Procedure to find compartment leaks

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John Canfield

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Aug 8, 2006
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Texas Hill Country
Service tip on how to find compartment leaks:

You need to have an air hose, air chuck and leak soap.  After cleaning the seams around the perimeter of the box exterior, i.e. where it attaches to the body, spray the seams, (edges), with leak soap.  Proceed by having someone starting in one corner and working around the box from the inside, blowing compressed air at all seams while having someone else keep an eye out for bubbles.  You will probably also want to spray the feature strip located above the compartment door, as sometimes water gets behind there and finds a tube to run inside the wall and deposit in the compartment.  Regarding verifying the door seal, the best method is to have someone inside the compt. if space allows, have someone outside with a shop/halogen light, start at one corner and go around the perimeter with the person inside watching for light infiltration.

Usually not too difficult a repair if done properly.  In rare cases it's just a condensation issue in humid climates, (Oregon etc.), that can be
resolved by putting compartment carpet on the ceiling of the compartment and spraying the outside of the compartment with undercoat or a thin layer of expandable foam.
 
John, thanks for the tip.  We have been lucky so far on our 2004 Journey 36G and have had no compartment leaks.  Of course thats with the compartment doors closed.  Left one of my doors slightly open and parked at the edge of a sprinkler.  Not a lot of water got in but it was an initial mystery as it had not rained!  Anyway, I've added the tip to my maintenance notebook just in case.  SteveG
 
Hi Steve - real nice to have you join us here!  Glad you have had luck with no compartment leaks.  We have been leak-free except for our electrical bay - driving in rain forces water into the cord outlet.  We lay a small towel over the bottom where the opening is and that takes care of the problem.
 
John,

I, too, have water in my electrical bay when driving in the rain.  I have suspected the cord outlet was the culprit.  I have pondered using some weatherstripping or silicone caulk but frankly that problem has been low on my To Do list.

Rex


 
Rex - the blower I installed for the electrical bay keeps the compartment pressurized, but not enough to keep out water I found.  We drove in rain almost all of one day last fall and we had water ingress  :mad:  So it's back to the towel!
 
2cyber71 said:
Great Tip John....I wish I knew this when I had my Southwind.

Welcome to the forum!  I want you to know I have enjoyed your posts "over there" in the other forum, and I am THRILLED you are here! The Winnebago forum is new here, and we are working on setting up some "mods" posts, etc., so JUMP IN when you can!  :)
 
My 2004 Winnebago Journey 36G developes a leak in the curb side compartment behind the right wheel.
The carpeting in the compartent gets soaked. I can't seem to find the leak. Any suggestions. The door is
closed tightlt.
 
If one is going to use ones air compressor to find a leak how would one seal the air hose ingress  to get the coaches  cabin pressurized? ???
 
Bill - for a compartment I would make a hole just large enough to thread a male quick connect air fitting and pressurize the compartment to 5 or 10 pounds and listen for air escaping.  It might take some trial and error to get the air pressure just right to where you don't blow by perfectly good seals.

Finding leaks is a bit more involved inside the living space.  I would jury-rig a large box fan to an appropriate opening and seal around it as best as possible.  Turn the fan on high and squirt a soap/water mixture around any possible leak points.
 
Thanks for the reply John. I have been trying to stop a leak for about a year now. The head banger TV up front drips water (not a lot) after a really big rain. I have gone on the roof and sealed around various items and have sealed around the marker lights on the front of the coach. No other compartment in the top front of the coach has any evidence of moisture. I have talked with the people at camping world and they have a procedure to find leaks and maby that will be my best bet. I was hoping that there was a easy way that I could do it myself  :-\. Again thanks for the reply.
 
John Canfield said:
Is the compartment large enough for an adult or child to be in while the door is closed?
compartment isn't big enough for an adult and have no children available.
 
high tech solution --  I know a lot of us don't have access to this technology but if you know someone who works in a body shop or glass shop they might have.  It is an ultrasonic leak detection system. You place a transmitter in the compartment and close the door. Then you follow along the opposite side with the ultrasonic detector (usually a head phone and receiver set-up) until you find the source of the leak.

This is a very precise and accurate method of finding leaks.

If you are in my area (Pueblo Colorado)- let me know and I will be happy to utilize my tester to try and find your leak.
 
While I like the idea in theory, I have a concern. What do you do with the soapy residue? I'd rather use water and not have to try to clean soap out of a small crack before sealing it. The sealant would not make a very good bond in most cases. Yes, I have a compartment leak and "found" it by trial and error. Now I'm trying to decide on the best sealant.

JohnL
2006 View -H-
Oregon Coast
 
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