I have a 2003 Keystone Cougar TT that has developed a couple of nasty leaks over the past 2-3 years. We bought it used in 2012 in fantastic condition. The worst leak is in a storage area, along a wall, under the refrigerator. Coincidently, I replaced the vent cover this Spring which was so bad, it basically fell apart. So I attributed the problem to the leaky vent cover. BUT, the leaking continues even with a new cover. I can put my fingers right through the OSB sheeting.... The second leak is directly under where the awning bolts into the camper and is also along the floor. I've had that apart and re-sealed, but still leaking...Third leak is along the wall back in the bathroom.I walk the roof each Spring and Fall, sealing suspicious looking areas. Other than that, I can't see any obvious signs of leaking on the roof, or around the windows. This is very disheartening and I don't know where to begin.Questions:- Do the gutters ever leak? They *seem* fine, but the spouts let the water run down the sides of the camper, over the windows, etc. Seems like a poor design.- Do windows need to be taken out and re-sealed? Or maybe old sealant cut out and replaced? What is the common practice there?- The rubber roof seem like it's in "okay" shape, but is "chalky". I'm wondering if a roof that age lets water through it?- There's a bead of sealant that is along the roof and trim that seems to be coming loose. Could that be the culprit? (see image).I'm pretty handy with fixing stuff, but am wondering at this point if I should just take it somewhere and have it re-sealed and/or re-coated.Thanks

Sounds to me like you have a serious mold and intrusion issue. I think I'd do a blower door test (Sealtite) and find out where all it is leaking first. It very well may be beyond fixing and be a landfill candidate.

Windows can and do leak! Had a bad leak in our previous trailer that would saturate the carpet. Roof was fine. Finally narrowed it down to one window. They can be pulled out and resealed with new butyl tape. For a temp fix, you can buy a tube of clear gutter repair glue/sealant at the hardware store which does a fantastic job of sealing the outside edges of the window frame.

I would clear out as much of that old caulking shown in the picture and run a fresh bead of Dicor No-Sag. I'd also look into getting some gutter extensions to prevent the rain from running down the sides of the trailer. I had a small puddle come out from behind the paneling and tracked it down to a tiny pin-hole sized opening in the caulk above the gutters. There was a small air bubble in the caulk when it was applied and after it dried and stretched just a tiny bit it opened up enough to let water get behind the siding, down the wall and out at the base of the door.

I had two issues with my campers marker lights. One was that the light had been installed "upside-down." That is the weep hole was on top. So when water seeped in between the base of the light and the lense, it tended to build up and not drain as it should. Check for this by snapping off the lense and look for a little notch in the base that should be located on the bottom.The second issue apparently was caused by an installer who drilled the wire access hole for the light slightly off center. When he attached the light it left a very small half Moon hole exposed at the bottom of the light. The hole was such a small sliver that it easily went unnoticed. The fix was to turn the light around and caulk the small half moon hole.

if your handy ?set up a pressure test and the leaks will show up think you can U tube how to pressure test/

Leak advice needed | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

westend
Explorer
Sep 13, 2018
Streetwise wrote:
Would something like this work to pressurize the cabin?

https://www.amazon.com/Costzon-Commercial-Inflatable-Bouncer-Perfect/dp/B01CL4RP2S/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1536800709&sr=8-13&keywords=inflatable+blower
Maybe, but that is designed for high pressure. High volume is what you are after. Something like this may work: Harbor Freight 8" ventilator

If trying to use a higher pressure blower, a tester can keep the entry door or a window partly open to control the pressure. The commercial testers, Sealtech, use an adjustable blower that they set from .5" to 1" of pressure. My trailer is tightly sealed and I found 1" of pressure differential was good for blowing bubbles.
Streetwise
Explorer
Sep 13, 2018
Would something like this work to pressurize the cabin?

https://www.amazon.com/Costzon-Commercial-Inflatable-Bouncer-Perfect/dp/B01CL4RP2S/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1536800709&sr=8-13&keywords=inflatable+blower
Streetwise
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
LVJJJ wrote:
Also replaced a roof mount fridge vent that kept leaking. Turns out the water was getting past the screws that are countersunk into the vent itself. So filled up the screw indent with caulk, that stopped it. I also learned to coat every screw I put into the TT whether roof or sideing with caulking so water can't follow the threads into the TT.

