1995 Land Yacht Leak

[gdeterra]

I have a 30 ft 1995 Land Yacht in great condition although the rubber roof is getting old. Living in Florida I have to contend with some pretty heavy rainstorms and noticed a leak around one of the vents. I applied lap sealent around all the seams on the roof but now have a terrible leak that collects on the passenger side floor. After the last t-storm is was soaking wet on the passenger side floor and is not coming in from the inside floor vent. Does not appear to be coming in from the passenger window or door. Anyone have this problem and can assist?

Thanks

Gdeterra
Palm Harbor, FL

[Geophilist]

Gdetera,

Leaks in MoHo's can really be difficult to find. The puddle may be on the passenger side floor, but it could be coming in somewhere else and moving by gravity to the other side of the coach.

When I get one in my Excella, I break out the hose and go on a hunt. I spray some here, some there, and some over there until I get the water moving in the coach. The cure of the leak depends on where it is. I have had a number around the windshield that show up in the passenger side door. Another time it was a rivet. Just keep on looking as it might be coming in from different places.

Just like a house, water is a killer of MoHos as well, so would not let it go for long.

I have never had a rubber roofed MoHo, so I can not advise you about caring for it, but a search on it should show up something.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and good luck on finding your leak.

Steve

[gdeterra]

Thanks, Steve. We'll take the hose to it this weekend and see what we can find.

[Paul Dobbin]

I also enjoy the Florida rains and leaks. My current one is at the top of the windshield almost in the center of the coach, dripping on the dash and consul. It here a better way than to load up the seam with silicone sealant?
This could be an interest thread. Any old pro's at leaks?

[Geophilist]

Paul,

I have learned that silicon is not the right stuff to use around the windshield. It just doesn't hold up. When it fails, you have a real mess to clean up because if you don't get it all off, nothing will seal it from then on. Anyway, that has been my experience, but I am far from an "old pro" at it.

I use a product called Windo-Weld Sealer by 3M. It is black like the windshield gasket and you put it on with a caulk gun. Make sure when you cut the tip that you make a small hole so stuff doen't go in places where you don't want it to. Watch out for "strings" when you pull the tip away as they will go places you don't want them to. 3M Adhesive Cleaner (8215) will get up the mess.

Speaking of a mess, you must get rid of all of the silicon and any loose or failed adhesive before you put the new stuff on. I used a sharp scraper to get the old stuff off of mine. I also cleaned up arond the gasket with the Adhesive Cleaner and some steel wool. Read the directions as this is not a very healthy product. This is just like a paint job, the key is in the prep.

The Window-Weld is not cheap. I think I paid around $20.00 a tube for it at an automotive paint store.

Good luck with chasing down your leaks.

Steve

[gdeterra]

Paul,

I see you're down the road from me in St Pete. Looks like you have the same year Land Yacht as I do. I have a 1995 with 84,000 miles. I just recently re-sealed the entire roof with good results. Do you have your motorhome serviced in the local area? I am looking for a good, reputable place for service. Also, what type of polish do you use to keep up with the oxidation? From the picture your RV looks great!

I've noticed leaks in my windshield from the last bout of severe T-storms and may have to look into the product that was discussed by Steve. I also don't use silicone products.

Looks like I'll be out there with a hose this weekend looking for the leak that collects on the passenger side floor.

GDeterra

[blkmagikca]

This spring my '94 LY had roof leak. I took it pronto to RV Canada (our local AS dealer), and they showed me that the caulking on the roof seam was not sealing properly (the previous owners had used silocone RTV). I had them strip all the caulking on the roof and reseal all the seams with stuff called Plasticoat Alkyl Fiber, which is brushed on in multiple layers of no more than 1/8" (about 3 layers should do, letting the previous one dry for a day). It's been bone dry ever since. I carry a quart of the stuff as part of my tack box for quick fixes.

One of the things their tech did was to take me up on the roof and show me, using a fingernail, that the silicone RTV caulking could be lifted - thus the water was able to leak in.

