Roof leaks

[cougsfan]

2 years ago we purchased a '98 Mini Winnie in very good condition.  Before I bought the unit it always was stored inside.  We do not have that luxury.  Shortly after we bought the unit, we noticed a couple of roof leaks. After much looking (they aren't easy to find) we found one in the skylight above the shower, and another that was actually through the holes the clearance lights mount above the front sleeper loft.  I cleaned off the old sealant and resealed them with silicone as best I could.  It appeared to work all through last season.  Now, however, we have leaks in the same two areas.  Is there a better procedure to fix these kinds of leaks?  I am afraid I am going to get some more severe damage if I don't put an end to these leaks.

 

[Harry B]

You are doing the right thing but are not using the right material.  Don't.  ever use silicone on the outside of an RV.  If you have to reseal silicone,  nothing will stick to it including silicone,  which is what probably is your situation.  You are going to to remove all the old sealant sand it right down to the base material and make sure sure again that no silicone remains.

Winnebago a has a list of sealant that are to be used on your RV online in the service section. For straight seams you might consider using Eternabond,  which is usually a one time application to never worry about again.  You'll need sealant for the running lights.

 

[afchap]

Checking roof sealants and repairing as needed is an annual/constant maintenance requirement. I check my clearance lamps and other sealant areas about every six months ...sometimes they don't need any attention, but others they do. Staying ahead of the leaks is the only way to win!

 

[cougsfan]

I will research sealants.  Does anyone have good tips on how to better find the leaky spot?  The water often moves sideways quite a ways before the leak shows up inside.

 

[Molaker]

One illusive source of leakage at a standard vent is the seal between the plastic "dome" and the metal framing it meets when closed.  Typically there is a vinyl seal that runs around the top edge of the frame.  I had such a leak that would run down the metal frame and onto the top side of the cieling panel then run wherever it felt like it.  I had a ceiling light about 6" away from the vent that would fill up with water, but only after a driving rain.  What was happening was rain would hit the roof and splash back up to the bottom of the vent dome.  Then it would run down the inside of the vent frame and on to the ceiling board.  However, I did not replace the seal.  Instead, I put vent covers over all my vents and never had another leak round them.

As for clearance lights leaking, I replaced mine after battling with them for a while.  The lenses can get cracked and let water get into the bulb chamber and on into the holes where the wires pass through.  No amount of sealing around the outside edges can fix that.