Water pooling in power inlet

[dalamarjj78]

My apologies if I'm not using the correct terminology but I recently noticed that after a heavy rain there's water collecting in the power inlet of our 2021 Bullet.

I don't think the water's actually getting inside but it's enough that when I open the cap water spills out.

After I first noticed it I made it a point to make sure I closed the cap tightly and that it wasn't accidentally left open. But after another rain storm it ended up with the same result.

I also noticed the four screws are rusted which, on a brand new trailer, doesn't seem right.

My assumption is that the cap isn't seating properly which allows the water to pool inside when it rains.

Has anyone else experienced an issue like this? I'm curious if there's anything I can do to correct it in order to avoid a trip to the dealer to have them fix/replace it.

Thanks!

[flybouy]

I would replace the screws with equivalent sized stainless steel screws. Remove old screw, fill the hole with sealant, then screw in new screws by hand to avoid stripping the threads. Then I'd cut and remove the protruding foam. Then caulk a bead around the the fixture. That foam sticking out can obstruct the cover from closing.

[roadglide]

I had water on the floor from the 50 amp receptacle with a dry rotted gasket and the same thing happened with the out side gfi receptacle .

[sourdough]

Definitely looks like water is getting under that cover.

How tight does that cover close? I ask because I had a similar situation on this new trailer the first trip. DW at times connects/disconnects the power cable from the trailer. As I was driving down the road I kept seeing something flopping in the wind. I thought a fender skirt or something had come loose on this trailer like the last. When I investigated found no issues with the skirt but the lid over the power connector was loose and would just flop. Asked DW if she closed it good and she thought so. Turns out that lid is VERY hard to get to snap closed. You actually have to pop it with the heel of your hand to make it close tightly. Reckon that could be an issue.

Whether it is or not I would proceed with the stainless screws as Marshall suggested and either trim/caulk around the edge of the fixture or pull it off, remove the foam and put butyl tape behind it to seal it - that stuff works good IMO.

It's obvious the door isn't sealing. If it is closing/latching then the surfaces where the lid mates to the bottom of the fixture need to be sealed. Perhaps placing self adhesive weather stripping around the inside of the lid so that it would seal around the edges would work or any other application that would accomplish the same goal.

[dalamarjj78]

Thanks for the quick responses. Very helpful!

The lid itself closes pretty easily. It doesn't take much until I hear the "click" of it closing.

After reading your responses I took a closer look and it seems that the factory did a poor job of sealing around the receptacle. I can see the clear sealant around the sides and bottom but there doesn't appear to be any along the top.

It also looks like the foam wasn't aligned properly since it's angled slightly to the right, leaving a few gaps along the top with very little to keep water out.

If the problem is that it's not sealed properly and water is getting in behind the receptacle and not through a gap in the cap itself I really hope the water isn't making its way into the back wall of the trailer.

I'll try replacing the screws, trimming the foam and resealing it and see how that goes. If that doesn't work I may try the butyl tape approach.

Quick follow-up, what's the best type of sealant to use for a job like this? Would standard silicone from Home Depot or Lowes be ok or should I be looking more towards a clear, non-leveling lap sealant?

[wiredgeorge]

I think the best thing would be to heed the advice regarding use of butyl tape behind it. The butyl tape is a permanent and superior seal compared to foam. If you like, you can then use a fine bead of clear silicon caulk after trimming the butyl flush. Use stainless screws as has been suggested. You can also cover the heads of the screws with a dab of clear silicon caulk.

[dalamarjj78]

I just wanted to follow-up and thank all of you for the invaluable advice.

I ended up removing / replacing the screws, removing the crooked gasket and replacing it with butyl tape, sealing around the edges and adding some weather stripping around the inside of the cap.

After a few heavy rainstorms the last few days I'm pleased to say that water's no longer getting inside of the power inlet.

Thanks again!