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perryg70's avatar
perryg70
Explorer
May 20, 2025

Swollen Cabinet Leg

2009 Jayco Eagle 345BHS. As  you are looking at it, lower left side corner piece of refrigerator cabinet is swollen from water at the very bottom about 2-3 inches up from floor. If I tap above it, all the way to the roof, it is solid. I check it after rain storms and there is no water present anywhere that I can see - nothing on floor, or exterior of wood. I took a scope and looked next to fridge and saw nothing there. The only thing above the fridge on the roof is the Norcold roof vent, which I will be checking the cover and seals this weekend. Just curious as to how only the lower section of the wood is swollen and the whole upper section is solid. I can only assume this is the location of the leak? Yes it is particle wood and not a carpenter so can only guess that the water is running down inside the wood but not causing damage to upper section. I did not have a pic of it on my phone but this is another camper like mine. After I stop leak, I was going to cut out the bad part, add a patch with real wood and match color as best as possible. Thanks again.

 

9 Replies

  • One thing that's tricky about RV leaks is that it's hard to know where it's coming from. In this case, it seems most likely that your leak is coming from the fridge unit. But in some cases, you can have roof/wall/window/seam leaks make their way in and travel... This really does seem like a leak from the surroudning appliance, but I always recommend getting on top of your RV or trailer a couple times per year to check your seams and roof edges for any signs of roof leaks or water intrusion. 

    • perryg70's avatar
      perryg70
      Explorer

      I have had the camper parked for a good amount of time over the past couple of years....very minimal usage. Currenlty trying to sell it so making any small repairs and making sure there is no leaks. I have checked the roof and the sealant was good. I also checked the vent on the side of the camper and it was dry inside. I cut the bad piece of particle wood out and left it off for 2-3 weeks. I put paper towels all around it, inside the cabinets front and back and checked it, especially after rain storms and nothing. After additional research, humidity and not enough ventilation will do that to particle board over time. I replaced the wood and now have the windows and the 2 vents open. Thanks for the advice. 

      • hankrdallins's avatar
        hankrdallins
        Explorer

        Yeh, my first advice is to carefully inspect the roof. Next I would suspect that it's just like you said not enough ventilation and humidity/moisture buildup. Good luck with your project  :)

         

  • it may not be the location of the leak, but it is most likely where the water is gathering.  if it is leaking from above and pooling at the bottom that is why it is soft there and hard above it.  

    • perryg70's avatar
      perryg70
      Explorer

      Have not had the refrigerator on since Sep 2024, last time I used it. Noticed the swelling last week since it was pretty large.

      • way2roll's avatar
        way2roll
        Navigator III

        Then it's a total guess. If you can't figure it out and you have your hands on it, pretty hard to armchair quarterback this one. Leaks are tricky things. You could have a leak in a seal in the front of the roof cap and it not present itself until halfway down the coach. Water could be traveling from rain behind the outside trim piece that meets the floor and coming through, a bin door seal, around a window and inside the wall, etc. On our last FW, I had the smallest hairline hole in the sealant around a window and it presented itself near the floor a few feet away. Looking at pictures of your rv on line, looks like you have a window near the area. 

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