Forum Discussion

Having_Problems's avatar
Feb 24, 2016

leak over cab Window?????

Have a serious leak at bunk area over cab
Replaced exterior over cab running lights
replaced all rubber molding that covers seams
Inspected sealants & they all look good
Did a water test but difficult but did not & don't want to remove interior side wall finish
Removed portion of bunk bottom including insulation
Checked window weep holes,appear to be clean,placed a razor blade tool in them & they appear OK
I know windows come in 2 sections & are sandwiched together &fastened with screws on the interior
I don't want to remove windows unless absolute necessary
The problem
I have when I place a small amount of water in the window frame at the bottom no water comes out of the weep holes
Is there a joint in the window frame it self where water could enter or is the window frame section just one solid piece with a frame on the inside to secure the window in the opening????
Just curious if leak could be somewhere in window frame & just resealing exterior may not fix the leak
Sure would like to here from all you good people who may be able to answer my question
Thanks
Ted
2006 Fleetwood Jamboree 23E

7 Replies

  • Overhead leaks are scary and can get bad quickly. We were shopping a few weeks ago and were interested in a 2010 class C. I noticed some holes drilled on the underside of the overhead, a little push and it was draining a rather large amount of water outside... A quick pull-up of the overhead sleeper inside showed a horrible moldy mess on the decking of the overhead. I ran from that one :-)
  • Had leaks on my older C when purchased. The water never actually leaked from the Windows or their frame seal. The source of the leak was on the roof, the seam between the aluminum cabover and rubber Epdm roof. Some screws had nearly completely rotted away below the heads. The butyl tape had deteriorated and the visible damage was a good two feet away from the actual leak. The walls were fine. Water made its way down inside the alminum cabover skin. Just goes to show how weird leaks can be. Fix asap.
  • I had leaks in mine. I pulled the trim ring around the windows and could see daylight in the upper corners. I removed the windows, cleaned them up and placed them back in the opening. I measured how much I could shim them up in the hole and made my shins. Retaped and reinstalled the windows. We just had a heavy rain this week and I saw no leaks.
    -Gabe
  • You said you had a serious leak and had to replace part of the bunk board. How are the interior walls? They frequently have bad areas by the time you see issues with the bunk board.
  • Is this a fixed window or one that opens?

    If it's a fixed window, I suspect that the metal frame is a single piece of metal that goes all the way around. If it opens, it may possibly be built up, at least where the sliding and fixed portions meet (assuming it's a slider). There are a fair few different makes and models of RV windows, though, so making blanket statements is rather dangerous.

    Since you speak of weep holes, I'm guessing this is not a fixed window. There's no great need to have drains for water in the frame of a fixed window since water theoretically cannot get between the glass and the window frame due to the adhesive goop that attaches the glass.

    On my windows, one can see (a portion of) the metal frame of the outer portion easily from the inside behind the compression/mounting ring.

    It's not all that uncommon for leaks to develop between the outer flange of the window unit and the siding of the RV, and the solution there is to remove the window, clean, and reinstall with good new butyl caulking tape.

    I do also agree with the others that the leak could be elsewhere and the water travel a good distance before you notice it.
  • Take it in for the seal test and have it fixed asap. The leak could be several feet away from where you think it is.
  • I would take the rig into a shop that has the ability to do a pressure test to determine all sources of water leaks in your rig ... cost about $100 and finding the real source of leaks is a PIA.