Water leaks.....grrrr

[toskeysam]

Got the van out of storage (outside) only to find the mouse-fur wall behind the driver seat ruined by a water leak.
The roof is tight. Checked it earlier and no cracks...sealant less than 4 months old. Installed after all old stuff was removed. This leak just started with our monsoon week in Tennessee.
The stain is around the cup holder and down to the floor. Appears to be from a leaking window frame. No evidence from above when I pulled the wallboard away (as much as possible). There appears to be evidence of pooling at the base of the exterior portion of the frame.....
Don't know if this is going to be a dealer repair job or a Jackson Center visit ......
Spent the afternoon pouring water on the side of the van. I think I found the route and have since blocked it. Another barrage of rainy days coming sooooo time will tell.
Learning just how difficult it is to take anything apart on this critter......panel extends behind galley....arrrggghhhh!
Have to replace the panel and insulation, so I may just cut the danged thing out and be done with it.

[cwf]

Hey, IF you found the leak source, you are among the rarified domain of Airstream mythology... congrats!!!

[InterBlog]

Pics would be good. I'm trying to reconcile "wall behind the driver's seat" and "window". You probably mean the long body wall, right?

[toskeysam]

To InterBlog....will get pics when rain lets up. I have a Lounge Ext model. 4seats up front. The wall in question IS the long wall that runs from behind the driver seat back past the second row seat and terminates BEHIND the galley cabinetry.

[Titus]

I recall a post in the last year or so with water damage in that area. I think that one was traced to a problem with the door seal. I recall a different post with water leak at some plumbing under the sink - a bit back from where you see the damage, but maybe the culprit if the van was parked front-down sp that the water ran forward.

We had our sliding door window replaced at JC because of a suspected leak. (Turned out not to be the problem.) The R&R of that window was not too bad. They removed the interior window trim (which might be much harder to do on your problematic window. It took a lot of prying to break loose the old seal then they spent a lot of time with some sort of solvent to remove all old sealant from the window and its frame. I didn't see anything that's couldn't be done at a local dealer - but I would want to find one that had done it before. I would not be at all afraid to do it myself if I had an indoor place to work on it.

[toskeysam]

Here is a picture of the stain inside. The second picture is outside where it appears water has been pooling behind the blackout decal along the base of the window frame. I have made a small dam of clear silicon along this route to divert water away from this channel. Works when I pour water on and above window....we'll see more in today's rain. I made the silicon "dam" small enough to be removed easily and not inhibit repair effort.

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by toskeysam

Here is a picture of the stain inside. The second picture is outside where it appears water has been pooling behind the blackout decal along the base of the window frame. I have made a small dam of clear silicon along this route to divert water away from this channel. Works when I pour water on and above window....we'll see more in today's rain. I made the silicon "dam" small enough to be removed easily and not inhibit repair effort.
Attachment 284512Attachment 284513

I have a leak in the same exact spot on my 2011 Interstate, and am quite sure that the culprit is the lower portion of the D Channel strip that seals the window to the van. In fact, I can see one screw that is stripped near where it's leaking and that's likely the one that is not holding it tight enough against the seal. There was another leak on the top of the window that I did manage to stop by tightening the screws I could reach. To fix it on the lower portion, though, is not easy because of the boxed in window treatment.

I'll have to remove the curbside chair, the cover off the heater, the microwave, and the fridge. Then find all the screws that hold the cabinet to the floor and frame, remove the plumbing and gas lines, and then move the cabinet over far enough to get to the screws holding on the mouse-fur cover, so I can get to the screws that hold the window on to the inside frame to tighten them to even see if that works at all. If not, then the D Channel seal will have to be replaced.

Or, I may just use some urethane windshield caulk on the lower portion of the outside window frame, on the outside, and see if that fixes it. Sadly, this is again a problem of poor installation at Jackson Center. That story never seems to end.

[toskeysam]

The Monday Monsoon was a good test of my "dam", but more importantly it showed the lower seal IS the problem. I was able to see running water. Feels weird to be happy to see it but at least I saw the source. Going to try a couple things......keeping the windshield caulk idea in my back pocket.
Haven't decided what to do about mouse-fur wall just yet. Plan is to remove second row seat and have a matching cabinet go behind driver seat.

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by toskeysam

The Monday Monsoon was a good test of my "dam", but more importantly it showed the lower seal IS the problem. I was able to see running water. Feels weird to be happy to see it but at least I saw the source. Going to try a couple things......keeping the windshield caulk idea in my back pocket.
Haven't decided what to do about mouse-fur wall just yet. Plan is to remove second row seat and have a matching cabinet go behind driver seat.

