Awing leak

[Buster52]

I have water leaking in my Class A on the side where the awning is. I have sealed the roof and all the other items on the roof. So I believe it is not coming from the roof. The only thing I can think of is leaking where the awning is bolted to the rig. The awning could act like a dam and hold the water. Is this something common? And how are awning attached to the rig normally, screws or bolted on?

[Gjac]

I would look close at the attachment seam from the roof to the sidewall. There is a rubber covering that covers the screws that can rust out and allow water to enter. Remove a portion of this seal and see if it is wet , moldy or the screws are rusted away. Also check the 4 bolts that hold the awning arm on. Start by tightening the bolts,when you torque the bolts do they just spin or do they tighten and caulking squeezes out? If they spin I would re caulk under the flange and install over size bolts. If water is entering here it may be rotted underneath and nothing for the screw to bite into. If you check these two areas and report back what you found you can receive further help.

[Buster52]

I have a 1989 Southwind 30E. I have sealed all edges, caps and seams. I have used at least 10 tubs of cocking on the rig. From the black window sealant on the from windshield to the tan colored calking on the back cap. 3 layers of roof paint. I have removed screws that have rusted away. I believe the screws on the awning may have rusted away an letting water in.

[RayChez]

A lot of RVers will seal the top of the roof, but they forget that the seam of the front cap continues around to the side, and sometimes the leak will be on the curve part where the side wall, front cap and the roof meet.

Leaks are hard to find. I have read where you can also apply air pressure on the inside and apply some kind of foam on the outside to see where it will bubble up to find where water has been seeping in.

I do not know what coach you have, but if there is a window or even the door gasket that is bad, water could get past the gasket and work its way into the inside wall of the coach. That is when you have to pull the gasket back on top and apply windshield sealant. All you need to do is the top of the window or door gasket.

[trop-a-cal]

It is possible that you have a plugged up HVAC condensation pan. That is the bottom of the HVAC unit on the roof. If so the water gets into the roof where the HVAC is cut into the roof opening. That requires cleaning the condensation tray and making sure the weep holes are open so the water,(condensation), gets out and on to the roof and off via the low side your RV is leaning to. There is a gasket around the opening, for the HVAC inlet of air, that has to be snug,( via the four inside screws), which are inside the RV either above pop out plastic plugs, or above the entire plastic cover. If they are real loose, just snug them to the first feel of them not being loose. Clockwise that is to tighten. Once you have resolved the problem, you have to address the wet areas by treating the area by drying and then use a mold killer so it is not allowed to get toxic mold growing due to wetness. Good luck!

[Buster52]

The leak is leaking into the RV. I have sealed the roof with 3 layers of roof paint the goes over the edge. I have sealed all the vents too. I didn't want any rain water getting into rig. But I have found water that had came down the wall next to the door and one in the bathroom. The one by the door has no vent or anything else to let the water in. It must be entering through the screw holes in the side. It is like the awning is working like a dam and holding the water. I have tried using a hose to find the leak and no water ran down the side of the rig. But I still have water entering.

[kimbo1]

most awning are screwed in. sometimes they will screw them into the gutter, if they do that you need to make sure those screws have been silicomed.

[jerseyjim]

I'm presuming you have a drip-type leak from the awning down the side of the motorhome? If so, do what I did: locate the area of the leak and pump some silicone along that seam just in that area. It stopped mine quite few years ago.
Of course, you must leave the awning extended until the silicone sets up. Maybe a full day or so. (Do this while weekend camping!)

[trop-a-cal]

Your awning has to be sloped to one side and taunt,(down all the way). If it is fabric it will loose waterproofing with age. The way to keep it waterproof is washing it with Blue Coral wash and wax that has bees wax in it that fills the holes that occur in the fabric. If it has stains or is dirty add Clorox in same parts to your wash bucket and scrub the whole thing after wetting it then rinse well. The bees wax survives the Clorox even when you see the Clorox change the color from blue to white. That same formula works on the entire rig top to bottom. I use a bristle brush on the end of a long handle so you can reach the distance up the awning, which should be down as far as possible when you wash it.

[RayChez]

Water leaks can be hard to find at times. It could even be your clearance lights, antennas and it could be where your awning attaches to the side wall. There is some caulking on the top where it attaches if I recall.

Caulking is really not all that great on the roofs of a lot of coaches. That is why a lot of RVers decide to Eternabond the whole thing if you have any seams on top where the front cap and rear caps attach to the top roof piece. You could have a leak in the front, but will go to the area of least resistance.