Do slam latches tend to leak?
I noticed the other day that it looks suspiciously like there might be a leak in our pass-through compartment on the floor where it meets the outside wall/door. On both sides too. The luan plywood l...
Forum Discussion
mgirardo wrote:
I just meant, any time a hole is cut into something and something is put in the hole (like a latch in this case), there is a chance there can be a leak. I don't have slam latches, but I would think there should be butyl tape/putty between the latch hardware and the door. Whenever I put a hole in the side of the camper, no matter what it is for, I use butyl tape under whatever is being screwed onto the side of the camper.
-Michael
Removed the latches on both sides today. The metal parts inside are quite corroded as seen in the photo (in the 2 years we've owned the TT from new). The open-cell insulation is stained and wet to the touch. The latches are definitely leaking.
The outside piece has a thin closed cell gasket to seal against the door surface. The 4 attachment screws holding the inner and outer plastic pieces together were reasonably tight but I did cinch them up a bit more. I took the outer piece inside and filled the cup-shaped finger space with water and I didn't find any water getting through to the interior side so it must be the gasket that is leaking. Butyl tape may be the thing to use or perhaps some Proflex caulk? Maybe I should call Challenger Door, the manufacturer to see what they have to say.
Water intrusion into an RV is not a good thing and I need to fix this.
Seeing what these things are like inside, they're really not very secure. One smack with a hammer and you'd be in.
