Michael in MN wrote:
I know someone who successfully leak tested a camper with a gas powered leaf blower.
I've heard that too. Thinking I'd like something a little more "elegant" that I don't have to tape/whatever into place.
It's been reported here that a Fantastic Vent, running on High in the In setting, will adequately pressurize an RV for testing. We have two of those, I ought to try a test and see what happens. If that were to work, taping the drains and the stove vent hood, it'd be a quick hack for a pressure test.
Had an RV repair shop owner tell me all you had to do was run the A/C Blower on High. Those A/C systems (ours is a Coleman Mach rooftop) pull in VERY little outside air. Circulation is NOT pressure. This goes to show how misinformed a "professional" can be.
I watched a test a shop did on our C with a SealTec system. It had an adapter to a roof vent (and they in fact used the bathroom one). Then a large (at least 8-inch) flex duct down to the blower unit on the floor. The blower had a pressure meter and adjustment on it and was virtually silent. There was no need to tape things off since the blower put out so much volume. We entered and exited the coach with the system running. No "whoosh" and it didn't blow the door open. As soon as we got out and up onto the scaffold it was blowing bubbles out of a leak.
And Mike, I know you're waiting. The Leak Was: Where Roofing met Trim at the top of the Side Wall.
Speculate all you want. Scrutinize everything. Pour water over it. Put tarps over it. A Pressure Test is STILL the Gold Standard in RV Leak Detection.