[gunworks]

You might check the outside seam above the passenger window where the side is connected to the front nose section. There is a trim piece covering this seam, and it has to be removed to provide access. This seam goes all the way across the roof top and then down over the drivers window. I used Kool Seal sealant at the seam and then replaced the moulding while still wet so the screws were embedded into the putty. My leak had completely rotted out the wood trim above the inside of the window, so that had to be replaced as well.

[blkmagikca]

Originally Posted by blkmagikca

This spring my '94 LY had roof leak. I took it pronto to RV Canada (our local AS dealer), and they showed me that the caulking on the roof seam was not sealing properly (the previous owners had used silocone RTV). I had them strip all the caulking on the roof and reseal all the seams with stuff called Plasticoat Alkyl Fiber, which is brushed on in multiple layers of no more than 1/8" (about 3 layers should do, letting the previous one dry for a day). It's been bone dry ever since. I carry a quart of the stuff as part of my tack box for quick fixes.

A followup to this posting -- The Plasticoat Alkyl Fiber si pure crap! It lasted one year anf then I started having leaks again. The stuff, when it ages, forms small fissures, which allow the water to leak in. Now (2 years after this stuff was applied), we've had to remove all the sealant from the roof seams. We replaced it with Eterna Bond - EternaBond | Roof Leak Repair Products for RVs and Homes

Tine will tell how good this stuff is. The tech who did this work told me that he used EternaBond on a trailer (non-AS) 5 years ago and it has weathered well.

[CarlGeo]

Two years ago I used EternaBond to seal the perimeter roof joints (where the roof intersects the metal caps) of my 92 LY motorhome, and it still is holding with no leaks at all. It remains attached just as secure as when it was installed. So far I'm really impressed with its performance, and would recommend its use.

[blkmagikca]

So, 2 days after getting home with the newly resealed roof using Eternabond we get rain and it's leaking in. I went onto the roof, and it seems that the Eternabond doesn't bond to the roof (which is a type of fiberglass that is patterned like a sailboat deck to prevent slipping). I could lift it off with a fingernail, and I could see that it didn't adhere to that part of the roof. It did stick fine to the smooth outer part.

I called the tech who put the stuff on, and he confirmed to me that he followed their procedures completely - removing the old sealant, cleaning the seams with paint thinner, applying the tape, rolling it down, heating it with a heat gun while he rolled it all down again. Tomorrow the tech will be drining the 500 miles to my place and we will be removing the Eternabond, clean the seams again with paint thinner and seal them with a self levelling lap sealant adhesive. I've left an email on the Eternabond website (they have a contact section there), and I intend to see how they will compensate me for their crappy product - they say they gaurantee it. All this and we have a week to go before we leave on a caravan for Bozeman -- arrrgh!

[CarlGeo]

I'm not sure what the problem is with the 94 LY fiberglass roof and EternaBond. I installed it on my 92 LY fiberglass roof, and it adhered completely and still retains its bond after two years. Perhaps the cleaning materials used prior to installation was not compatable with the EternaBond adhesive? I'm very surprised the material did not adhere to your roof.

[Santart]

Originally Posted by blkmagikca

I called the tech who put the stuff on, and he confirmed to me that he followed their procedures completely - removing the old sealant, cleaning the seams with paint thinner, applying the tape, rolling it down, heating it with a heat gun while he rolled it all down again.

I never use paint thinner for surface prep for ANY material as it leaves an oily surface. Lacquer thinner is used for nearly all surfaces and materials because it gets the oils off. That might be the problem. Also in the Eternabond spec. sheet they say nothing about using a heat gun. I surmise he had a difficult time getting it to stick because of the paint thinner, and used the heat gun to hopefully save the day. I have used lap sealent on mine but it needs to be redone every two years where the Eternabond states it is perfect for the pebble finish on the Airstream roof and can last 35 years.

