found soft spot in floor

westend wrote:
It sounds like leak prevention has been an afterthought. I'd suggest to do an interior pressurized leak test. That will reveal any structural leaking. You can check plumbing supplies and drains by operating them. Check tightness of plastic drains while you're there.

An afterthought? Not really.

An uneducated rv person, yes.

I assume the pressurized leak test is for the plumbing system?

I have been on the roof a few times and visually inspected all the lap sealant etc. I have never noticed any problems. However, if subtle pinholes can let in that much water, than that is something I cant prevent. In which case people should not bother inspecting all the seams on a TT roof and just keep putting on loads of lap sealant every year.

Everytime I look at these seams it's impossible to tell if there are any pinholes. Between the bumpy texture of the lap sealant and dirt that covers things, pinholes can easily get unnoticed. Even after cleaning the seams it's tough to tell.

The system these companies use to build these things is horrible.
These TT have flat roofs, with a rubber membrane and there are 10 items penetrating the roof, antennae's, vents, AC units, solar panels, ladders etc etc. It's just a combination for a disaster.

To make matters worse, they use luan roof panels, OSB subfloors and wood framing.

I understand it's the nature of things, it's just a little annoying to try and prevent leaks when the system is not designed well.

I take all the precautions I know how. I cant prevent them all if I cant see the problems. I visually inspect the inside of the trailer and always feel the walls and floors for any signs of wetness or softness. Thats how I found out the water heater drain plug flange lets water in from the outside.

If pipes running underneath the subfloor have sprung a small leak and are wetting the subfloor, thats impossible to find. It's hidden.

The AC thing is definitely my fault. After some researching I didn't know they were a major source of water problems. I didn't know I was supposed to tighten the bolts to make sure they have not come loose. (I don't move the trailer, it's static)
I didn't know I need to dismantle it, remove it from the roof and check the seal to see if it needs to be replaced. Now I do.

iso