Water Leak, Repair Update Feb 12th

BurbMan wrote:


Once again, that Darco is bad news. Just like on the slide out frame, they wrapped the outer 2x3 of the frame, and once the water got in there was no place for it to go.

I would like to figure out a way to put drainage slits in the Darco so if water did get in it could drain out, but I also need to prevent road spray from getting in. Ideas welcome on this one....

Hi Don,

Using Darco is a double edged sword. You are right, once water gets in, it often has no way to get out. That process was what rotted out my slide floor. But the real issue was the holes drilled in the Darco at the factory to put the screws in to hold the slide floor on. And, worse, they never sealed up the holes....

But... the problem was really not the Darco, but the leaks getting in, in the first place. The Darco does exactly what it was put there for, to keep water out. It just happens to keep it in too....

On campers, we really need a better sealant system from day 1 and a few other well known design issues with camper moldings. Like the gutter rail.... and the corner molding.

OK, now to your quest of letting the water out and not let road splash in. I have thought about this myself before and I found a simple device that would do this. I was cleaning the air filter on my tractor and the concept was staring me in the face on the side of the filter housing... Yes, that would work.

Search for "Duck Bill Drain". It is a rubber flap that is closed flat. Water can flow out in one direction and water has a real hard time getting back in. It is like a simple check valve.

I did some digging and they seem to use them on boats too. Here is one at Eastern Marine. https://www.wholesalemarine.com/th-marine-duckbill-overboard-drain-scupper.html

I picked that one as it has flange to make mounting it easier.

They make them cheaper without the mount, if for $5 you can create a mount, then the duck bill drain is cheaper. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/rule-industries--check-valve-for-shower-drain-box--4353553

They also make condensate drains for electrical boxes. But I'm sure these are out of the cost range you want to spend. Condensate drains by Eaton

Now the issue is how to make sure you have created Darco low spots to put the drain in after you figure out how to mount the duck bill. This is where I stopped in the draining process. How to practically create low spots that the drain can be installed in and how many does a 32 foot camper need...?

And then there is the batt insulation that even if you let the water out, the insulation being wet is still a big problem. And even water collection pockets in the wood, and OSB...

I came to the conclusion I need to create a better leak resistant camper. I'm gaining on mine. Putty tape has to go and relying on Dicor caulk as a primary roof sealant has to go. I Eternabonded all the roof seams and one by one every screw on flange, widow, corner molding, cargo hole etc using putty tape is removed, replace the putty tape with high grade butyl as a primary seal and then on the outside exposed butyl edge, use Dicor non sag caulk as a secondary seal to keep the dirt off the butyl. This is a process...but the outcome has been good. The camper is 14 years old, and the inside is pristine still and I can't find a better replacement new with what is available on the market right now. So like you, we keep fixing....

Hope this helps

John