2004 Safari leaking around bathroom vent fan

[DJW]

Hello All, my new-to-me 25' Safari seems ALMOST water tight. After heavy rains, there is dripping from the bathroom exhaust fan. Can't tell if it is coming through the actual opening (the fuzzy weather stripping foam around the "cap" was falling off) or around the sealed outside. Seems like the water is dripping along the interior diameter of the fan.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Don

[Roadtoaster]

Elementary, but I assume the cover was closed. Have you been on the roof to look for a crack in the housing or failed caulk? The exterior cover is screwed to the interior handle. Those screws should be covered in caulk as well as the perimeter of the base which is attached to the roof.

[DJW]

Thanks Greg, yes the cover is closed (but an excellent question because when we first got the trailer, it was open. Thought that was the cause of the leak, but it still leaks after closing it).

The screws do have caulk, but not sure if it is really sealing. Hard to really figure this out until the rain lets up some.

Any trick to removing the existing caulk so I can remove the fan cover and pull off to check for cracks, etc.?

Don

[Roadtoaster]

No tricks. Take the cover off, remove about 6 or 8 screws that attach the unit to the roof, then work carefully around the edge with a putty knife. Clean up everything and then put it back with Sikaflex. Hopefully that will take care of the problem. Be sure and put caulk back on the top cover screws as well.

Good luck.

[dznf0g]

Before you remove the whole thing, look at the 2 screws on the top of the round cover. they should have a glob of sealer on them. On mine, the sealer was still there, but just sitting there! In other words, the sealer had lost ALL its adhesion to the plastic cover. This resulted in a steady drip through the screen, not around the perimeter of the housing. That was my first clue that it wasn't the roof seal.