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Old 02-14-2019, 05:13 AM   #1
Nomadicchefs
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Bathroom Exhaust Leaking

I have noticed water dripping from around the inside flange of the bathroom exhaust unit. Around the edges of the flange it is discolored slightly. I took the flange off and noticed this white sheeting used. In the corners where it falls short or wasn't cut properly to fit together, that water either from outside or condensation is dripping into those gaps and running down inside the walls. In the pictures you can't see the dark spots, which I don't believe is mold but rather saturated wood. However, my question is what is this sheeting? I contacted keystone and they give me the run around, stating they can't divulge info over the phone due to liability. Seems insane they can't tell me where to get it, sell me some or what it actually is called. Any thoughts? It's winter with loads of snow here at the moment. No cracks on the outer dome, the seals are all good which is what makes me think it's condensation getting trapped in between the flange and wall somehow.
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:02 AM   #2
Steveo57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomadicchefs View Post
I have noticed water dripping from around the inside flange of the bathroom exhaust unit. Around the edges of the flange it is discolored slightly. I took the flange off and noticed this white sheeting used. In the corners where it falls short or wasn't cut properly to fit together, that water either from outside or condensation is dripping into those gaps and running down inside the walls. In the pictures you can't see the dark spots, which I don't believe is mold but rather saturated wood. However, my question is what is this sheeting? I contacted keystone and they give me the run around, stating they can't divulge info over the phone due to liability. Seems insane they can't tell me where to get it, sell me some or what it actually is called. Any thoughts? It's winter with loads of snow here at the moment. No cracks on the outer dome, the seals are all good which is what makes me think it's condensation getting trapped in between the flange and wall somehow.
The white sheeting you are referring to is the roof membrane. I'd check the roof area again because there's a leak somewhere up there around that vent or it could be coming from another area on the roof nearby.

If there's snow on the roof it's most likely coming in somewhere around the vent where the snow is piled up and melting. Can you clear the roof area around the vent?
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:06 AM   #3
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The white sheeting you are referring to is the roof membrane. I'd check the roof area again because there's a leak somewhere up there around that vent or it could be coming from another area on the roof nearby.

If there's snow on the roof it's most likely coming in somewhere around the vent where the snow is piled up and melting. Can you clear the roof area around the vent?
I will check again. I should mention that we rarely use the exhaust in the shower simply because the lid that lifts up is very thin. We are in a valley, next to the river where the wind is constantly blowing. Not slightly either, it BLOWS. And I'm afraid it will rip that little lid right off. We do use a dehumidifier daily however.
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:09 AM   #4
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I will check again. I should mention that we rarely use the exhaust in the shower simply because the lid that lifts up is very thin. We are in a valley, next to the river where the wind is constantly blowing. Not slightly either, it BLOWS. And I'm afraid it will rip that little lid right off. We do use a dehumidifier daily however.
Are you staying in the trailer right now?
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:14 AM   #5
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Once you've found/fixed the leak, if it's not just condensation, put a Maxx Air cover over the vent. With the cover you'll not worry about the flimsy vent & be able to open or slightly open the vent to prevent the condensation.
I would recommend the covers over all the vents on any rv, they make the vents more useful in any kind of weather.
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:21 AM   #6
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Are you staying in the trailer right now?
Yes we are full timing, working away from home.
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:44 AM   #7
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Vent covers

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Originally Posted by travelin texans View Post
Once you've found/fixed the leak, if it's not just condensation, put a Maxx Air cover over the vent. With the cover you'll not worry about the flimsy vent & be able to open or slightly open the vent to prevent the condensation.
I would recommend the covers over all the vents on any rv, they make the vents more useful in any kind of weather.
Nomadicchefs,
Not to get ahead of your leak issue, but if you decide to install vent covers these are the covers that I used. I am very happy with the result and installation was pretty easy (during the summer). I expect it would be more challenging during the cold weather months.

