Skylight issue? Where is the moisture coming from?

Question

Hi all,
We have a new (to us) 2005 Starcraft Travelstar which I had yet to find water damage on until yesterday.

I was cleaning the rubber roof with cleaner and the hose and I noticed condensation in the skylight which I hadn't noticed before. I inspected the sealant around the skylight and didnt see any cracking or spots where water could obviously get in.

Upon dropping the inside cover in the shower I noticed the skylight was wet on the inside. I also noticed that a small amount of the Luan was crumbling or discolored from water exposure. It does not appear that this damage extends much beyond 1/4 to 1/2 inch into the luan in a couple spots, which is a relief!

My thought is that the damage has actually come from moisture from the shower traveling up and getting caught between the inside and outside panes? There was no gasket or caulking on the inside panel to prevent moisture migration. Is this right? Even today during some very hard rain I looked extensively and did not find any indication of water coming from the outside in.

I doubt this area should "breathe" since once the moisture travels up it has no where to go if the skylight is sealed properly? Should I add a gasket or caulking to keep moisture from migrating up?

Jon

genecop · Answer

Sounds like shower related condensation, the only thing to do going forward is to make sure after showering always turn the fan on to dry out the room..

wbwood · Answer

I agree

wildtoad · Answer

Have the same issue. Humidity from shower, bath, inside mh appears to be the cause. Not much I can do about it here in the south except run the AC all the time. On a recent trip to Disney where I had to run the AC all the time it finally dried out. I guess a dehumidifier would do the same.

I'd also be interested in the answer to the gasket question.

poppin_fresh · Answer

Looking at the inside panel, it looks like there is a perfect groove for a gasket. I might pick up some weather stripping and see if it makes a difference.

It should be obvious if any moisture enters there if I see condensation on either panel again.

mocoondo · Answer

Just leave it alone. This isn't a new Lamborghini we're talking about. It's a house on wheels built with cheap wood and plastic, all held together with staples and wood screws.

The interior shower garnish normally does not have a seal of any kind. It is held in place by a series of screws right up into the ceiling panel. It is not entirely unusual to get some condensation between the exterior shower dome and the interior garnish. No big deal. If the luan has decayed 1/4" in 8 years, the rig will be 32 years old by the time the decay has reached 1" and by that time, the luan around the opening in the shower ceiling is going to be the least of your concerns. I don't think I would even give it a passing thought.

The exterior shower dome is set in place on the roof with a bead of Dicor and then screwed down with a dozen or more screws, and then Dicor over the screw heads. Some manufacturers will use grey putty tape to effect the seal and then top it off with Dicor after screwing it down. Either way, that's how it's done and there is no reason to expect that the area between the outer dome and inner garnish is going to be airtight.

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Skylight issue? Where is the moisture coming from?

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