This is crazy- After a big raIn, on occasion I find a "dinner plate" size puddle on the carpet BETWEEN the refrigerator & the dinette. Not coming from ceiling... Seems to be coming in near the step to the bed? Or under the coverter? Can't really tell cause it is random & possibly effected by how level the camper is on & off my truck? Never been in the camper when it's rained as it's currently off the truck. Btw- frig is off. Only thing I can think is that possibly is coming in via the outside furnace door or the water heater access door? Do any of you Big Foot folks have any experience with this? We are expecting a big rain tomorrow so will take a flash light & investigate....Any feedback welcome. Tks,CWT

I would start by looking at taking the refrigerator vent cover off, and likely recaulking all around the roof near there. I doubt very much if it is coming in from the side.. but certainly look there too. Remove the fridge cover outside and check the walls and floor to see if you see water or moisture.

If you've already looked where it should be, look where it shouldn't be. ;) That is, water can travel a long distance in those shells. I'd check all of the marker light seals/caulk as well.

jimh425 wrote:If you've already looked where it should be, look where it shouldn't be. ;) That is, water can travel a long distance in those shells. I'd check all of the marker light seals/caulk as well.This. You will be shocked where water will come in and where it starts.

I had similar issue with 2002 2500 9.6 Bigfoot some years ago. Found that rain water was getting in at the back of the fridge at the bottom of the outside fridge vent cover sometimes if camper was leaning slightly to the left. My fix was to use an aluminum strip sealed with Dycor across the bottom of the opening about 1.5" high to make a lip so water couldn't run in across the flat area behind the fridge. When I got my new 2009 Bigfoot with Dometic fridge I checked that vent but found that Dometic had already put almost identical lip there from the factory. Hope this is your problem too as its an easy fix.

Z-Peller wrote:I had similar issue with 2002 2500 9.6 Bigfoot some years ago. Found that rain water was getting in at the back of the fridge at the bottom of the outside fridge vent cover sometimes if camper was leaning slightly to the left. My fix was to use an aluminum strip sealed with Dycor across the bottom of the opening about 1.5" high to make a lip so water couldn't run in across the flat area behind the fridge. When I got my new 2009 Bigfoot with Dometic fridge I checked that vent but found that Dometic had already put almost identical lip there from the factory. Hope this is your problem too as its an easy fix.This was my issue as well on my 2005 9.6 2500, and came up with a similar solution.

Water leak on floor from where??? (2002 Bigfoot 2500 10.6)

13 Replies

joe123
Explorer
Jul 01, 2016
have you found your leak?
campingwiththor
Explorer
Jun 26, 2016
Ok- going to try this today. However, I placed a large trash bag in the opening & seated the grill to block all water from entering last rain storm (2.5 inches & 80 mph winds last week) I had lots of water on my camper floor post storm.

But as I've described- I then removed all carpet and other obstacles and now I can see behind frig floor area, converter step area, dinette furnace duct area and did not see any evidence of a water entry area.

Possibly it's coming in via the roof vent... But, yesterday I used a garden hose and methodically sprayed a section at a time (frig, vent, hot water heater, furnace, all hatches. Etc...) The camper remained dry.

Cwt

Z-Peller wrote:
I'm not sure I understand your fix. Do you mean put in a sort of block at the base of the frig? Ie- where the little black hose and frig drain hole is?

Sorry, I don't have a picture, but yes, pull that plastic fridge side grill off that the drain hose comes out of. (turn the slotted black plastic screws so slot is up & down, then yank on grill or may have to pry a bit at the bottom) You will see that the surrounding frame the grill fits into is flush at the bottom with a flat shelf where wiring etc goes through...check all the caulking for that shelf including the wiring holes. ....then use a piece of something non wood that will go inside that frame at the bottom on the shelf to make a lip, and then caulk it so that any water running down around that grill cannot run in onto that shelf area behind fridge because there is now a lip there to prevent it.
fishing2
Explorer
Jun 25, 2016
I had the same leak as Z-Peller on my Elkhorn. I just put a strip of wood behind it and sealed it with caulk.
Happy camping
Dennis
Z-Peller
Explorer
Jun 25, 2016
For what its worth, I would try elimination process by using duct tape and plastic sheet over the whole fridge side vent and see what develops.....if still leaking then I would do the same over top of the roof fridge vent and see what that does, then overtop of each roof vent one by one if need be....
Z-Peller
Explorer
Jun 25, 2016
I'm not sure I understand your fix. Do you mean put in a sort of block at the base of the frig? Ie- where the little black hose and frig drain hole is?