https://www.amazon.com/Maxx-Air-00-9.../dp/B002OW5J44
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Old 02-14-2019, 08:51 AM   #8
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Nomadicchefs,
Not to get ahead of your leak issue, but if you decide to install vent covers these are the covers that I used. I am very happy with the result and installation was pretty easy (during the summer). I expect it would be more challenging during the cold weather months.

https://www.amazon.com/Maxx-Air-00-9.../dp/B002OW5J44
Thanks to you guys. I'll look into those for sure. We haven't had the camper but just over a year. This just started recently, or to our knowledge of being able to see an issue that is
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:02 AM   #9
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Yes we are full timing, working away from home.
Oh, I think I remember you. I think you were trying to figure out why your heater vents were burning the floor.

If you're living in it then it could be condensation I guess. Do you have a problem with condensation in the trailer anywhere else?
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:04 AM   #10
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As stated above, the water is either coming into the camper where the roof vent is attached, or it is coming in through/around the vent lid itself. Possibly from snow piled up around the vent.
If you have had the trailer a year, there is a good chance the Dicor sealant around the flange of the vent has shrunk and/or cracked, allowing water to enter. It doesn't take much of a void to allow water in.
Clean the area around the vent. Inspect with a strong light. You will probably have to re-caulk with self leveling sealant suitable for rubber roofing.
I've never tried to caulk anything in really cold conditions. You may want to research that aspect. Good luck.
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:06 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by Steveo57 View Post
Oh, I think I remember you. I think you were trying to figure out why your heater vents were burning the floor.

If you're living in it then it could be condensation I guess. Do you have a problem with condensation in the trailer anywhere else?
That's me. We ended up simply taking the screws out of the floor vents so they werent so tight against the flooring. No more darkening, etc. The furnace man came out and tested it all, other than a little dust in the unit, it was running in top shape and still under the max temp it should be. Other than the spot above the shower, we have some condensation around the normal spot like windows and the front door. Not much just a little since we run the dehumidifier.
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:20 AM   #12
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To me, based on the photos posted, this is probably condensation from "shower steam" condensing on the colder vent lid. It doesn't look like the typical "roof leak" but rather condensation.

There is a "ton" (not literally but figuratively) water inside an RV when humans live in it full time. With two people inside, just breathing introduces about 2 gallons of moisture into the air, add showers, cooking, any pets breathing and it's easy to visualize water condensing on anything cold, especially the windows, roof vents, and more "hazardly" behind any cushions/mattresses that touch an outer wall. I'd suspect that if you pull the head of the mattress away from the wall, you'll find it's also damp, maybe even wet, where it sits against the trailer outer wall. If you've got a dinette booth, the cushion edges that touch the outer wall are also likely to be wet as is the area behind the sofa. Look inside cabinets that are mounted on the outer walls and you may even find moisture or "condensation stains" on the back walls of those cabinets.

What to do? Either get a humidifier or stop breathing and cooking..... Yeah, one is kind of hard to do. The alternative is to leave the bathroom vent open and turn on the fan when showering, endure the "cold rush of air on naked, wet skin" and try to keep the interior air moving.

We have vent covers on all our vents, open the bathroom vent about 1/2" all the time and also crack a window in the rear kitchen to set up some fresh air circulation. We NEVER shower or cook without the bathroom vent fan on and when cooking, we also always turn on the range hood vent fan. Even with that much ventilation, we still have some condensation on windows on really cold evenings and almost always wake up to condensation on them.

Installing vent covers right now with snow on the roof may be difficult, but opening a roof vent to allow "fan forced moisture" to escape (or be pushed out of) the bathroom is the key to what you see in those photos.

I don't think it's a leak, rather it's water from your showers.
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:32 AM   #13
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To me, based on the photos posted, this is probably condensation from "shower steam" condensing on the colder vent lid. It doesn't look like the typical "roof leak" but rather condensation.

