Weird Leak 66 Caravel

[LaurieB]

I just bought a 66 caravel. I have not done anything to it and have only camped in it 2 nights on the way home from picking it up. I went today to do some measurements and such. When I went to open the drawer above the fridge it was stuck. Finally got it open and it had water in it. I looked in the cabinet next to it (below the sink) and it was dry. I didn't see anything else. then I noticed under the cushions in the front the plywood was slightly damp.
I do not see any visual spots on the interior roof or walls.
I would assume it needs to be resealed but strange it was in the drawer like that. Any ideas?

[Belegedhel]

You very likely have several leaks. The one that resulted in the drawer being wet could have come down the refrigerator's exhaust vent, but maybe it is just coincidental.

So with an unknown trailer, first you want to check all of the seals around windows doors and hatches. If they are dry and cracked, then they need to be replaced. Next, look at every penetration (vent frames, sewer vent stacks, window frames, cable tv connections, etc.) in the shell and see if there is old sealant that has dried out and needs to be refreshed.

If you don't find a smoking gun above, then it could be literally any seam or rivet. Most people will seal every seam, and then check the condition of the sealant every year or so. You might try doing a "positive pressure" AKA "bubble" test on your shell to see how many leaks you have.

good luck!

[LaurieB]

The leak was indeed the Refrigerator roof vent. I bought a new one from Vintage trailers. I have the airstream at the local airstream dealer at the moment and they quoted 1800 to reseal the whole thing. Does that sound reasonable? What is the bubble test?

[Bubba L]

Originally Posted by LaurieB

The leak was indeed the Refrigerator roof vent. I bought a new one from Vintage trailers. I have the airstream at the local airstream dealer at the moment and they quoted 1800 to reseal the whole thing. Does that sound reasonable? What is the bubble test?

The bubble test is when they use forced air inside to create a positive air pressure inside the trailer and spray soapy water on the outside skin. If there’s a leak, the air coming out at a leak through the shell will create soapy bubbles. I’ve done this with an AC squirrel cage. Hope they find the leaks. We typically run a bead of silver Parbond on the joints to seal after Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Sealer that wicks into the joint for questionable potential leaks. Good luck.

[Belegedhel]

Man, I'm in the wrong business. When they say "$1800 to reseal the whole thing," do they mean to seal every seam on the entire trailer, or just to reseal the area around the refrigerator chimney? If it is just the chimney, then I would say it seems high.