leak life!

Question

ok, so you can search for how to on leak repairs. you can search for how to find a leak. but this question is on the life cycle of leaks. i have noticed that alot of you have had experience with leaks and how to battle the beast.
once you find a leak, how long before serious damage occurs.
example.
find a nice lake, set up, its hot but tolerable (you got a trailer so it better be) any way it storms. HARD! you find a leak. you note it. then what?
you do what? get up there and apply a patch right away? do you let it dry out and patch it a few days later?
what is the minimum amount of time before mold and rot sets in?
i feeling like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs with blades on the bottom thinking ill be out in a nice camp ground and it will rain just to have it rot apart on the way home.

i ask since water finds the minimal amount of passage known to man. if not taken care of. yea it kills everything. so how do you dry it out. how do you know your not sealing up mold or moisture and setting yourself up for failure later?

just asking.

jim-linda · Answer

YMMV, solution to leaks is not have them. I am anal about roof, window and slide maintenance. Several times a year I am checking roof seams, window sealing, slide seals and wipers and any other place that looks as it could be a problem. Have ample supply of caulk and tape. Unless damage occurs, this should negate leak issues.

Jim

korbe · Answer

I get up on my roof and crawl around at the beginning of the campin season and also at the end. Except for under the AC, I can pretty much tell if an area is susceptible to water intrusion. I would attempt to stop a leak ASAP and worry about the long term effects later.

d_e_bishop · Answer

brdprey, in answer to your questions, "it depends on quality of construction, type of construction and a whole host of environmental issues. You're not likely to have significant damage before the area dries out, it is possible to have damage and mold or mildew but not to likely if you take care of it ASAP.

Our prior Class A had a design and construction problem in the rear. It was virtually impossible to locate the leak, final (the rig was over 20yo) I found the problem. There was not one shred of evidence outside but the vinyl wall covering inside a series of cupboards was coming off. I did not have to reconstruct any interior or exterior walls but I did need four tubes of caulk and a whole bunch of work to fix the design error.

I have tried to stop a leak during the rain and never been successful. I try, if the leak is bad to cover the area but just to keep water away, not to repair. That I do when it's dry.

Preventive maintenance is absolutely imperative, but, it is not always the answer.

azrving · Answer

I check mine often and after going into any area that has low tree branches. The only leak I had was around a rear window in my slide. They missed the hole when they applied the putty tape while it was being built. I removed that window to reseal and went around all the other windows with proflex. I also sealed around all the clearance lights and used silicone on the plastic lens. You will see clearance lights that fill up with water and then flow through the center hole. Water weeps in and will weep out over time but as the rain is coming down it can flow into the rig through the center hole.

campfire_time · Answer

Check seals at least twice a year. Do something about anything that doesn't look right. Better to reseal something that doesn't need it, than to chase after something that's already a problem.

The only leak I ever had was on my old hybrid when it was about 7 years old. A seal on the roof where it meets the front crown dried up. I removed the Dicor, peeled the crown panel back, dried out the wet areas, resealed with Eternabond. No serious damage.

In the case of more serious damage you may have to remove cabinets and other components.

Wet wood will start to rot after a few weeks. It's a slow process though and more often than not if you catch it you can save it. I don't know how long it takes vacu-bonded walls to delaminate.

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