RV cover prevents moisture inside TT?

[Hugo-H]

I have a Premier 31 BHPR 2016 model (bought in April), standing on my driveway...and today I noticed some moisture / humidity inside the trailer...
Few places (under frigo, between water heater and bathroom), there is little bit of wet when going with my finger along the edge on the floor, against the outer wall... (see pic RED LINES)... and it shows already a little bit of fungus, the white/black stuff...
Can it come from the roof??? (see the pic with the vertical black stripe (circled with pink inkt)


Does anyone had some similar problem?...and where can it come from?
So I thought, if covering my TT for the winter, would the cover keep most of the moisture out of the TT?

[BrooksFam]

Covers will not stop humidity in a RV. Some may claim it traps it to some extent. I use an electric de -humidifier in my RV's in the winter when it is wet and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/Davis-Instrum...%2C229&sr=8-13

[Hugo-H]

how to choose where to put it?

[JRTJH]

The photos you posted appear to be more than "just simple condensation" inside your trailer. It really looks like you have water intrusion, either from the roof, from a window leak or from some other source.

I'd urge you to do some very intensive inspections of the outside of your trailer to identify and seal any/all potential questionable areas... Something's not right. That doesn't look like "simple condensation".

ADDED: Based on the amount of water along your walls, if you can't find the source of the leak before you store the trailer for the winter, you are one of the very, VERY few owners that I'd recommend a trailer cover, properly installed and only for this winter, until you can fix the leaks in the spring. If you choose this route, you'll need to also add a dehumidifier to dry the interior in the next few weeks or you're going to have a "black mold mess" in the spring !!!!!

[NH_Bulldog]

Based on the location you highlighted, it could be coming from the tub/shower area, or from the elongated vent on the roof which covers the refrigerator exhaust and the grey tank vent openings. It might be worthwhile to check the refrigerator condensate drain line as well. I have seen several that were not routed through the side wall vent cover and were draining into the area behind and below the refrigerator.

[jasin1]

I was all set to buy a 307res cougar but during the walkthrough I found water leaking around the window over the stove. It had been leaking for some time on the dealers lot. The water was making its way down the wall behind the cabinets and under the refigerator. The salesman said the unit would be taken apart and fixed with new parts from factory because floor was probably damaged under fridge so agreed I should pass on this one. I don’t know if they fixed and sold it or just cleaned it up and kicked it down the road. I didn’t want it... I also don’t know how a dealer can park trailers and fifth wheels on inclines and on hills on the lot and open the slides and let people walk through and then tell you right after you purchase that you MUST have unit level before opening slides.

[Hugo-H]

I was thinking to put on the heating inside of the trailer, from time to time...to get a stable temperature... would that be ok? (besides the use of de-humidifiers)

[JRTJH]

If you have a cover on the trailer, using the furnace could cause a "heat buildup/melted cover fire hazard" unless you remove the cover from the area where the furnace vents. It could become a fire hazard.

If the trailer is not covered, then every time it rains, if there's a leak, you're adding to the moisture problem and occasional periodic heat may not be enough to dry the interior, especially if there's dampness in the carpet and inside the walls.

[Hugo-H]

I would uncover the furnace vent of course... and leave the rest of the TT covered...

[JRTJH]

Remember that warm air holds more moisture than cooler air, so turning on the furnace to warm the inside air will "draw moisture into the trailer from outside"....

[Hugo-H]

so the furnace isn't a good idea...(even when it's on almost whole of the time?).
So, when covering (for not entering more water then already is), putting a de-humidifier will do the job till the spring?...should I open the roof windows too, and some windows at the side and back...or is that a bad idea opening windows... we have here a humidity degree of almost 80%...
Could you tell at viewing the pics, if this water problem exists only since a short time...or already more then few seasons?

[BrooksFam]

I also use an oil filled electric heater set to low to take the chill off in cold temperatures. Helps with moisture also. No worries about fires with them.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oil+fille...ss_ts-a-p_4_11

[wiredgeorge]

Hugo, your pictures tell the story. You have water intrusion into your camper. Dehumidifiers or heaters will not fix a water leak. Since the floor isn't allowing leakage upwards, the likely candidates are the sidewalls of your camper (windows/doors, other penetrations) or more likely your roof. Have you ever sealed the sidewall or roof penetrations on your camper?

