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John_S2's avatar
John_S2
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013

Spare tire mount leaking on back wall by bed

After driving through some very heavy rains in KY recently we went to bed and I noticed that the head of the bed, which is on the backwall of our Class C was damp. I felt around and the metal plate on the inside wall of our unit was damp and causing the bedding to be wet.

I am in the process of removing the spare tire from the back and the plate that holds it to the Class C. Looks like 4 large bolts go through the wall to the metal plate by the bed.

It looks like clear silicone was used by the manufacturer (Coachman) and it did the job for the past 15 years. Should I just use clear silicone to seal it again. Figure I will caulk around the four bolts as they were caulked originally and also around the outside plate when I reattach it to the outer wall. Any suggestions from any of you more experienced RCv'ers out there? Any and all suggestions are appreciated. TIA
Class C
  • tatest's avatar
    tatest
    Explorer II
    Oct 08, 2013
    I would seal the margins of the spare tire mount, and the bolt holes (likely place it is leaking) with putty tape. I've had too many bad experiences with silicone sealants, e.g. hold up forever but don't seal, or do stick to one side, not the other, and can't get them off.
  • hershey's avatar
    hershey
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2013
    After 15 years of use, I'd say that silicone is probably as good a sealant as you can get.
    But...it the water is getting inside, then its also getting inside the wall too. I would suggest that you add a piece of plywood, just slightly larger than the hole pattern to reinforce the attachment of the tire. Then silicone the entire surface of the outside and inside mounting area along with the area of the bolts.

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