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perryg114 · 11-29-2011, 06:10 PM

Well it was a wise move not to cover the floor in my trailer yet. I still have leaks at the front of the trailer. I have a leak on the door side front corner. The only thing I have not sealed on that side is the flood light. Are those a source of leaks? Also those corner marker lights that stick out like little horns do they leak? I also have some leaks on the left side where the big windows are. I have not had a chance to seal the windows on that side so I am hopeing they are the source of the leak. The leaks around the door appear to be fixed.

I also have a leak at one of the rear corners that I just put a new floor in. I have not sealed the rear window either. I am running out of things to patch. Any ideas folks? So far I have sealed all the windows on the right side and the front windows. I have sealed the front and side awning covers. I fixed the vent covers. I do need to seal the vent flanges and the bathroom fan vent and the rear sewer vent. It is a center bath model. It looks like the only leak I fixed was the one around the door. Don't you just love PO's that never did any maintenance?

Perry

SteveH · 11-29-2011, 06:49 PM

Leaks suck. If I had that many leaks, I'd take it in and have it pressure tested.

perryg114 · 11-29-2011, 06:52 PM

I seem to remember something about pressure testing. So how is it done and who does it?

Perry

SteveH · 11-29-2011, 07:01 PM

RV shops should be able to do it. They use a large blower, like a overgrown leaf blower attached to the overhead vent from the inside to pressurize the trailer. Then they go around spraying soapy water on the joints looking for bubbles.

Aviator · 11-29-2011, 07:07 PM

Yes, everything can be a leak that penetrates the trailer skin or is a skin seam. All the lights are a possibility.

Our trailer spent a lot of time just sitting, and had a lot of little leaks when we got it. One of the best items I found was "Capt.Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure" It is a fluid which wicks into the leaks (cracks) and seals them. It doesn't fix the big ones, but does wonders for the little leaks.

Now if I could only find the source of the small leak to the left of my door..........and give some of the Capt's cure.

Lance M · 11-29-2011, 07:09 PM

Perry,
Any place that has a rivet, seam or hole drilled into the skin can and will leak.
The machine Steve is talking about is called a SealTech 430r. Soldiermedic here on the forums has one. He is a bit far from you at the moment. Here is their website.
Sealtech Manufacturing Inc. - RV leaks bubbles recreational vehicles
They have a listing of some of the RV dealers that have one under the "where to find it" tab.

perryg114 · 11-29-2011, 07:12 PM

Well I could hook a leaf blower to the trailer and look for leaks. I think I need to seal everything and then if I still have leaks I can try the leaf blower trick. It may be a good idea to check for leaks once I think I have them all sealed.

Usually I take the Parrbond and seal down in cracks then put Vulkem over that so I will have a double seal. I like dealing with Parrbond better than Vulkem. The Parrbond does dry a little too fast. The Parrbond smells good so you know it has to be good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it does not smell toxic it can't be working.

Perry

Lance M · 11-29-2011, 07:17 PM

My preference is Acryl-R over Parrbond. The 2nd PO used Parrbond in 2003 on my Ambassador and it didn't last as long as he hoped.

perryg114 · 11-30-2011, 06:11 AM

Why is Acryl-R is better? I was reading that thread and I am wanting to upgrade the floodlight with LED's so I don't melt the lens again. Is this the LED element that folks are using for this conversion?

12 LED Warm White Chip C12WW [15751W-19] - $14.95 : LEDs 4, Recreational Vehicles

and it looks like this is the same housing?

Flush Mount 5.5 in Backup Light 80423C [3693W] - $21.95 : LEDs 4, Recreational Vehicles

I think my housing is ok but the lens is toast.

I took the lens off last week and pulled out the dried up gasket. I noticed that water could funnel down the bulb socket and possibly below the skin. I was hopeing it was designed like most of the Signal Stat lights so that water could run in and back out without leaking to the interior. I maybe wrong on that and this is the source of my leak on the corner below the light.

Perry

dznf0g · 11-30-2011, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryg114

Why is Acryl-R is better? I was reading that thread and I am wanting to upgrade the floodlight with LED's so I don't melt the lens again. Is this the LED element that folks are using for this conversion?

12 LED Warm White Chip C12WW [15751W-19] - $14.95 : LEDs 4, Recreational Vehicles

and it looks like this is the same housing?

Flush Mount 5.5 in Backup Light 80423C [3693W] - $21.95 : LEDs 4, Recreational Vehicles

I think my housing is ok but the lens is toast.

