Hoping for a some input on a front cap leak. In July a few days after a weekend of heavy rain I noticed new bubbling on the wall paper on the front left wall of the camper. I believe this is evidence of a leak. My dealer had the camper for ~3 months prior for warranty work- so I cannot positively say when this occurred.I had the camper scheduled for MORE warranty work on an unrelated item and asked them to take a look at the suspected water damage while they had it. They are now recommending to remove all interior panels from the front of the RV (front wall and sidewalls where it meets the front). This includes ripping out cabinets, beds, appliances and other items against these walls. They have not made any sort of holes in the walls beyond peeling back a small section of wallpaper. Wood behind is not clearly stained beyond the glue from the wall paper. The service tech says his recommendation is based on experience. Based on some of their past evaluations for warranty work the info from service has not been 100% accurate. I am a bit skeptical. The wall doesn't feel spongey. I can't smell mold or any other off smells. My thought is to cut a few small pilot holes and get a look a the insulation interior of the walls.

Let them explore all they want under warranty.

Is the leak repair covered by warranty? If so, let them fix it. If you are on record as opposing what they want to do, it’s your responsibility when more damage is discovered IMO.

Also check the floor at the front for water damage. A friend had that on the front wall and it turned out the front part of the floor where the front wall joins up had a 2 x 4 along there that was soaked through and it was all just a mess. Big DIY job I helped with.If the Rv is still under warranty let them get at it including the front floor area. If you need your rig for camping, consider renting an RV instead of not getting that work done. It could be ugly behind that front wall all the way down.

Unfortunately we have been arguing about warranty for the last month. Manufacturer said its my fault for not sealing the front cap but the dealer had the trailer for the 3-4 prior months (aka all winter) so I didn't have a chance to catch it. Dealer says its not their problem and continues to push on the manufacturer. It just moves real slow. Thus i am starting down the road of how big a problem is this and can I fix it myself if need be. Camper is only 1 year old. Seems like it wouldnt have been able to get that bad that fast?

When you buy an RV, it helps to research the manufacturer's responsiveness to warranty issues. A new RV should not leak. The buyer should not have to seal the front cap on a unit that is new enough to be under warranty. I would get a lawyer.

Evaluating Damage from Leak | Good Sam Community

bgum
Explorer
Aug 17, 2021
Let them explore all they want under warranty.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
Is the leak repair covered by warranty? If so, let them fix it. If you are on record as opposing what they want to do, it’s your responsibility when more damage is discovered IMO.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
Also check the floor at the front for water damage. A friend had that on the front wall and it turned out the front part of the floor where the front wall joins up had a 2 x 4 along there that was soaked through and it was all just a mess. Big DIY job I helped with.

If the Rv is still under warranty let them get at it including the front floor area. If you need your rig for camping, consider renting an RV instead of not getting that work done. It could be ugly behind that front wall all the way down.
JonnyJumpUp
Explorer
Aug 17, 2021
Unfortunately we have been arguing about warranty for the last month.

Manufacturer said its my fault for not sealing the front cap but the dealer had the trailer for the 3-4 prior months (aka all winter) so I didn't have a chance to catch it.

Dealer says its not their problem and continues to push on the manufacturer. It just moves real slow.

Thus i am starting down the road of how big a problem is this and can I fix it myself if need be. Camper is only 1 year old. Seems like it wouldnt have been able to get that bad that fast?
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
When you buy an RV, it helps to research the manufacturer's responsiveness to warranty issues. A new RV should not leak. The buyer should not have to seal the front cap on a unit that is new enough to be under warranty. I would get a lawyer.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
The builder did a bad job of sealing, but any leakage has not had time to rot things. It helps if the structure is aluminum instead of wood. You need to find out just how wet it is how far down. Sealing is not hard, but then it is still wet below inside the walls and won't dry out.

The dealer has to get the builder's approval for any warranty work. If the dealer does work you want without approval from the builder, you pay.

If the dealer is too busy, sometimes the builder will allow the work to be done elsewhere at a place they have relations with.

Normally it is not worth it IMO, but with warranty work on other things already, consider buying extended warranty coverage if available in case that is a "lemon".
jdc1
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
JimK-NY wrote:
When you buy an RV, it helps to research the manufacturer's responsiveness to warranty issues. A new RV should not leak. The buyer should not have to seal the front cap on a unit that is new enough to be under warranty. I would get a lawyer.

Ditto.
dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 17, 2021
Exterior sealants are NOT covered by almost all OEM's. The exception is, when the unit is delivered to the dealer it is up to the dealer to do a sealant inspection as part of the Delivery sign off sheet. ANY sealant problem noted will be covered under Warranty before the unit is sold. Once the unit sits on the lot, it is required by the OEM for dealers to inspect and seal any problems at the dealers expense. This is in the guidelines for warranty. Now, Very few if any dealers will examine their lot RV's for this problem. They assume that if they leak, they will show evidence after a rain. BUT, no dealer sends his people out after a rain to examine the units. It is usually left up to the Sales dept to notify service when they see a leak. In this case, the dealer is on the hook for the repair. BUT, even tho he is, most OEM's will fix the damage under warranty. AS long as it falls within the first year or some will only warranty in the first 6 months. If people read the warranty and owners manual, it will state pretty clearly the retail owner is supposed to check sealants regularly. I would hope the OP states the OEM of his RV. Doug
JonnyJumpUp
Explorer
Aug 17, 2021
I've been told they have stopped the leak to prevent further ingress of water while we work things out with the manufacturer. Seems like at this point it would just be understanding the extent of what got wet, confirming any mold issues or not, drying out and possibly replacing damaged insulation. It is aluminum siding over a wood frame, with fiberglass insulation and paneling/wallpaper inside.

PS, I did homework on manufacturers and maintenance as I had heard some horror stories. Big lesson learned is not to let the trailer sit at a repair center for an extended period of time while they wait on parts/haggle warranty. Believe I would have caught this sooner if the trailer had been in my possession.

Generally seemed like most manufacturers were lackluster on warranty & service claims. Best feedback seems to be on Winnebago which was not in my budget. Even they get complaints.

Almost all brands give a maintenance clause on checking seals every 90 days with the exception of Winnebago which warranties that for 1 year.

I am refraining from listing manufacturer and dealer as this is still an open question. I still have some hope of this being covered by warranty. Once it is resolved I will post a review.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2021
So they confirmed the wall paper issue was from a leak, so that is good info. It was not mentioned in the OP to look down low, which the OP could insist on while they are at it. The front cap is attached to the front of the floor with that corner bead like down each side, so you can take that off and separate the cap from the floor to see if it is wet in there.

It takes a while but the wet wood structure gets soft and screws won't hold anymore, and they rust away. Happens with truck campers where the jacks are held on the corners with big screws that no longer have any grip. Nasty when the jack comes away from the corner and the camper wants to fall on you! :( (Don't ask) You have to take the corner apart and put in new wood.

So IMO don't go for a short term fix if you will have wood rot some years from now.

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