Two Questions

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systemcat

systemcat

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Feb 9, 2017
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1: I've been trying my absolute best to deal with a "leaky roof'? It could be a side window ( also worked on ) but in either case progress has happened but that comes across as odd. It can be raining with no signs something is wrong. Then if it's been raining a long time I notice the water coming in. ... Can it be stored unintentionally in the roof somewhere before releasing it to flow points that shouldn't be?

2: Yeah, you know this is an old machine. I asked this question in the one local RV dealership / store to me. "How can you tell when your black tank is full?" The salesman said it should have a gauge. Well mine doesn't seem to have one. Only I assume a gas ( propane ) gauge considering where that is located. So question to this is how does one know with an old RV it's black tank is full?
 
1. Water leaks can be tough to track down. Water could be pooling somewhere, or maybe only being blown in by a strong wind.

2. The same way a newer RV: look down the toilet into the tank. The gauges have liquid sensors mounted on the tank, and they nowhere near accurate.
 
Sometimes it simply takes a long time for the water to trickle to a visible place. It may pool somewhere, or get partially absorbed by wood/insulation/etc., or just take awhile to reach the place where the actual leak is.

Black tank full:
1. You begin to see water 'down in the hole' when you flush. Most older Rvs have a straight vertical drop into the tank.
2. Bubbles form when you flush (the level is higher than the tank's vent, so the displaced air pushes back into the RV)
3. Flushing sounds different.
4. It's been x days of use since the last dump - you will figure it out after a few dump cycles.

The gauges are rarely reliable anyway, so the above clues are what most frequent Rvers utilize.
 
Where precisely do you see the moisture from the leak?  Is it wetting just under the window or is there some moisture above it - for example.
 
Water generally flows from a high point to a low point which is why water leaks are sometimes difficult to find.  On that premise you probably should get up on the roof and check around all the openings (vents, TV antennas, air conditioning) to make sure the caulking is good.  Check also the seam where the roof meets the walls.  If no one has been up there for a while some of the caulking may be loose or missing.  Next check around the courtesy lights near the roof because they often leak.  Finally check caulking around lower openings such as the windows.  Loose caulking isn't always obvious like when it's missing so you need to look very carefully to see gaps, for example, between the roof and the caulking itself.  Small gaps tend to get larger over time.  It's good that you're pursuing it now because you really don't want water to get into the walls and roof structure which can lead to dry rot.  Good luck!

ArdraF
 
ArdraF said:
It's good that you're pursuing it now because you really don't want water to get into the walls and roof structure which can lead to dry rot.

ArdraF
Click to expand...

And mold.
 
Molaker said:
Where precisely do you see the moisture from the leak?  Is it wetting just under the window or is there some moisture above it - for example.
Click to expand...

I want to blame the bathroom skylight since that's where I notice it the most but that isn't where it's coming from. The whole roof has been ultra sealed up since I bought it except the tail end no where near the leak. 22 foot machine. It also runs into the start of the living area ( right beside the bathroom ) which is also of course where the driver's cabin ends. I have tackled the side window there too. For a time I was convinced that had to have been it but I've been proven wrong.  :'(
 
Do you have a roof vent there?  A common problem for roof vents is the rubber/vinyl seal around the top edge of the housing.  The lid closes on this seal and should keep water out.  However, these seals age and harden and flatten out.  When it rains hard, water can hit the roof around the vent and bounce up under the lid.  Small amounts of water can then leak through between the seal and the lid and run down inside.  The way those vents are put together, water running down inside will commonly run down and on top of the ceiling.  From there is goes wherever...always a downward path, of course.  I had this problem on my class C.  It was discovered when a ceiling light near a vent filled up with water.  Instead of replacing just the seal, I added a vent cover.  Besides resolving my leak, I could now leave the vent open in the rain and when driving.  I never had another leak in that area again. 
 
I got a vent cover month before last and sealed it into place. The thing didn't make much of a difference. In the afterwards is when I used sealant over 90% of the roof and then worked on the window.  :-\
 
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