I took the lens off last week and pulled out the dried up gasket. I noticed that water could funnel down the bulb socket and possibly below the skin. I was hopeing it was designed like most of the Signal Stat lights so that water could run in and back out without leaking to the interior. I maybe wrong on that and this is the source of my leak on the corner below the light.

Perry

This is the one I got (except in bright white....mistake.....get warm white)

42 LED Warm White Upgrade for Outside Patio Light 48x68WW9016W [48x68WW9016W] - $21.95 : LEDs 4, Recreational Vehicles

Aviator · 11-30-2011, 07:23 AM

I took our Airstream to a dealer in Anniston for the leak/pressure test. They told me they had fixed all the leaks, but I found several obvious ones upon returning home. I think the pressure test is s good idea, just be sure to use someone who knows what they are doing.

perryg114 · 11-30-2011, 07:29 AM

Ok I just bought one of those. Sounds like it might be a good idea to derate the voltage a little to prolong life.

Perry

dznf0g · 11-30-2011, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryg114

Ok I just bought one of those. Sounds like it might be a good idea to derate the voltage a little to prolong life.

Perry

I don't think it's necessary. I think his warning is for extended usage in direct sunlight, where the heat generated plus the high thermal load of the sun has caused issues. I have accidentally left mine on all night a couple of times (bet the neighbors loved that!) with no issues.

perryg114 · 12-01-2011, 06:15 AM

I took the flood light off last night and I don't think that is a source of major leaks although it does look like water did leak through the bulb base area. I don't know why they did not mount the thing upside down so water could not collect in that area and find its way into the trailer.

I think the biggest leak is the roof vent. There is a thick layer of Vulkem there and it is peeling up. It is going to be fun to remove. I think I am going to have to get a heat gun after it. I tried to remove some of it last night when it was in the 40's and it was hard to get that stuff to move.

Perry

perryg114 · 12-05-2011, 05:30 PM

Well it is raining hard here in Bama and I still have leaks. Some appear to have gone away and some are here to stay. I sealed the forward vent this weekend as well as the bathroom sewer vent and the bathroom air vent. I also removed the rear awning and caulked the rear window and reinstalled the awning bracket with caulk under it. I don't see any leaks in the rear of the tailer at all, knock on wood. I don't see any leaks on the left side front living room area. However, I still have leaks on both sides of the big fixed window to the right of the door. I have sealed the outer frame to skin interface but I have done nothing to the frame to window interface. I guess I don't understand how all the layers go together and the possible leak paths. So is it possible that the window to frame interface is my leak culprit?

Does Airstream design everything to leak between the skins? A leak you can see is one you can fix. A leak you can't see will keep causing damage till there is nothing left of your trailer.

Perry

tinbender · 12-05-2011, 05:48 PM

Perry,

I had a tough time fixing a leak at the top of a window and I would encourage you to work on all parts that may possibly be the cause. After doing any and everything else, what finally took care of mine was resealing the body seams all around the area of my window. Started from the top of the trailer and did them all the way down. The sealant on the seams didn't look bad nor did it have any visible cracks in it but that is what finally fixed it.

Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be!!
TB

Frank's Trailer Works · 12-05-2011, 06:27 PM

Adding new goop over old goop in hopes of clogging the hole rarely works. It often actually makes the situation worse. Clean the area well and start clean. Acryl-R on thin gaps, vulkem on the wider ones. One on top of the other will not double your protection it will just give you a fatter more obvious caulk line.

tinbender · 12-05-2011, 07:21 PM

Guess I didn't mickey mouse it enough. I did clean off the old and reapplied Acryl-R. No sealant mounds or build up. Taped 'em all off too, so no curvy lines in the sealant highway. Raining tonight, just checked it again.
Dry as a bone..........

perryg114 · 12-06-2011, 04:30 AM

I went to bare metal. The PO has caulked over caulk and it does not work. I think the window seal has gone bad and the leak is bypassing all my hard work. If the rain lets up I will go out there and put my silver duct tape around the window and see if that stops it. If it does then I have to figure out how to seal the window to the frame again.

Perry

Frank's Trailer Works · 12-06-2011, 05:23 AM

That is excellent! I see it often that just adding more goop is the solution taken. As Top stated, just about any rivet can potentially leak. Having the interior skins out makes finding it so much easier. For those 70's folks, the trim line molding is notorious for leaks around the rivets. The 1971 in the shop right now had 12 rivets in a row leaking on the street side. Oddly, most of the seriously pesky leaks turn out to be a single, bucked rivet, high up on the body. It leaks way up high and by the time you see it, it has exited the wall 8 feet away from where it started. The leak never heads straight down, it always goes in a different direction than where it started.