WOW! Yes, the old cover had lap sealant in the holes, but I didn't replace that (yet). Wasn't sure if it was needed. Looks like I'll be doing that today for sure. Also, great tip about coating screw threads with sealant.

I'm planning to try pressurize the cabin soon with a shop vac. Hopefully I'll find more areas to focus on. Thanks for the tips.
LVJJJ
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
Also replaced a roof mount fridge vent that kept leaking. Turns out the water was getting past the screws that are countersunk into the vent itself. So filled up the screw indent with caulk, that stopped it. I also learned to coat every screw I put into the TT whether roof or sideing with caulking so water can't follow the threads into the TT.
westend
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
Streetwise wrote:
westend wrote:
Since you can't accurately locate the leaks by inspection, the best choice is to do a pressurized cabin leak check. Spraying soapy water all over the trailer, when pressurized, will disclose even a pinhole leak.

Thanks! One other person mentioned that and I never knew you could do that. I will have to try it for sure.

You're welcome. I DIY pressure test using a 120V furnace squirrel cage mounted in a window. The furnace blower gives me a pressure of 1" differential displacement, perfect for pressure testing. A homemade manometer made from a vinyl tube and secured to a board can be used for accuracy of pressure.Other folks use a leaf blower or floor dryer and report success. Any kind of air mover that delivers a fairly good amount of air into the cabin will work. It is about volume and not about pressure.

Typically, I use five sheets of paper depicting the four walls and the roof, marking off where bubbles appear when pressurized. A user can draw in windows, doors, awning hardware, vents, and such to get an accurate depiction of leak locations.
Streetwise
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
westend wrote:
Since you can't accurately locate the leaks by inspection, the best choice is to do a pressurized cabin leak check. Spraying soapy water all over the trailer, when pressurized, will disclose even a pinhole leak.

Thanks! One other person mentioned that and I never knew you could do that. I will have to try it for sure.
westend
Explorer
Sep 11, 2018
Since you can't accurately locate the leaks by inspection, the best choice is to do a pressurized cabin leak check. Spraying soapy water all over the trailer, when pressurized, will disclose even a pinhole leak.
RedRocket204
Explorer
Sep 11, 2018
Dicor non-leveling should be just fine and is probably what's already on there. Instead of removing the current sealant, you could scrub it to clean, and allow it to dry and just go over it with new Dicor. You should actually be resealing all Dicor sealant on your roof about once a year, or at least keep eyeballs on it and no longer than every other year. Any potential cracking or separation on the Dicor, reseal.
ttavasc
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2018
I've used a small flexible plastic putty knife to work the old caulk loose. Still need to be careful with the roof material but the plastic putty knifes are blunt enough and flexible enough that you won't slice or tear the underlying rubber roof if it slips or you push a little too hard. A medium to stiff plastic bristle brush is also useful to scrub away dirt after the bulk of the caulking has been removed.
Streetwise
Explorer
Sep 11, 2018
ttavasc wrote:
I would clear out as much of that old caulking shown in the picture and run a fresh bead of Dicor No-Sag. I'd also look into getting some gutter extensions to prevent the rain from running down the sides of the trailer. I had a small puddle come out from behind the paneling and tracked it down to a tiny pin-hole sized opening in the caulk above the gutters. There was a small air bubble in the caulk when it was applied and after it dried and stretched just a tiny bit it opened up enough to let water get behind the siding, down the wall and out at the base of the door.

Thanks for the tip. What do you use to take out the old caulk without risk to cutting the rubber roof? Is there a specific tool you recommend?

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Leak advice needed

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