Leaks, and leaks again

[danesh]

Hi. We had some leaks few years ago in our 84 Soveriegn. I used valkum and caulked all the joints. I thoight we fixed the leaks for good. But they are back in full force. Does anybody know how one can fix the leaks so that we do not have to work as inspector every spring? We are even thinking to take it to a dealer to get it fixed. Is it worthed? Can they do it? Or, should we switch to a new TT which is not AS? To be honest, AS looks and pulls great, but we have had it with the leaks. And, from all the posts that I read, it appears that evrybody has the same problem. Any kind of advise is appreciated. Cheers

[john hd]

check your sewer vents.

they can cause leaks that will travel and be hard to find.

here is an example http://www.airforums.com/forum...nts-24437.html

john

[Mike Lewis]

dan ---though you may be having some maintance problems with your 23 year old Airstream, think about this. If it were a 23 year old SOB you would probably be tickeled to death to ONLY have leak problems----pieman

[Ganglin]

Shouldn't he be using Alcoa Gutter Seal or Parbond for seam sealing (both wick into the seams). I thought Vulkem was for larger seals such as above the windows.

[Becky B.]

I'm doing rivets right now & have the same question as Gary. Do I use Parbond or Alcoa Gutter Seal? What's the difference between the two? I have the Parbond ordered--do I pitch it & get the new Acryl-R seal? I'm almost ready to begin the sealing & would really like to know!

[Jim & Susan]

Becky, take a look at this post: http://www.airforums.com/forums/323577-post137.html

That may help a little.

Jim

[dufferin]

you may already done that but check for any missing rivet, check the vent gasket they are hard to get tight, awning attachment (all of them even the rail), antenna.
my 2 ct

[Becky B.]

I've read the caulk, sealant etc. thread through a couple of times. There seems to be a couple of opinions about the Parbond, Alcoa Gutter Seal & Acryl-R. I'm just wondering if one looks better than the other &/or works better than the other before I embark on the task of rivet sealing.

[Jim & Susan]

My opinion is that the ParrBond product is best used in places where you don't need a good "clean" looking seam. For example, I used it to seal underneath the rub rail, where it can't be seen, and to seal the heads of a few pop rivets. It's specifically made to seal small openings. I have not used the Gutter Seal, but I have seen it in use a couple of times. Not very clean looking, either. I also have not used the AcrylR product. I saw some of it on a newer model Airstream a few weeks ago and was not impressed with it's ability to last over time (it was only a few years old and looked really bad).

I have used Vulkem in a couple of places on the exterior to seal seams (large openings). I have also used the Sikaflex product to seal the smaller seams. Both of these products look much better when cured (clean, smooth, etc) and are supposed to last a very long time.

Jim

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by danesh

Can they do it? Or, should we switch to a new TT which is not AS? To be honest, AS looks and pulls great, but we have had it with the leaks. And, from all the posts that I read, it appears that evrybody has the same problem. Any kind of advise is appreciated. Cheers

Trailers leak....and that means all brands. I can tell you stories about the SOB I bought new about 10 years ago that leaked when it was brand new. The dealer fixed that leak only for me to deal with leaks again in the following 3 years I owned it. I dumped it while it still looked nice and bought my first Airstream.

So while is disparaging to have a leak, it's a fact of life that we all are going to have to deal with. With any trailer finding the leak is always an issue. If you can't seem to find it, you might enlist the help of your dealer. They sometimes see enough that allows them to know where the typical leak sources are.

Good luck!

Jack

[Becky B.]

Thanks, Jim. That's exactly what I was looking for. Maybe I'll order some Sikaflex for the lower areas that I need to do.

[moosetags]

We have had new leaks appear from time to time, and we deal with them. I am of the opinion that when an Airstream travels alot like our Lucy does, leaks develop from the streesses of going down the road. You hit bumps and pot holes. You drive through driving rain. Trucks pass and put stress on the Airstream. I believe that these stresses can cause some minor leaks. If a person wants to avoid leaks entirely, he should park it, seal it, and never move it. An SOB has the same problems, only worse.

[chuman70]

I'm a fairly new poster and I keep seeing the term SOB used for TTs other thas A/S. What does that stand for?

[dufferin]

SOB mean Some Other Brand

[Foiled Again]

Also means "Square ole Box".

And yes, vibrations will cause new leaks to appear even in the newest Airstream. At the factory they use the Acryl-R for all the small narrow seams, but I too think the Alcoa Gutter seal or Sikaflex looks better.

Recently there have been a few posters who've recommended a dealer maintenance trick of having their units pressurized through a vent like the bathroom fan, then applying soapy water to the unit to track down all the leaks. Sounds like it's something that a handy person could do with a leaf blower or the exhaust side of a wet dry vac and a funnel modified to fit over the hose.



I still work, but I full time in my Airstream - and the condo park where I spend the majority of my time may have the world's largest collection or ancient SOB's... fully as many of them qualify for "vintage" as the Airstreams do....

OK, the trick is that they've survived as well as an Airstream because they've never left the park. The owners have them put on the storage lot, then towed to a camping space whenever they are in town. Most are used a few weeks a year.... Oh and they ALL leak without ever being towed at more than 5 mph for more than 1/3 of a mile. There's one old Shasta that could be called "Our Lady of Caulk" it's got so much of the goo on it's roof and sides, and many of the others have had the fiberglass or tar coatings on the roof so often that it's running down the sides sorta like the chocolate icing on a German chocolate cake.

I'm betting any of them would fall apart if they were ever driven over moderately decent roads at highway speeds! At least mine leaked a tiny bit because I'd put 4000 miles on it in a year.

Paula

[bobfowler]

I was talking with the owner of a campground we were staying in back in May, he said fully 85% of the trailers on his campground won't move until they are hauled off to the dump. Looking through his CG, it was a wonder that many of them could even have been parked where they were without felling trees!

I'm kinda funny about camping, I want to GO to new places and SEE new things. To me, having the trailer sit in one spot, year after year, would be the most boring thing going. They are called TRAVEL trailers for a reason...

[engineerich]

Folks,
Anyone want to help me with a basic question...I have my first roof leak on my '92 350...it is a small one coming through somewhere about my rear a/c unit..I only get it in a real down pour...so I want to go up there and reseal, but I'm concerned about what I have to do to ensure I don't dent or wrinkle the roof...is there a secret to this?
Warm regards,
Engineerich