Finding my leak

The Seal Tec unit connects to a open roof vent with a adapter and 14 inch duct. It is very low PSI ===.02 PSI. Jayco RV maker will NOT allow us to use a pressure machine for warranty leak checks. They state that if you go to high a PSI, it can blow out certain seal gaskets or Butyl. I say BS on that. Other than Jayco, no other OEM restricts the Seal Tec from being used to find water leaks. IF you remove a window you have lost a test on THAT window. ALL RV's will show some leaks with a smoke or Air pressure test. BUT!!!!!! some leaks are not always where water can get in. There is a leak but rain water cannot flow into that area and get in the RV. You still seal those areas when found. IF I PAID someone to test the unit and it was not fixed, I would demand a free 2nd test and then I would watch while they do it. Doug

I had an extremely difficult time trying to find leak in the roof of my pickup camper... I repeatedly tried by using two very large toro leaf blowers thru a baggage compartment door that went directly thur to the camper’s interior... I’d also duct taped the shower and sink drains, and the pressure in the camper was waaay more than adequate, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t find this dang roof leak..

On a previous camper, the leaf blower method worked exceptionally well when trying to locate a similar roof leak (but that camper had f/g batt insulation in the roof)...So I was certain that this leaf blower method would again work, but this time I used two - but to no avail...

In the end I was able to find the leak on this newer camper by sequestering off the suspected area of the roof using a lawn bag and duct tape then deluging the same area with water until finding that the leak had stopped - a very time consuming process. But using this ‘last ditch’ method I was eventually able to narrow it down to a bathroom skylight that had a Eternabond surround around it. The eternabond was acting like a dam around the moulded skylight bubble - go figure!!

In spite of using the two leaf blowers, and the repeated, dogged soapy water attempts over this EXACT same area, I was unable to reveal the leak, I could only then conclude that the block styrofoam insulation the manufacturer used between the sectioned roof members was nearly air tight and preventing even extreme pressure (actually air volume) to communicate up thru to the skylight’s eternabond surround.

After having caulked the side-edges of the eternabond, no more leaks ever again!!

Oops, double post.

Get some smoke bombs, much more efficient then using soapy water.
Clicky

3 tons wrote:


I could only then conclude that the block styrofoam insulation the manufacturer used between the sectioned roof members was nearly air tight and preventing even extreme pressure (actually air volume) to communicate up thru to the skylight’s eternabond surround.

This right here is my concern after looking at where the water is coming in, that whole wall is the block styrofoam and the water is weeping down the plywood, I am not sure how well air will push through through the styrofoam and plywood to the leak area allowing the water in to soak the plywood.

I pulled the bottom window as suggested and no issues there. I pulled some of the inner wood (paneling) and styrofoam out trace the water stains on the outer plywood and it seems to be coming down directly from the awning mount. The dealer had fixed the corner trim in the back corner where they said they found leaks and that corner had been wet also so I may have 2 leaks.

Once it gets nice out I am going to take plastic and cover both windows and then give the awning mount a good soaking with a hose.