Roof leak on 2011 Vista 26

[Charger1204]

So on a much needed trip to a local lake for the past holiday, it starts to rain, I mean RAIN like Noah's around and I notice that a few drops of water are coming in the RV on the passenger side. It drips down onto the dash and I think it's the gaskets that the windows are set into...it's not! it's coming from the roof somewhere! So I climb on the roof when the rain slacks off a bit and think its at the front of the gutter channel where the front cap meets the side. I take a piece of eternabond and cover that area, but that didn't help. Well the trip was supposed to be for a week and it's gonna rain for a week, so we pack up and head home. I waited for the rain to clear and inspected the roof, I'm going to try to post some photo's and ask the forums opinion about the possible locations for the water intrusion. Any and all help would be appreciated. The first picture inside the RV is where the water was coming from, dripping straight down from the roof line and into the foam insulation and down the inside of the wall. The other pictures of where the gasket surrounding the windshield has dropped down on the corner. I believe this is where it's coming from, but I can't tell if it actually is able to reach the inside or not. I've taken out the trim work and looked in behind the front storage area, but I'm unable to see anything. Has anyone had this same type of leak on your Winnie product? I would think that in order for the water to come in at that rate, it would have to be a directly above the space where it was coming in...thoughts?

Thanks
Brad

 

[John Canfield]

Pressurize the interior using a large box fan and then use a squirt bottle of water and a little dishwashing liquid to spray on the exterior. Find a window or whatever to place the fan and use cardboard to seal up the opening, you want the interior pressurized as much as possible.

 

[Martian]

When was the last time you had the roof inspected and resealed? Leaks like that do not usually happen out of the blue.

 

[Charger1204]

When was the last time you had the roof inspected and resealed? Leaks like that do not usually happen out of the blue.

I check the roof seal at the radius a couple of times a year. I have already resealed that with the recommended sealant on both sides. Its due for that to be done again, although I don't see any area that looks like its separated. I have kept the RV under a shelter for the last 5 or so years, so it doesn't sit out in the weather unless we go camping. The gasket looks to me like its moved down from it's original position around the windshield compared to the other side. If its not going to rain this weekend, I'll pull the beast out and over to the house where I can get to the water hose and do some testing on it. I could not see anything behind the trim work or from the roof area that looked like a leak has been there for any amount of time, I would think that if it were, my wife would've detected the mildew or mold that usually accompanies those types of leaks, she has a pretty severe mold allergy.

 

[Charger1204]

Pressurize the interior using a large box fan and then use a squirt bottle of water and a little dishwashing liquid to spray on the exterior. Find a window or whatever to place the fan and use cardboard to seal up the opening, you want the interior pressurized as much as possible.

I'll try to do that this weekend, Thanks!

 

[John Canfield]

Forgot to mention, use blue painter's tape to seal dash vents, AC vents, furnace vents, etc. Good luck!