Hi all,
I have a 2008 25 FB SE. I understand that I am not alone in finding water pooling in my front & rear window wells when underway through rainy conditions. To a lesser extent harder rainfall will also result in water building up to the point of running over into the interior & down the inside walls.
I tried replacing D-gaskets, sealing through bolts etc, but when underway, I think the movement & flex of the unit results in a squeegee effect that allows water to enter into the window wells. (Poor design - again.)
Anyways, it occurred to me that the real problem is that the water has no where to go once it penetrates the gasket/glass barrier. If I could drain the window wells, then it wouldn't build up to the point of overflowing....
I have since drained the wells & it is working very well. I thought it might be interesting for others to see an optional fix for the problem.
(I have to warn the reader that my fix isn't pretty and some of these pics were taken after a few trips with residual dirt & what-not adding to the general disorderly look; but, there is no more water coming down the inside aluminum to wet the beds & floor...
)
I did not appreciate initially how much more leaky the front window well was compared to the rear in that the mitre joints and seams of the well were allowing a lot more water in. The rear well was pretty water proof apart from when it got high enough to spill out through the window clamp through fitting.
Several features seemed important.
*The drains could not be a new source of water leaks. I wanted to be able to inspect & service them if needed.
*2 Drains would be better than one in that the unit is often not level when underway & if tilted one side vs the other the drains would still need to handle the water before overflow.
*I wanted to minimize holes through the frame / floor.
I considered installing the drains from below with a counter sunk upper surface, but if they became dislodged, occult leaking could occur.
So...I went to Home Depot & wandered through the plumbing Dept looking for possible solutions.
Ahhh, says I. A toilet supply tube might fit the bill?!
A few radially distributed drill holes close to the bottom edge of the flange would keep the water level pretty low & still allow for a physically robust application of the drain to the window well base. It wasn't as elegant a solution as I would have hoped but with the drain installed a clear sealant bead, it would be water proof & not inclined to loosen up.
So, with a knot in my stomach, I drilled the first hole. Passing the drain through from the top allowed a washered clamp effect from below. (No sealant or caulk yet here:
1/2 inch tubing goes over the smaller Toilet supply tube & can be cinched up against the washer & clamped in place. So adhesive sealant & physical clamping hold it in place.
The two drains were then connected together prior to passing through the floor frame in the back:
The drain tube passing through the underbelly near rear bumper:
The front (Bedroom end) had a different configuration & so I elected to pass the drain through the floor rather than through the frame at the wall.
The rear well:
After installing the drains & testing directly as well as inspecting after a hard rainstorm, I was disappointed ( & glad to find out while I was still in project mode) to see that these little gaps around the front windows were significant.
So, I caulked the mitres, and inside corners with various products. (Steel Epoxy, Acryl-R etc. ) The Acryl-R was staying tacky & picking up every bit of dirt in contact with it. Clear coating the Acryl-R fixed that.)
So not cleaned up & not pretty, but largely hidden by the front shade windows etc.
http://eheffa.zenfolio.com/img/s10/v...25678881-3.jpg
So, as you can see; this is not that pretty a fix, but quite frankly, it is not very noticeable. The drains seem to be working very well as I am no longer seeing any standing water in the wells or any water intrusion into the inside walls after rain or hosing the unit down. I have not yet had an opportunity to travel through a heavy rainstorm but will be sure to report back when I have.
I'm feeling more optimistic.
I hope this is of some help or encouragement for others who might be struggling with the same issue.
-evan