Sorry, I don't have a picture, but yes, pull that plastic fridge side grill off that the drain hose comes out of. (turn the slotted black plastic screws so slot is up & down, then yank on grill or may have to pry a bit at the bottom) You will see that the surrounding frame the grill fits into is flush at the bottom with a flat shelf where wiring etc goes through...check all the caulking for that shelf including the wiring holes. ....then use a piece of something non wood that will go inside that frame at the bottom on the shelf to make a lip, and then caulk it so that any water running down around that grill cannot run in onto that shelf area behind fridge because there is now a lip there to prevent it.
campingwiththor
Explorer
Jun 25, 2016
Thank you all for the response.

I'm not sure I understand your fix. Do you mean put in a sort of block at the base of the frig? Ie- where the little black hose and frig drain hole is?

UPDATE: after another big rain... The water on the floor was worse than ever... Even poured down into the basement.

I pulled out all carpet, removed step to bed, removed all furnace vents.

So - I've looked in all "craw spaces" surrounding the leak area and I can't see where there is evidence of any water "rolling" in toward the middle of the leak area. Very strange.

Going out today with a garden hose today to se if I can recreate the leak.

Tks, CWT

Z-Peller wrote:
I had similar issue with 2002 2500 9.6 Bigfoot some years ago. Found that rain water was getting in at the back of the fridge at the bottom of the outside fridge vent cover sometimes if camper was leaning slightly to the left. My fix was to use an aluminum strip sealed with Dycor across the bottom of the opening about 1.5" high to make a lip so water couldn't run in across the flat area behind the fridge. When I got my new 2009 Bigfoot with Dometic fridge I checked that vent but found that Dometic had already put almost identical lip there from the factory. Hope this is your problem too as its an easy fix.
stevenal
Nomad II
Jun 22, 2016
Check the windows. The window over my dinette leaked until I reset it. Press on the window flange on the outside to see if it moves. If it does, don't bother trying to seal it with caulk. You need to remove and reset the window with new butyl tape. Then you can apply caulk.
GULFMAN
Explorer II
Jun 22, 2016
bcbigfoot,

I also have a Bigfoot 2005 9-6.

Could you provided a picture?

Thanks
bcbigfoot
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
Z-Peller wrote:
I had similar issue with 2002 2500 9.6 Bigfoot some years ago. Found that rain water was getting in at the back of the fridge at the bottom of the outside fridge vent cover sometimes if camper was leaning slightly to the left. My fix was to use an aluminum strip sealed with Dycor across the bottom of the opening about 1.5" high to make a lip so water couldn't run in across the flat area behind the fridge. When I got my new 2009 Bigfoot with Dometic fridge I checked that vent but found that Dometic had already put almost identical lip there from the factory. Hope this is your problem too as its an easy fix.

This was my issue as well on my 2005 9.6 2500, and came up with a similar solution.
Z-Peller
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
I had similar issue with 2002 2500 9.6 Bigfoot some years ago. Found that rain water was getting in at the back of the fridge at the bottom of the outside fridge vent cover sometimes if camper was leaning slightly to the left. My fix was to use an aluminum strip sealed with Dycor across the bottom of the opening about 1.5" high to make a lip so water couldn't run in across the flat area behind the fridge. When I got my new 2009 Bigfoot with Dometic fridge I checked that vent but found that Dometic had already put almost identical lip there from the factory. Hope this is your problem too as its an easy fix.