Water damage in a "B" (or lack thereof)?

We were up at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota last week. They have no RV campgrounds. The only way you can camp in that park is by boat, renting a houseboat, or canoeing and kayaking to primitive campsites on the lakes. There are some on the roads shore private campgrounds. We stayed at a primitive state forest campground on the border of the park. The only facilities were vault toilets.

I've known some people who did the "on hook" lifestyle. It is interesting, but after I saw the costs of what it costs to maintain a boat... I'll just stick with RVs, solar arrays, and computer stuff.

There is something to be said for boondocking on a boat. You can get to areas where there are no cars, not even game trails, quite far away from the beaten path.

We go on cruises only and I take my Dramamine or I get seasick just looking at a boat. Getting PW ready for 'up Island' trip north of Victoria. Salmon fishing, or for halibut and watching the cruise ships go by at Salmon Point, Campbell River on VCI. I always loved visiting Minneapolis from Winnipeg and dinking Hamms beer(not too much though).Need to keep this PW Plateau another year or two then,as noted previously, will trade for a PW or GWV.
Cheers
AL

We live in the heart of Lake Minnetonka (Tonka Bay) a sprawling 15,000 acre lake west of Minneapolis. I haven't seen any multi-purpose trailer/boats but I suspect back in the 60s that would be something someone would try. On Lake Minnetonka camping overnight on a boat is quite popular. People drop anchor and spend their weekends off Big Island. They even have a movie theater set up now. We've been home most of the summer but gave up our boat for the RV travel. We kind of miss that especially on very hot days and the sign at the end of the street where our city dock is saying there are boat slips still available for rent. I'm always tempted to go out and buy another boat every time I see that sign.

Davydd

Thanks. That is probably it. We do get some heavy rains and the pressure could be the problem with rain entry. Hope you are enjoying your trips as i note you do get around a lot. I remember a multi-purpose trailer/boat(catamaran) unit in the 60s made in Minnetonka, Minnesota--no longer sold but it was a wonderful camper which you could launch into the lake and go boating and then tow it somewhere else to camp. Do you remember seeing that one?
Al

Fastpaddler wrote:
The only water leak we occasionally get with our 06 PW Plateau TS is after a heavy rainfall we might get a little puddle of clear water on the floor of the shower stall.It is usually about 2 cupfulls. Not coming from toilet or sink plumbing and roof vent is not leaking. No water leaks anywhere else, because, as noted, it is a steel 'container' essentially. Does anybody have an idea why we get the little puddle? Cannot see any reason for it. Actually looks like fresh water!!
AL

If you have that little operable roof vent as I had in my 2005 Plateau then that is the source of your leak. In a heavy rain you might be getting some driven rain and the vent could be lifting a bit from pressure or wind and letting some rain in, or it may not be 100% sealed when you think it is all the way closed.

We had a water leak that showed up soon after we bought our brand new PW Excel back in early 2004. I have never, ever heard of anybody else with the same problem, we must have just been "lucky?" The first symptom was water marks on the fabric wall next to the galley where you enter via steps. We could not tell where it came from. The PW went back to the dealer where they put silicone gel all around the galley window, assuming that's where water had come in. It hadn't rained, however, this being So Cal desert, and we hadn't hosed the RV down. The silicone around the window looked crummy and spread out a little on the drive home. That was not great and we wouldn't have minded too much but the water marks reappeared every time we went anywhere. Obviously, the window was not the issue.

Finally, PW had us take it to CW for repairs and they sealed something under the counter around the sink that had missed being sealed at the factory. PW told us the secret for getting the water marks off the fabric and I became adept at blotting the stains with Clear Choice spot remover while simultaneously drying the fabric with a hair dryer. Done at just the right speed and dryer heat, this worked well, which was good because the water marks came back again the next time we used the water pump. Finally, DH went into the cabinet under the sink (no easy task) and probed around until he found the source, which was not at all easy. A fitting in the plumbing had never been sealed at the factory. He took it apart, properly sealed the connection and no more leakage! So obviously, somebody at the assembly line took a break and forgot where he was in the process when he got back. I am sure there are water stains inside the sink cabinet that we will someday have to explain to a buyer but there is no mold or odor. We've never had leaks anywhere else in the unit.

The only water leak we occasionally get with our 06 PW Plateau TS is after a heavy rainfall we might get a little puddle of clear water on the floor of the shower stall.It is usually about 2 cupfulls. Not coming from toilet or sink plumbing and roof vent is not leaking. No water leaks anywhere else, because, as noted, it is a steel 'container' essentially. Does anybody have an idea why we get the little puddle? Cannot see any reason for it. Actually looks like fresh water!!
AL

I have a RT190P and have experienced the water leaks, corrected it, and all is well. There was leak up around the visor area on both sides of mine. I thought it was most likely the rubber around the window, but it turned out to be the overhead lights. The screws worked loose and water found its way in. I used mold-free clear silicon caulk - problem solved.

Next to the fact that I can't find RV storage in a reasonable distance of where I live to save my life (the perils of living in a college town), the fact that a "B" doesn't turn into dust with hidden water damage after a time is one of the big selling points to me.

Yes, there are stories of water intrusion, but I've yet to read about a "B" rendered uninhabitable and unable to be sold due to mold/mildew, or one's foot going through the floorboards because there was an undetectable pinhole leak in a membrane roof that caused water to drip between the walls and make a nice home for mold/mildew over a number of years.