There is a "ton" (not literally but figuratively) water inside an RV when humans live in it full time. With two people inside, just breathing introduces about 2 gallons of moisture into the air, add showers, cooking, any pets breathing and it's easy to visualize water condensing on anything cold, especially the windows, roof vents, and more "hazardly" behind any cushions/mattresses that touch an outer wall. I'd suspect that if you pull the head of the mattress away from the wall, you'll find it's also damp, maybe even wet, where it sits against the trailer outer wall. If you've got a dinette booth, the cushion edges that touch the outer wall are also likely to be wet as is the area behind the sofa. Look inside cabinets that are mounted on the outer walls and you may even find moisture or "condensation stains" on the back walls of those cabinets.

What to do? Either get a humidifier or stop breathing and cooking..... Yeah, one is kind of hard to do. The alternative is to leave the bathroom vent open and turn on the fan when showering, endure the "cold rush of air on naked, wet skin" and try to keep the interior air moving.

We have vent covers on all our vents, open the bathroom vent about 1/2" all the time and also crack a window in the rear kitchen to set up some fresh air circulation. We NEVER shower or cook without the bathroom vent fan on and when cooking, we also always turn on the range hood vent fan. Even with that much ventilation, we still have some condensation on windows on really cold evenings and almost always wake up to condensation on them.

Installing vent covers right now with snow on the roof may be difficult, but opening a roof vent to allow "fan forced moisture" to escape (or be pushed out of) the bathroom is the key to what you see in those photos.

I don't think it's a leak, rather it's water from your showers.
Thanks, I dod find some dicor self leveling at the rv shop nearby. I noticed when I was in the stall inspecting earlier, there's a 1/2" seam around the inside of the actual vent that has some loose spots. Not sure if this dicor is what I need to fix that, but i bought some anyways. I'll work on it this weekend and let you know how it goes.
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Old 02-14-2019, 09:59 AM   #14
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I agree with the above comment. I'd check the roof really good but if you're taking showers and living in it full time it probably is condensation. A lot of moisture from the shower and it's gotta go somewhere. It wouldn't surprise me to find the moisture getting up into the ceiling and condensing on the underside of the roof around the shower area since it's not sealed up good around that vent skylight if you have one.

I wonder if it would be wise to try to seal up the inside of the vent and skylight openings under the trim to keep the moisture from sneeking up into the ceiling area? It's similar to what we did around the AC vents in the ceiling that weren't sealed well and would let the cool air escape into the ceiling.
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Old 02-14-2019, 10:28 AM   #15
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I agree that it's more than likely condensation but I would also check all the seams if that is possible. If you can't raise the vent covers I would get a "good" dehumidifier and run in both the living area of the trailer and in the shower when showering.

The MaxxAir covers are worth every penny. No snow buildup, rain intrusion etc. and you can raise the vent for humid air to escape at any time.

We run a HiSense dehumidifier 24 hours a day when it is humid. It's pretty large (50 pint? 35 pint? - don't remember) and it's amazing how much water comes out of the air. At times the bathroom will still get a very small amount of condensation on the ceiling when we shower if we forget to open the vent. If we do open it we have no issues at all.
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Old 02-14-2019, 11:37 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Nomadicchefs View Post
Thanks, I dod find some dicor self leveling at the rv shop nearby. I noticed when I was in the stall inspecting earlier, there's a 1/2" seam around the inside of the actual vent that has some loose spots. Not sure if this dicor is what I need to fix that, but i bought some anyways. I'll work on it this weekend and let you know how it goes.
DO NOT seal the INSIDE of the vent expecting to prevent outside water leaks !!!!! That you'll do is mask the symptom and hide the outcome (until the roof rot is unavoidable).....

ONLY seal voids in DICOR self leveling sealant ON THE ROOF !!! NEVER attempt to seal from the inside !!!!!

The only means to seal or reseal DICOR is to get on the roof, clean the area well, pull away any loose/damaged sealant, apply a new coat that extends at least 1" beyond the old sealant in any/all of the damaged areas. Allow the new sealant to set up for a few hours, then visually (don't touch it) inspect the application and, if needed, reapply/touchup the areas you think need additional DICOR. If you don't see any, climb down, put away the ladder and have an adult beverage.....

