Great, now my storage slam door is leaking

[yankeeslover]

Talk about OCD flare up.. Now im really freaking out... medication time..LOL.. so i am the one that was freaking out about that trim... mobile repair tech coming tomorrow to fix the trim..tonight i was cleaning out my storage area and noticed water inside my storage bay.. AS far as i can see there was no damage(from what I can see)..
I did alittle invistigating.. i climbed in from other side of camper while the wife sprayed down the door.. And i can see water dripping down the middle of the door..from around where you see this tape.. somehow water is getting inside the door and looks like its coming thru that seal aroudn the top perimter right were that tape is.. The door is open in this pic.. it doesnt look like water is getting by the main door seals it actually looks like its getting thru the door itself and then soaking thru where you can see in this pic, around the tap there...
So now what? is this an easy fix for the guy tomorrow? or do i have to call Primetime and order a whole new storage door? like i said, doesnt seem to be going around the seals anywhere..thanks again for helping..

[msmith1_wa]

In my opinion the trailer manufacturer installed the wrong door for the direction it opens, or in other words installed it upside-down.

The seam should be at the bottom so it doesn't leak inside.

[westend]

Of course you are...:)

I would suggest you enlist the mobile repair guy to put some sealant on the gap in the door.

I'd also suggest that you get some literature like good books on RV repair and maintenance. At some point, you are going to need to do a repair on your trailer and no one is going to be available for help. I would think that a little knowledge and the confidence that ensues from doing a few light repairs is going to be a lot of help to you. The first step may be to buy a caulking gun and a couple of tubes of Proflex RV sealant.

Related story about my BIL---The guy loses the war every day and this is how it happens: a nut comes loose on the gun sight, the gunner can't aim correctly, an enemy plane comes past the gun and drops a bomb, the bomb sinks the ship, the fleet loses the battle because of the sunken ship, the war is lost because of the lost battle. There's a moral in there.

[yankeeslover]

I think i have an idea where it might have leaked.. i took the door off.. was only one screw and removed the door by the hinge.. anyways took it inside my house and the picture i have here would be the inside top of the door.. where i circled you can actually see daylight on the otherside.. looks like there is a small gap in here.. im sure this is where its getting thru..
So my question is, how would I seal this? im really not sure what kind of material this door is and what will permantatly fill that gap and two, this is where im concerned, i dont think this leaked the past two years of ownership as i think i would have noticed, but if it has been leaking all along where would I see damage? its the Vinyl floor and under that its aluminum frame... where would I see damage... it seems ok.. i dont see anything rotted inside the storage bay... water was sitting on the vinyl floor in there.. now im nervous..

[Oasisbob]

Some better RV service centers will perform a pressure test blowing air into the interior and checking outside with soapy water for bubbles. Often we do not find leaks until there is damage. I am a fan of prevention myself. BTW I never slam anything on my rig including cargo doors.

[handye9]

Look right above the area you have circled. There appears to be a seam in the frame that goes around the door. I would suspect that seam.

Water could be getting in through or behind that seam, where it would drip directly on the top edge of the door. From there, depending on which way the trailer is leaning, is where the water would run.

I had a baggage door leak, that went back to the dealership, four times, and they couldn't find it. I did similar to what you did. I layed in there with a flashlight during a heavy rain. CWhat fixed it was pulling the door (frame and all) out of the trailer and replacing the putty tape between the door frame and trailer wall.

That mobile tech, probably has the capability and might have the materials with him, to do that kind of repair. It's not complicated. But, without having prior knowledge of it, he may not have the time in his schedule for tomorrow. Definately ask him to take a quick look. Maybe, he will have the time.

If you pull the door to replace the putty tape, install the new tape with no joints or seams accross the top of the frame. Any joints / seams in the tape, should be on sides or bottom. Preferrably the bottom.

For future reference, only places on a travel trailer, where one might use silicone, are in the shower, and around the sinks. On the exterior, silicone doesn't stick well, will not stand up to the weather, and it leaves a residue that prevents other caulking materials from sticking. That residue is difficult to clean off.

[yankeeslover]

LOL artum.. i was thinking the same thing about the tape..I dont think it woudl come from the sealed outer edge.. i think somewhere around where i circled..question, if it is any of these seams, do i need a new door or do they make a sealant that will stick to that?

[Artum_Snowbird]

I think I would get some tape and put it over all the areas you can put it, then do the spray test again.

If it doesn't leak, remove one piece of tape and try again..

If it does leak you have to look elsewhere... perhaps at the hinge itself. You can remove the little screw at each end and slide the door right out of the hinge for inspection.

[yankeeslover]

there is no silicone on outside.. it seems to be leaking thru the oposite side of where i circled..of course water might be playing tricks and i cant see exactly, but it looks like it comes in the opposite side of this seam here..the inside part... drips right down the middle of the inside of this door...

[DavidP]

Check the silicone outside.