[Hugo-H]

I recently (April this year) bought it from a guy in Norway...
So, no, I haven't (re)sealed anything yet...
...and I saw on this forum that many people advice to use the Dicor sealants for roof and sides.... but unfortunately I still haven't found a seller willing to send it to me in Belgium...so I could be sure to use qualitative products...

I saw inside, near the fridge, something (a black streak) that could be like a water intrusion (the pic with the pink/red encircled)... so I looked at the roof, that is located above the firdge location, but can't find anything bad... but about 1 yard more backwards, I saw the sealant roof/side is broken over a length of 8 inches ... can that be something to further investigate?
Today I made the roof dry, and covered my trailer with and ADCO cover... the weather is getting to much unpredictable to do some outside works on the TT... so I have to wait till spring... hopefully there will be no more extra water problem getting inside.
My question is also....looking at the pics, for how long could this water intrusion already been there?
I like this forum very much, since a lot of you people are willing to provide help and/or suggestions, ideas.... nobody here in Belgium is even willingly to take a look at it...(and my disability is not helping me much at doing this kind of jobs...but I love this trailer so much...like an American dream came true!)
(this pic was taken in July, during vacation trip in France)

[Northofu1]

Originally Posted by Hugo-H

I recently (April this year) bought it from a guy in Norway...
So, no, I haven't (re)sealed anything yet...
...and I saw on this forum that many people advice to use the Dicor sealants for roof and sides.... but unfortunately I still haven't found a seller willing to send it to me in Belgium...so I could be sure to use qualitative products...

I saw inside, near the fridge, something (a black streak) that could be like a water intrusion (the pic with the pink/red encircled)... so I looked at the roof, that is located above the firdge location, but can't find anything bad... but about 1 yard more backwards, I saw the sealant roof/side is broken over a length of 8 inches ... can that be something to further investigate?
Today I made the roof dry, and covered my trailer with and ADCO cover... the weather is getting to much unpredictable to do some outside works on the TT... so I have to wait till spring... hopefully there will be no more extra water problem getting inside.
My question is also....looking at the pics, for how long could this water intrusion already been there?
I like this forum very much, since a lot of you people are willing to provide help and/or suggestions, ideas.... nobody here in Belgium is even willingly to take a look at it...(and my disability is not helping me much at doing this kind of jobs...but I love this trailer so much...like an American dream came true!)
(this pic was taken in July, during vacation trip in France)

I would at the very least find somewhere to get eternabond tape and tape that section closed. Put a dehumidifier in the trailer and start looking at more seems for separations and add the tape there as well. If you don't stop the leak now it will get worse, to the point of catastrophe over the winter. Be picky and scour every seam.
Good.luck.

[JRTJH]

Hugo-H,

The problem with using "just any sealant" on the roof is that the dispersant in the sealant can damage the roof membrane. The roof is made of TPO, Thermoplastic Polyolefin. If you go to most any sealant store, they should have a "low VOC self leveling sealant" that is compatible with TPO. You probably will not find DICOR or Alpha Systems products in your local area, but surely there is a European company that produces a similar "low VOC self leveling sealant" for TPO roofing.

At this point, I'd suspect that somewhere on your roof or along the edges of the roof is a leak. That leak can migrate several feet under the membrane and then enter the sidewall of the trailer. So, just looking "near to the wet spots" is not going to give you a thorough inspection. Keep looking, front to back, at every inch of the sidewall/roof structure, at every roof projection, at every plastic component installed through the roof. Any one (or several) of them may have leaks around their perimenter.

The important consideration, right now, is to protect the trailer from additional water intrusion. Covering it, drying out the inside (dehumidification) and keeping it dry through the winter should be your immediate goal.

Remember that once it's dry, if you warm the inside of the trailer, you will be "inviting moisture into the inside air", so if you do cover it and then safely heat the inside occasionally, be sure to follow that event with extra dehumidification to dry the air again after it cools. Otherwise that moist, warm air will collect on the exterior walls and lead to further damage.

