Question About Slight Water Damage Above Cab

[SarahElizabeth]

My boyfriend and I are COMPLETE newbies to world of RVing. We've owned our rig for five days now and while we've already learned a lot we have a ways to go.

While cleaning it today we noticed a possible leak and some mild water damage in the bunk above the cab. We've had heavy rain on and off so we don't know if it's a new problem or not. My question is:
Who do we go see about that? I'm guessing it's not a normal mechanic - right? We can't even figure out the appropriate wording to throw at Google to get answers.

Help? :? :? :?

Also - is this the end of the world? I'm sort of freaking out about it. :E

[Jim_Shoe]

FWIW,
I ordered my 'C' new through a local dealer. As soon as it arrived, they called me to take a tour. They explained that their standard inspection would take a couple of days. As a precaution, they removed the chrome molding around the marker lights, caulked, and then reinstalled them. They pointed out that the factory installs the lights with electric screwdrivers and its easy to over tighten, causing hair line cracks around the lights. Mine was OK.
BTW, every few weeks, they invited all new purchasers to one of their huge garages. During the meeting, they divided us up into groups of As, Bs, Cs, TTs and FWs, and one of their employees walked us through every step of daily operation. Followed by names being drawn to go to the table in the back and take one of the items of our choice. Not expensive stuff, but something we'd probably buy anyway.
They have a store on site for items unique to RVs and a catalog of less popular items that they will order. And, perhaps more important, they have garages for repairs with lifts big enough to raise a Class A.

[my440]

Rather than peeling the rooftop back I was lucky enough to fix a small leak from the inside. But to lazy to replace the entire inside panel upon completion.
Picturehere

[pianotuna]

Hi,

The material of choice to use is Dicor.

[ron_dittmer]

There is much you can do yourself before spending money on other people doing repairs.

Leaks are most often related to the high mounted amber/orange and red marker lights.

Seal around the 3 to 5 front facing amber running lights. You could caulk around the outside perimeter as others suggested, but I suggest to pop off or unscrew the lenses, then remove the screws that mount the housing to the wall. Then seal over the wire & screw holes with Silicone caulk and then reattach before the caulk sets. I did this with our first motor home which sealed everything permanently, lasting nearly 20 years, still good when we sold the rig. Sealing only the holes inside looks better and also protects the caulk from UV rays. It also protects from water that gets past the lens that often happens while driving in the rain.

Also inspect all area seam work for cracks in the caulk.

[DaHose]

If you are unsure about how to deal with it, take it to an RV center and have it tested like pianotuna suggests.

If you are good at construction, then you should look into sealing all seams and the lights up. Also look on this forum for roof leak threads.

Cabover rebuild thread

If a roof leak is bad and old enough, yes it can be fatal.

Jose

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Time is NOT on your side. Any leak at all is serious and you need to deal with it as promptly as is humanly possible.

Take it to an RV dealer and get a sealtech test done.

sealtech

[darsben]

Dicor self leveling on Horizontal surfaces only
Regular Dicor on vertical
Eternabond for larger problems

[5Mainecampers]

First step I would caulk the front running lights (#1 cause of water leaks in overhead area) second caulk around the seams, corners, and windows.... Dicor self leveling is a popular brand-- you can pick up at any RV supply store. Second step is to ensure all is dry; no more leaks. Third step is to determine extent if damage... If you just caught it hopefully completely drying out will be ok. If there are soft areas then you will want to open the area to see the extent of damage in the walls. RV shop can usually fix water damage. Independents are often cheaper than RV dealers. I just had our overhead rebuilt for $1300 which included a new front window. Good luck, it's not the end of the world.