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Camp__Forrest__'s avatar
Camp__Forrest__
Explorer
Oct 03, 2014

ARGH, leaks! When will they solve this issue?

I bought a 2000 Arctic Fox camper that had thankfully been in a barn when it wasn't being used. When we bought it I went over the roof and looked everything over inside and out looking for any signs of water intrusion. A couple of days ago it rained. Today I pulled the camper out and parked it in front of my house on a slope. Within a few minutes, GALLONS of water had leaked out from a seam on the side. It was still coming out 20 minutes later. Thankfully, it is already scheduled to go into the shop next week to have them redo all of the seals as part of preventative maintenance.

Here's my rant. They've been making RV's for probably 100 years and this has been an issue on all four of the campers I have owned even though I go over the roof, windows, lights, and seams every two years. Why is water intrusion still an issue? Can't someone come up with a fix?

4 Replies

  • tbolt2000's avatar
    tbolt2000
    Explorer
    Oct 04, 2014
    Why cant they get some design features from tractor trailer trailer, I don't thing they leak and they are on the road for 100's of thousands of miles.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2014
    Most RV roofs are a single surface. I happen to have an aluminum roof that is seamed but the seams don't leak. Most leaks in the roof area are from roof through holes like vents, pipes, antennas, AC openings, etc. There may also be a leak along roof edges, through the screw holes that are used to attach the edge trim. The other possible areas are at siding joints, around window or door openings, and any other through opening in the siding.

    Since there is a lot of movement of the structure when in motion, constant maintenance of potential leak areas has to be done. I've found one of the best preventatives for water damage is an interior pressurized leak test. It will turn up even the tiniest of pinholes. The pressurised test is not difficult to do and can be DIY with the right air blower.
  • Camp__Forrest__'s avatar
    Camp__Forrest__
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2014
    I agree with your statement. I'm no engineer, but it seems like a few simple changes could be made to reduce the issues:

    1) Bow the roof. A slight curve would prevent pooling in low spots and around roof openings.
    2) Every roof opening should have a cover that extends beyond the flange.
    3) Horizontal pieces should extend over vertical. The flat portion of the roof should extend beyond the sides so that the walls and siding are tucked under the roof.
    4) Add overhangs where possible. This would help prevent water from leaving in around windows and seams on the side.
    5) Make the roof a single piece. Whether it's aluminum, fiberglass, steel, or carbon fiber, removing seams is crucial.
  • CloudDriver's avatar
    CloudDriver
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2014
    IMO the main reason for leak problems with RVs is that they are large vehicles with flat walls joined together at the corners, that do a lot of flexing going down the road. Eventually the flexing breaks the seals where the walls or roof are joined. Windows, particularly large ones also have the potential for failure due to flexing of the side wall.

    Small trailers such as the all fiberglass Casitas avoid most leak issues because they are essentially two half clamshells joined with an overlapping seam. Since the two halves have continuous curved surfaces at the corners and between the roof and walls, there are few seams to leak.

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