The initial goal, if you're putting the trailer in storage for the winter should be to keep ALL water from coming in contact with the roof. That means cover the trailer until spring and in the mean time, find a source for a "low VOC self-leveling sealant" that is compatible with TPO roofing.

I would not recommend using any "self adhering tape" (like EternaBond) on the "unrepaired roof" That tape is "permanent, not temproary" (hence the name "eterna") and once applied, it's nearly impossible to remove. So, putting it on now, then trying to remove it to do a proper repair will make things much more difficult in the spring.....

[Hugo-H]

thank you very much for your clear and detailed answer. Your answer helped me a lot in understanding the problem...

Meanwhile I covered my TT with a recently bought ADCO cover on Amazon (according to ADCO, its cover is adequate for our climate conditions over here)
So I hope , the cover will keep the TT dry for now... and I am looking to buy a de-humidifier.
So, as I understood, the sealant is like a polyurethane sealant...and the most important is its low or absent VOC...
Can I just put the new sealant onto the broken seems, or better to remove the old seems?
Anyway, I want to get through the winter keeping the TT dry, also inside, and then redo all roof sealants...the edges, around every roof object with a self levelling sealant, and on the sides (windows, other objects) with non-self levelling sealant...
For the roof, would it be better to remove first the old sealant?... or, as I have seen in Dicor videos, only clean the old sealant, and put the new one on top of it?
In the pic enclosed, you can see how the roof looks where it meets the front cap...

[wiredgeorge]

You can put the Dicor self leveling sealant on top the old except where the old is loose. Just get down to where it is solid on the roof or wherever it already is applied. Clean the old stuff with alchohol and apply when temperatures are between 60-80F. In you picture you found at least one of the reasons for the water intrusion. If you can buy from Amazon, this might be what you are looking for; the stuff is sold in single tubes and other amounts as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-501LSW-...s%2C524&sr=8-1

This stuff is used on the trailer sides since it won't run when it gets hot like the self leveling. It is used around all penetrations on the trailer sides like doors/windows. There are other sealers that can be used as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-551LSW1...%2C1341&sr=8-1

[JRTJH]

I think wiredgeorge posted the same link two times. The first one is to DICOR self leveling sealant and is used on the flat surfaces on the roof. It will "run and level itself" so if you use it on a vertical surface, it will not stay in one place, but will flow to the ground, so do not use it on vertical surfaces, only on the flat roof surfaces...

His second link "was intended to be for "non self leveling" sealant, but he posted the same link as the first one. I think the link he intended to post is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-551LSW1...X0X4JBMZXERJGV

As for importing the sealant to your country, you may find problems with customs.... Try if you think Amazon will ship it to you.

Now, the ACDO cover will protect your trailer from water intrusion, but be ABSOLUTELY SURE that you install it properly and that you get it tight to prevent the wind from billowing the cover. If the cover moves with the wind, it will rub against the trailer roof and sidewalls and can damage them, creating an even more frustrating springtime. If the cover is tight, the plastic gutter parts protected and the trailer not exposed to "gale force winds" it should not damage your trailer.

In the spring, inspect the roof and all side attachment seams. There is no need to remove all the old sealant, just remove the parts that are loose, damaged or no longer attached to the surface below the sealant. Then, clean it well with spray cleaner (like fantastic or 409), wipe that off well, then wipe down the area with isopropyl alcohol, let that dry well and apply the new sealant. When you're applying it, overlap all the old sealant about 8mm or more, that will give you "new, fresh, adherant edges" all around the sealant surfaces.

This winter, watch the wet areas closely, if you see black mold begin to form, clean it thoroughly and use either white distilled vinegar sprayed on the surface and allowd to dry or use a commercial mold cleaner/treatment. There were several I used when we lived in Germany, so a few brands are available in Europe. I find vinegar 4% acetic content works for mild/moderate mold growth and will soak into the surface to prevent regrowth.

If there's any questions, post them, someone will be happy to help you formulate a plan to protect and repair your trailer. The most important part, right now, is to prevent more water from getting inside the trailer and to dry what is there to stop further damage.

[NH_Bulldog]

I would suggest Sterifab for any mold.