You can actually clean it, although it's not easy. That's what I plan to do. Again, as this is not the first time I've had a problem there. First time was caused by a the house water connection which was not very tightly screwed together, and when I hooked up to a higher than normal water hose, it leaked.

Let me know how it goes on your end. Whatever you figure out to fix the leak likely will work for me, too.

GM

[toskeysam]

GM....What did you use to clean the mouse-fur?

[dapolrbear]

Anyone have issues with a leaky exterior moulding clips?

I've seen a few owners on the Sprinter owners group on Facebook with this problem.

https://radvanadventures.com/2016/11...rrible-design/

[cwf]

Our 1999 has the fur all over... the "leaks" damaged the fur. In our case the aluminum had corroded and so that and mold showed up. Turns out, mold killers can accelerate corrosion in aluminum... just to be aware.

So,, I used a 10% water to Clorox in a sprayer.. spray, work in with stiff brush.. do not rub back and forth... kind of "wiggle"'the brush into the fabric.. dab to remove dampness. Repeat hourly for a few hours... rinse and dry using a shop vac. Next with a solution of dawn and water. Just till the solution suds a little bit.

Dry with vacuum as above. Soon the stain should fade..

Also add some oxyclean...to Deb solution... can help.. letting it sit is the key.. then rinse and dry.

[Ray Eklund]

Mouse Fur... While taking the tour in Jackson Center some years ago (2008) they had large sections of mouse fur in their trash. I asked the tour guide if I could take some large piece in the event our 2006 Safari ever needed some replaced.

They probably toss out more mouse fur sections than you will ever need. It will just need to be soiled some to blend... or just let it age naturally.

When we sold our Safari, we let the mouse fur go with the trailer. Otherwise, I would have been so happy to have found someone needing... to 're' fur.

[gmillerok1]

I was able to tighten, and replace a couple of screws using this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece...ver-92630.html

without removing the trim and all the rest just to see if that would fix the leak. Two screws, with hex heads, were almost stripped, so I removed and replaced with a phillips type head. While not exactly loose, I was able to tighten all the screws on the bottom where it was leaking (I had already tightened the rest). A water test with a hose did not show any leaks. The next heavy rain will be the final test.

You may try to use a similar tool to see if simply tightening the screws fixes the issue. There is a D-channel gasket already there, and it may just do the trick.

GM

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by cwf

. . .
. . . I used a 10% water to Clorox in a sprayer.
. . .

Do you mean 1 part Clorox to 10 parts water?

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by toskeysam

GM....What did you use to clean the mouse-fur?

I first tried using a carpet stain remover, but that only made things worse. Eventually, I took a damp cloth, and lightly rubbed it over the affected area, letting it dry between sessions, and not getting to soaking wet, just wet enough to remove the brown stain. Eventually, the brown stain faded, but it was never as good as new, just a lot less noticeable.

I may try a different stain remover, such as Resolve, and see if it works better.

I hate the mouse fur. I may just eventually replace it with something else. I've been thinking about putting stainless steel on the wall behind the stove. I could do the same thing there. Just rivet it on the mouse fur, and problem solved!

[Lily&Me]

You might try OxyClean, mixed as directed, lightly wiping the entire surface with a soaked cloth.

If you treat just the stain, the rest will look dirty.

Let dry, and vacuum to remove the dried residue and dirt.

I have successfully used this on many things, including stains which had been on something for years, and it's always effective.

It is also an outstanding deodorizer.

I put it in my carpet cleaner once a year, where it cleans, brightens, and deodorizes.

I have light colored carpet, a black Lab, and a woodstove....my carpet still looks brand new.

Amazing stuff.

Maggie

[toskeysam]

Found my RT angle screwdriver like was mentioned below.....only problem....they used TORX head screws. Did find one missing. May put Phillips there...it's right where it leaks!

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by toskeysam

Found my RT angle screwdriver like was mentioned below.....only problem....they used TORX head screws. Did find one missing. May put Phillips there...it's right where it leaks!

When I first discovered the leak, I called my go to service guy at Colonial RV(great dealership if it wasn't 2000 miles away), and ordered a new D channel, and he also sent me a packet of black screws that match, but with phillips screw heads. I had originally thought I'd have to take the window out and replace the D channel (and I just might-time will tell). But I did notice that the Torx screws could not be screwed as tight as the one with the phillips head that I used to replace two of the torx screws. The service manager told me they had the same problem, and only use the phillips screws when the replace the windows because the aluminum torx screws strip out so easily.

And yes, that's most lightly exactly the reason it leaks. The only thing keeping the water out is the pressure of the screws to the frame, and if it is not tight, water will definitely find its way inside.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Do you mean 1 part Clorox to 10 parts water?

Yes... more water ..... less Clorox. My apologies.. obviously I was wrong.