Extension gutter for channel above front bed

[marcarolle]

I want to extend the J Channel right above the front bed so that when it rains while driving, the water will run off further from the sides of the bed.

I have tried 2 different types of extension gutter spouts (clip on and screw in) and they don't fit.

Any ideas? I'm planning a trip to HD to find some J channel (metal or plastic) and add it at each end of the trailer's J channel. Caulking will be a must.

You guys have any ideas? And what type of caulking should I use?

Hope my description is clear enough.

Thanks

Marc

[marcarolle]

Hybrids (especially older models, like my 2004) are well known for their capacity to leak. We were fully aware of that when we bought it in 2013. We gambled, and kinda lost... but we loooove our Antigua: floorplan, storage space, brightness (white cabinets), everything.

That's why I make sure I check regularly all the potential leaky spots. That's why I consulted with you guys to find out if there are other spots to check, that I would have missed.

As for the soft floor on the front part of the trailer, it has been worked on and reinforced in the past 2 years. We are not prepared to pay $2000-$3000 to have the whole floor redone the appropriate way (i.e. taking all the cabinets/furniture out, replacing the luan and Styrofoam, etc). Our next move, if things get worse, will be to simply add a sheet of plywood with the appropriate thickness - on top of what is currently there, and install new linoleum on top. There seems to be enough room to do that so that we can still open the cabinet doors, with minor adjustments. By the time we do that, if it lasts another 2-5 years, the trailer will have reached the end of its lifespan, in terms of resale value. But for now, I'll keep looking around for ways to find where the water comes in, and how to fix it.

Please keep your suggestions coming.

Happy camping

[bikendan]

sometimes the overhead marker lights leak water down in the the bunk frame area.
especially when driving in the rain.

[Campfire_Time]

If you open your beds after towing in the rain and find no evidence of water on the canvas you need to look elsewhere. Being that yours is a 2002, I'd suggest looking at every roof seam, every seam on the front, and all the windows. Even a small area of dried caulking can let water in.

Our old hybrid developed a small leak in the front. I would find small amounts of water in the front cubby hole area after towing in the rain. Of course I thought the bed seals were leaking. Nope, it was a 1/2 inch section of dried, shrunk caulking on the "belt line" molding, 6" below the bed hinge, on the front of the trailer where 2 sections of fiberglass wall joined together. How I discovered it was by having my wife spray water with a hose on the front until I discovered where it was leaking.

Also water creeps and then pools up. It may be coming from a source you're not even considering.

[marcarolle]

Indeed we have experienced some leaks - the front floor has soft spots. We have tried (with help from RV tech) to identify the source. We've improved the seals around the bunk door.

My logic was more a an extra preventative measure to make sure that we would eliminate all possible sources of entry of water. That's why I checked here to see what HTT owners do the prevent water from going in.

[Campfire_Time]

What problem are you trying to solve? Is your bed leaking when it rains while towing?

I'm on my second hybrid, the first we had for 10 years. We've never had bed leaks. If yours is leaking it may be a problem with the seal.

[poppin_fresh]

Hold on, help me understand your logic here and why you think you need to mess with it in the first place.

When you are driving the water will be essentially coming straight at the front of the trailer, trying to penetrate the bottom hinge primarily and maybe a little bit at the sides, or whatever is trapped under the top gutter and hits the top seal.

I don't see how the top rain gutter can collect and distribute any water while in motion as the water is being blown right past it. My 2005 never leaked at the bunk seals, so I'm curious as to why you want to modify.