Chances are that what you're seeing on the inside of the bottom of the roof vent structure is the butyl/clay putty tape that's used under the roof vent. That isn't the primary means of waterproofing the vent/roof surface and the DICOR will remove any potential for voids in that area to be a concern. I wouldn't even address a void in the clay putty that's seen from the inside with the flashing removed from the roof vent.
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Old 02-14-2019, 12:35 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
I agree that it's more than likely condensation but I would also check all the seams if that is possible. If you can't raise the vent covers I would get a "good" dehumidifier and run in both the living area of the trailer and in the shower when showering.

The MaxxAir covers are worth every penny. No snow buildup, rain intrusion etc. and you can raise the vent for humid air to escape at any time.

We run a HiSense dehumidifier 24 hours a day when it is humid. It's pretty large (50 pint? 35 pint? - don't remember) and it's amazing how much water comes out of the air. At times the bathroom will still get a very small amount of condensation on the ceiling when we shower if we forget to open the vent. If we do open it we have no issues at all.
Well I think Sourdough has hit the nail on the head!!
We full time and have vent covers, the last set were cheap Camco after four year they became brittle, lost the one over our bed in a strong wind storm.
Even with a dehumidifier running 24/7 I noticed light condensation on that vent before I got the cover replaced latter that week.
We keep our dehumidifier located under our kitchen table, all air flow vents are clear and not blocked at all, that is where it lives and works very well!
These conditions are on the Oregon Coast, so yes it is wet! Currently outside humidity is 98% and inside is 42%.
I will add bathroom vent gets opened and the fan is on during showers. We also replaced tiny fan with a Vortex fan, yes a Fantastic would be better and quieter, but the Vortex is installed from the inside, so can be installed easily in winter.
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Old 02-14-2019, 01:26 PM   #18
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I'm ordering the vent covers this evening.
JRTJH: I'm not using the dicor on the inside. I knew it's for outside, I just meant it was cheaper and actually available at this little shop so I got it to have it just in case.
Sourdough & Rhagfo: I'll keep running the dehumidifier as usual. Once I get the vent covers, I'll be able to tell a difference I'm sure.
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Old 02-14-2019, 01:35 PM   #19
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DO NOT seal the INSIDE of the vent expecting to prevent outside water leaks !!!!! That you'll do is mask the symptom and hide the outcome (until the roof rot is unavoidable).....

ONLY seal voids in DICOR self leveling sealant ON THE ROOF !!! NEVER attempt to seal from the inside !!!!!

The only means to seal or reseal DICOR is to get on the roof, clean the area well, pull away any loose/damaged sealant, apply a new coat that extends at least 1" beyond the old sealant in any/all of the damaged areas. Allow the new sealant to set up for a few hours, then visually (don't touch it) inspect the application and, if needed, reapply/touchup the areas you think need additional DICOR. If you don't see any, climb down, put away the ladder and have an adult beverage.....

Chances are that what you're seeing on the inside of the bottom of the roof vent structure is the butyl/clay putty tape that's used under the roof vent. That isn't the primary means of waterproofing the vent/roof surface and the DICOR will remove any potential for voids in that area to be a concern. I wouldn't even address a void in the clay putty that's seen from the inside with the flashing removed from the roof vent.
Here's some pics of the seam I was meaning. Butyl tape etc
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Old 02-14-2019, 02:20 PM   #20
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Here's some pics of the seam I was meaning. Butyl tape etc
What you are seeing in those pics is the rubber gasket that sits on the top edge of the metal flange and the plastic vent lid seals against that gasket. That may be where your leak is coming from.
That one definitely needs to be replaced. I had to replace those on my old trailer and I believe I ordered them online somewhere but I just don't have that information available right now. You should be able to get one at any RV parts place.
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