Forum Discussion

dhaas's avatar
dhaas
Explorer
Jul 22, 2019

what to do if you have a leak?

While driving home from storage with the truck camper, my son noticed water leaking from the seams of the siding under the bed. I was unaware of any lekas prior to this. Aside from the obvious of fixing potential leak points (to which there are many on this camper, as the camper has not had any maintenance done that i can tell since new in 07) what else should I do? This is the first evidence of any leaking, and the camper was/is in really great shape when I bought it a year ago from the original owner.

I will re-caulk and seal everything on this camper, but should I strip the siding off and let it dry out? Would a dehumidifier inside be enough? Its hot here now, would just leaving windows open for a while be sufficient?

Thanks.
Truck Campers
  • EricCO's avatar
    EricCO
    Explorer II
    Jul 23, 2019
    Also check your interior plumbing. You could have a fitting or a pipe cracked that is the source of the water.

    A heat gun and plastic chisels make quick work of the old caulking.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Jul 23, 2019
    Clearance lights are a big leaker it seems like. I replaced mine with sealed LED's and bedded them in Dicor
  • JoeChiOhki's avatar
    JoeChiOhki
    Explorer II
    Jul 23, 2019
    I would pull the screws on that under seam, odds are water has pooled in there from clearance lights or window seams. I wouldn't be surprised to see alot of water come out of there.

    If it does drain, you'll need to unseal the siding and peal it back to let it dry out and then treat the wood if its still intact, once its fully dry.

    I would plan on needing to re-bed the clearance lights, and recaulk them, along with all the gutters, corner moldings, windows, vents, etc.. etc....

    With your standard RV, you usually need to recaulk them every two years.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Jul 23, 2019
    New in 2007 and no maintenance. 12 years. “And now I gots an issue.” Interesting. You checked all the “wholes?”
  • dhaas's avatar
    dhaas
    Explorer
    Jul 22, 2019
    there was no other leak indication until then. Everything inside seems fine, walls feel hard, with no soft spots noted anywhere.

    how do you determine where the leak is accurately? I checked all the wholes around the vents. All wood shows no evidence of leaking. Where the siding meets the EPMD roof, and the windows near the bunk would be my guess.

    whats the best way to dry the inside and to make sure its dry?
  • d3500ram's avatar
    d3500ram
    Explorer III
    Jul 22, 2019
    I would not immediately start to seal now until you determine from where the leak is occurring.

    Dry the inside completely as best possible.
    Find the source of the leak. If, for example, it is a window then it might be prudent to perhaps remove it to inspect the full extent of the leak and how much water got in. All of this will help determine next possible steps.

    I agree with Sidecar... it is sorta' like closing the gate after the horse got out by trying to perform long neglected maintenance.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Jul 22, 2019
    Gonna get my popcorn out on this one.. No maintenance since 07. Walls may have been in great shape on the outside, it's what is between the outer and inner walls that you have an issue with....

    Popcorn in the microwave...
  • ppine's avatar
    ppine
    Explorer II
    Jul 22, 2019
    Were you running your AC before towing it. There is normally some condensation especially in humid weather. I was wondering the same thing until I looked at all the water coming off other rigs with their ACs running.

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