What's behind the light bar screwed below the awning?

[atkinsb3]

Had some delamination in an area below the awning light bar several months ago. It was happening right below a seam in the gutter/awning rail where water was dripping down onto the light bar. Took all the screws out and filled the holes with caulking then put the screws back in. Fast forward to a month ago and I noticed that the delamination area had started growing again.

This time took the light bar off and found the only thing behind it was some foam tape with the sticky side towards the light bar. The light bar came off the trailer very easily once the screws were removed leaving no sticky residue on the trailer, just a little dirt. In some places the foam tape that was stuck to the light bar below the screw holes leaving them exposed so there was virtually no water protection.

Replaced the foam tape with butyl tape after cleaning everything with alchohol , making sure the screw holes were completely covered and reinstalled the light bar. Wrapped the top of the screw threads with a little butyl tape before putting them back in the holes so it would squish out and seal behind the head of the screw (at least that's what I was thinking). Had a few that wouldn't grip so went up a size on those. Then covered the screw heads with caulking.

The whole process took about 3 hours.

Keeping an eye on things around the gutters but thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to pull them down and do the same thing to them.

[JRTJH]

I'd carefully check the molding along the roof edge. There's about a foot of space on most trailers between the roof and the awning rail, then another 5-6" to the light bar. What often happens is a leak at the seam where the TPO and aluminum molding meet, water gets under the FILON, runs down the inside until it hits some "resistance" (where the FILON is pressed against the aluminum frame) and that's where it stops flowing and starts saturating.

While your actions certainly won't hurt and are likely to help, I'd check the "DICOR sealant covered structures" above where that light bar is installed. I'd almost bet there's a hole/crack/void in the DICOR along that aluminum molding run at the edge of the roof.

[atkinsb3]

The molding, gutter and awning rail on my trailer are one piece similar to the attached picture vs. separate pieces. Then the light strip is screwed to the trailer directly beneath it. I put a bead of dicor on the top edge of the molding when this all first started prior to digging into the light strip but will definitely to check it again.

[JRTJH]

The awning rail is secured to the trailer by screws that are "hidden" behind a plastic rub strip. You might want to pull the rub strip and check each of the screws in the awning rail. They have a habit of working loose, not being completely tightened at the factory and the rub strip will hold water, making the area around the screws stay wet, even after everything else has been dried by the sun for days….

I'd be really concerned that something else is leaking, the light strip is "fairly well protected and has limited screws. While it may be the source of the problem, I'd suspect it's coming from a leak higher on the sidewall....