any other clever ideas for dealing with this?

[Steveo57]

What I've used to temporarily cover something to protect it from the weather is the blue or green painters tape and a piece of plastic sheeting. It seems to work for a short term.

[Northofu1]

Have you tried looking at short term indoor parking? My thinking is most have their trailers out of storage and on the road. Leaving more than enough parking for your rig.

[Logan X]

I would get a tarp big enough for the whole roof and lash it down tight to the ground or a building etc. A truckers hitch is a good knot to tie it down tight. You won’t be able to repair it until it’s dry and you should try to limit the damage.

[tundrwd]

Working on it. Right now tarp is out of the question. Blowing 25 with gusts up to 30-35 right now and me, myself, and I simply can't get it over the top of the trailer and cinched down. I'll try to find a temporary place to put it inside - but that will have to wait until tomorrow when I can call a few places.

I'm able to open it and get fans on everything. There isn't a lot of water coming in, but it's dripping occasionally from the joint in the ceiling. And to top it off, the emergency window has stuff blowing in it. Again, I have to take the window out and that will require a couple dry days to get it out, take the weatherstrip out, silicone it back in and put back into the frame. The frame isn't leaking - the weatherstrip is being blown in enough that I've got some water getting inside the frame. So that has to be fixed too.

Back escape window isn't leaking, but I'll fix it too when things dry out.

We've got about every river at or over flooding, lots of roads closed. About every state park is either closed, or nearly closed (many if not all of the camping sites are under water). Someone sent me a pic of one park where you can barely see the roof of the shower building - everything else is submerged. They were supposed to be there this weekend. One park closed over 300 sites - only 2 - two - were "open".

Parents moved us here 50 years ago this year, and I've never seen it like this. Floods - yeah. Lots of rain - yeah. But not day after day of torrential rain that goes on for weeks. That I haven't seen.

[Tbos]

It is a mess out there right now. Stay safe. If you can get a dehumidifier in there I’d start with that. It is possible the leak isn’t from that seam you fixed previously. It could be from the seam where the roof and side meet. That area is often overlooked. Make sure your gutters on the rig are clear too. I’m not sure but I think Dicor can be applied in the rain. Check before you apply it in the rain. Good luck.

[tundrwd]

Ok - we might be in for 3 dry days or so.

As I said - I've resisted going to Eternabond tape - but it seems like a "permanent" solution. I've heard of problems removing it when the roof needs to be replaced with new EPDM.

I could order some Eternabond and have it here by the weekend (hopefully everything dried out by then), and apply it Friday night or Saturday morning.

What's everyone think about using Eternabond over the junctures and joints?

[tundrwd]

It is a mess out there right now. Stay safe. If you can get a dehumidifier in there I’d start with that. It is possible the leak isn’t from that seam you fixed previously. It could be from the seam where the roof and side meet. That area is often overlooked. Make sure your gutters on the rig are clear too. I’m not sure but I think Dicor can be applied in the rain. Check before you apply it in the rain. Good luck.

Thanks. I'm safe. I have to play dodge 'em most days going to/from work to deal with road closures due to flooding. But my house is higher than almost anyone else for nearly 5 miles around me. If my house floods - then an entire town is 50 feet under water.

And at least we haven't had waves of tornadoes going overhead and by us. Most of what has hit near us in the state has been in fields or just skirting towns. No direct hits - so we are very fortunate in that.

And although virtually anyone around here is dealing with some leakage in their basement (some have found they now have indoor swimming pools), we aren't in near the trouble many other areas are. I've seen the pictures of Muskogee, OK, and they are having historic flooding (unfortunately - coming from our way down to them).

Knowing you have a problem and being unable to deal with it is frustrating. But nothing like losing your home, or worse.