โSep-06-2017 06:01 AM
โApr-03-2018 08:40 AM
Ralph Cramden wrote:
What model and year hybrid do you have. Just about all hybrids except Forest River (Rockwood Roo/Flagstaff Shamrock, and Palomino Solaire) have some reiteration of the Lippert bunk door assembly which has evolved in design often, including Forest River's Coachmen and Surveyor hybrids. Certain designs of that door had leak issues at or around the hinge area.
One was due to the hinge design itself that would allow water under the right conditions to penetrate through the hinge pin. That would allow water to usually be found in the storage compartment or area below the door.
The other was lack of factory sealant on the hinge extrusion along the channel at the door bottom on the exterior. This would allow water to get inside of the door itself and wick up into the luan plywood substrate, which is where the bottom rot comes from. That's an easy one to find. Remove whatever they used to cover the hinge area itself on the inside when door is down, usually a piece of EPDM or vinyl. There will be 3 or 5 screws that hold the bottom channel into the door itself. If those screw heads are rusty you have water getting inside the door when its closed, and draining out of those screws.
No matter what version of the Lippert door, the bottom hinge is designed to be self draining. If water gets past the door seal and makes it to the bottom, it's supposed to then drain out the ends of the bottom assembly, hopefully on the exterior. A lot of RV manufacturers did not do a good sealing job at the ends of the assembly. When the design does it's job and the water runs out the hinge assembly, it then finds it's way inside.
The last major redesign I am aware of by Lippert was @ 2012/2013, and the doors since seem to be a lot better where leaks are concerned.
If the door leaks at the perimeter seal itself when closed, that can only be a few things. One is placement of the seal (located too far from edge of door) or areas where the seal is loose where its held on by 3M tape (water gets behind seal). The other is the door is warped in the center and the seal makes no contact. The third is not enough pressure applied by whatever latch system the RV manufacturer used. ( those are not provided by Lippert as part of the assembly, but added by the RV manufacturer).
Although pricey, Lippert sells the seal material. You will not find it on their website and have to call them, and hope a moron does not answer the phone which is a tall order from what I have experienced dealing with Lippert. It's close to $3 a running foot. Ask for D seal with double flange for a securelock bunk door. It may take a few tries as most times the Lippert rep will not even know they make those doors.
โApr-03-2018 01:48 AM
NCSUgeology wrote:
crmlcat - I would love to know what you're using. It sounds like my problem as well. you can send me a private message if you want. Did it fix your leak problem? Thanks!
โApr-02-2018 06:25 PM
NCSUgeology wrote:
crmlcat - I would love to know what you're using. It sounds like my problem as well. you can send me a private message if you want. Did it fix your leak problem? Thanks!
โApr-02-2018 05:49 PM
โMar-28-2018 10:54 AM
โSep-13-2017 08:01 AM
โSep-13-2017 06:53 AM
Caroline-B wrote:
I have a 2003 starcraft Antigua hybrid. I have had this thing torn apart, replaced floor in front, pulled front bunk door off, caulked everything, put butyl tape under hinge before putting back on, caulked all screws around door frame and frame on camper. Caulked roof, side seams, everything on outside, replaced all seals and added some. I had fixed my front bunk about 1/4 way up where water damaged it and sealed it good. Put tape over hinge and have made a cover for the top of the bunk so no water comes in at the top. So now went out to it and bunk door is wet again at the bottom. I cut back the lower part again and water came out of it. I caulked around all buttons on outside on door where bungies go after shop vacuuming the water out of the door and for a week kept doing that to suck any moisture left. It's been 90 degree's so put fans inside and during the day opened to expose to the sun. Everything got good and dry. So it rained all night and I went to check ( everything is exposed) foam core and frame and where I just cut the luan at the bottom some got left in bottom frame and IT'S WET AGAIN! What is going on? I don't know what else to do! There is some delamination starting on very bottom of door now. I'm thinking this can't be condensation causing this now. I think before I caulked around the buttons that's where water was coming in. They don't caulk them at the factory. I am a women and 62 years old out here everyday, done all the work myself for over a year for I am very knowledgeable on how to do a lot of things. What else can I do?
โSep-08-2017 06:38 PM
โSep-07-2017 06:22 AM
โSep-06-2017 10:35 PM
Caroline-B wrote:
What exactly do you mean by a seal test? I did spend a lot of time with a water hose on a step ladder to simulate rain and found a few problems and noticed how much water can enter through the hinge on bunk. As far as water getting into the bunk core and it's frame itself, it's a plain mystery to me.
โSep-06-2017 07:45 PM
โSep-06-2017 09:30 AM
โSep-06-2017 08:27 AM