CHECK your seals/caulking yearly

dcason wrote:
So this is just a reminder (wish I had that) that everyone should check their seals/caulking on your RV's yearly. We own a 2005 Jayco Escapade class c. We did the roof perimeter with eternal bond a few years ago. We usually store it under cover but this year it has been out in the driveway uncovered being modified/maintained etc. Usually it is used 4+ months per year; we do extended trips of 6 weeks to 2+ months. Our looked fine but dirty...all the caulking/goo around the windows, compartments, strip down the corner of front cabover...old but not cracked. Well hubby periodically checks under his mattress for any possible leaks etc. This time he hit the motherlode and not in a good way. Apparently the caulking on the front corner cabover was compromised...still don't know exactly where. There was furry mold under his pillow area and some black mold on that faux plywood.

Exterior: He scraped all the caulking off the suspected areas/parts were brittle but not cracked and recaulked which stopped the water flow. He will soon be redoing ALL of the caulking/sealing around each window/compartment etc.

Interior: Hubby tore the plywood off the cabover bed and took one bay (of three) down to the skinny plywood that the fiberglass is glued to......lots of white foam balls all over the place, wet wood/possible or probably mold. Clean up with vinegar. He drilled 2" holes in the boxed in area that is across the bottom of cabover and pulled out wringing wet fiberglass insulation. Currently the AC is blasting, fans running for two days and ongoing.

This could have been avoided if he periodically had just spot checked areas by stripping/scraping off the caulk/sealant to see how brittle it was and reapplying. He is doing his best to fix this up (our baby) but I can see a new one in my future.... Live and learn by our mistakes!

Be sure to remove, very carefully reseal around their base, and remount (using chaulked screw holes) the five (5) yellow cabover exterior lights!! They are a logical thing to leak water - right into the cabover walls - so that it can run down within the walls to the bottom of the cabover floor.

I blocked my cabover lights years ago so that they can never leak (I did this proactively, as they had not yet leaked). Their wires no longer go inside ... so they don't light up ... but they cannot leak, either. I see no real physical/safety reason why an RV needs these lights working, anyway - commercial trucks, yes - private RVs, no.

These lights leaking could have been what ruined your cabover floor.