Cabover leaks - Would This Work
The current horror story thread detailing Coachman Leprechaun cabover leaks is unfortunately representative of very common class C events. Poor workmanship, combined with design incompetence are alm...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for all the input on fixing/preventing cabover leak issues.
As some have indicated: cabovers do not have to leak. In the mid 60's I had a pickup camper with cabover - 100k miles, traveled all over the US, shipped to Germany and back as deck cargo, and never had a leak in the cabover, and it had a front window. That's where the kids always rode before the days of the safety police. Their favorite memories of RV'ing.
Preventing leaks is really a matter of construction design AND attention to detail. Sadly that's a minority situation in the RV world. The Class C that I'm cautiously considering is a Coachman. Coachman was one of the manufacturers I visited in '99 when I spent 6 months researching my Class A purchase. Presentation was great; execution of plan seen on the floor was horrid. Not what you would expect in Amish country. Workers were paid "piece rate" - a day was based on completing "n" of whatever task they were assigned. Get done early, leave early! Gotta have very effective inspector QC. Saw lot of evidence of the opposite on the floor. Took Coachman off the list. That was 14 years ago. Things are surely different, but how? Anecdotal conversations with used RV sales folks indicate not for the better, but just anecdotal - no statistical data.
The consolation is that technology now seems to provide a solution if poor construction leads to leaks - at some price.
Good point about 5th wheel cabovers. I don't follow that thread either so don't know their experience. I suspect that a great deal more design work goes into the cabover/body interface area due to the obvious load factors induced by the hitch.
The queen sized C cabovers look vulnerable. In the Pickup camper world that vulnerability was often countered with a set of support arms from the truck firewall up to the cabover. Don't remember ever seeing that on a Class C, but could be a possible solution if the design has a suspicious seam there.
Since I already have a smaller C, that has no leak vulnerabilities (other than clearance lights) inertia is a strong thing.
As some have indicated: cabovers do not have to leak. In the mid 60's I had a pickup camper with cabover - 100k miles, traveled all over the US, shipped to Germany and back as deck cargo, and never had a leak in the cabover, and it had a front window. That's where the kids always rode before the days of the safety police. Their favorite memories of RV'ing.
Preventing leaks is really a matter of construction design AND attention to detail. Sadly that's a minority situation in the RV world. The Class C that I'm cautiously considering is a Coachman. Coachman was one of the manufacturers I visited in '99 when I spent 6 months researching my Class A purchase. Presentation was great; execution of plan seen on the floor was horrid. Not what you would expect in Amish country. Workers were paid "piece rate" - a day was based on completing "n" of whatever task they were assigned. Get done early, leave early! Gotta have very effective inspector QC. Saw lot of evidence of the opposite on the floor. Took Coachman off the list. That was 14 years ago. Things are surely different, but how? Anecdotal conversations with used RV sales folks indicate not for the better, but just anecdotal - no statistical data.
The consolation is that technology now seems to provide a solution if poor construction leads to leaks - at some price.
Good point about 5th wheel cabovers. I don't follow that thread either so don't know their experience. I suspect that a great deal more design work goes into the cabover/body interface area due to the obvious load factors induced by the hitch.
The queen sized C cabovers look vulnerable. In the Pickup camper world that vulnerability was often countered with a set of support arms from the truck firewall up to the cabover. Don't remember ever seeing that on a Class C, but could be a possible solution if the design has a suspicious seam there.
Since I already have a smaller C, that has no leak vulnerabilities (other than clearance lights) inertia is a strong thing.