[blkmagikca]

Thanks for the comment Frank. The Eternabond tape sticks just fine to the outer part (which is smooth), but lifts off of the pebbled roof. I'm going to go with lap sealant for now, and what I may do next year is to coat the roof with the gray gritty stuff that they put on fiberglass sailboat decks. One of the moho owners at the Regional 2 Rally had done that and has never had a problem since (his is a '95LY). The tech who put on the Eternabond said he had followed the instructions to a tee, and he was also told to use a heat gun to warm the tape when he used the roller to seal it. From my perspective it failed to do what they advertised. I have not as yet heard from the Eternabond people (I did email them). However, with daily rain showers and a planned caravan to Bozeman (we leave in a week), I don't have time to dally. I had hoped the stuff would work, but it failed.

[chrisamaxwell]

Any one have experience with leaks coming from the air conditioner?
I have a 2002 Safari and I'm getting a small amount of water dripping during hard rains. Also, in the summer the condensation drips when the AC is on.
Worried about the floor if you know what I mean.
thanks!
c

[blkmagikca]

Update.

The tech used methyl hydrate to clean the surfaces before applying the Eternabond tape.

So he came here, checked the tape and it seems that it bonded fine to the aluminum cap but that the pebbled area allowed water to work its way under the tape in two or three spots. The simplest solution for now was to use lap sealant on both sides of the Eternabond. We'll see how this holds up.

[blkmagikca]

Originally Posted by chrisamaxwell

Any one have experience with leaks coming from the air conditioner?
I have a 2002 Safari and I'm getting a small amount of water dripping during hard rains. Also, in the summer the condensation drips when the AC is on.
Worried about the floor if you know what I mean.
thanks!
c

I'm no extert on this, but I do know that air conditioners sit on a rubber gasket. It may be that yours is not seated well or that when it was installed the gasket may have been damaged (or missing). From what I was told by an AS dealer, the condensate is supposed to go through a tube and exits in one of the wheelwells.

In summary, you may be advised to have the a/c unit lifted off, check to see that the rubber gasket is OK and then reinstall the a/c unit.

Good luck!

[blkmagikca]

I got a call this afternoon from the Eternabond rep pursuant to my email to them. It turned out that the tape I was using was not theirs, but a copycat version - the identifying marking on the inside of the cardboard roll said "HW" - it should have said "micro sealant". As well, the sealant was black, and the Eternabond one is gray.

It seems that the parts supply house to my tech had suggested this tape instead of the genuine product as it was available in 37-foot lengths, whereas the Eternabond they had in supply was only in 10-foot rolls. The tech, it seems, was told by the supply place that it was the same - obviously it isn't.

The Eternabond rep suggested that since the tape I have on now is 4-inch wide, I could cover it with 6-inch wide Eternabond and that it would be a final seal that should last. For now, since lap sealant has been put on, I'm going to defer any further work. This winter I'll be in the sunny south, and I'll be able to buy what I need and put it on myself.

The moral is "caveat emptor" - buyer beware of what the salesmen tell you is good, especially if what they have is in stock and what you really need isn't.

[Santart]

This copied from the Eternabond website tells you he or his supplier is full of it:

EternaBond OneStep Miracle RV Roof Tape is 4" wide and 37' long. Specifically designed for the RV'er. OneStep utilizes Eternabond's advanced MicroSealant Technology with bult-in primers and a specialized white UV stable backing. Perfect for all RV roof repairs and maintenance. Truly a one step process. Very little pre-cleaning necessary. Did you know RV roof seams require yearly maintenance? Use OneStep over factory roof seams one time and never do roof seam maintenance again! Lifetime warranty!

Sorry you went through this mess but glad it was brand X and not Eternabond, and we can still believe in this product.

[blkmagikca]

It sure has been a learning experience, Frank. The Eternabond rep did tell me that they have their tape in 6-inch width and 50-foot rolls as well. I'll be watching for this stuff to go on sale (I can hope) and I'll get a couple of rolls. To remove what is on the roof now would be a major work, as it has adhered well to the aluminum cap. For the next year or so, I'll use the lap sealant myself if need be. The big job or removing the old tape, cleaning the seams and resealing them with genuine Eternabond will have to wait a couple of years. Thanks a lot for your input in this.