Leak appearing near edges of sofa

[Wingeezer]

Just wondering if anyone else has a trailer with layout similar to mine with a sofa across the front (2005 Classic 30) and experienced minor water leaks appearing at the floor at each front edge of the sofa.

I have done a lot of checking to try to find the source of these leaks but so far no success.

I have checked and re-caulked windows awning brackets etc., and looked for loose rivets (didn't find any). My skylights are fairly new (Maxim) and I don't think they are the problem.

I recently cleaned all the caulking off the front fantastic fan. I did find some evidence of water under the old caulking and also some minor cracking in the plastic fan frame. I re-caulked everything possibly it could have been the source.

When upon the roof, I did notice some condensation in the two roof clearance lights. When I removed the lenses I found the sockets were completely rusted and rotted so water has been getting in the lights for a long time.

They were so bad I was surprised that the lights were still working - they may not be now that I have disturbed them!

Anyway, I have ordered new light fixtures and will change them at my next opportunity - hoping the old ones won't be too much of a chore to get off. I am guessing the securing screws will be well rusted and I may need to try grabbing them with vice grips or perhaps grinding them off. As well, there may be sealant around the light base that I guess I will have to carefully cut loose.

I am wondering if these light fixtures might be the source of the leak?

I was told there is a sort of U channel around the perimeter of the trailer and that there is be a break or join in this channel where the transition from the curved end cap to the straight sides of the trailer starts.

If this is so, perhaps water can run down from the lights into this channel then run around and exit at the transition from curve to straight onto the floor - I think this would be just about at the front of the sofa where I am seeing the dampness in the carpet.

Hope they either the re-caulking of the fantastic fan and / or my planned changing the clearance lights solves the problem.

So far the floor in the area of the leak seems very solid, but of course I want to stop the leak as soon as possible.

Wondering if any other people with a similar floor plan layout have found leaks in this area and if so, how you resolved it.


Brian.

[dznf0g]

Yes, I have. Question: Do you also have wet spots on the outside edges of the battery boxes, up against the wall?

[cwf]

I had that happening on our 34'... turned out to be the upper clearance lights. I 'sealed' the wires, screws, etc.. and it resolved the problem.

[dznf0g]

There's a trick to seating these older Classic running lights. Tip the front (rounded) end in first and press the tail (pointed end) down HARD. It will "pop" into place, then screw in only moderately firm. Without the tip-in and pop, it isn't seated and will leak a lot. This stopped condensation and moisture in all but one of mine. (along with custom made EPDM gaskets)

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Yes, I have. Question: Do you also have wet spots on the outside edges of the battery boxes, up against the wall?

Hi Rich,

No, I pulled the removable armrests off each end and the dampness does not seem to go around the curve towards the battery boxes. It is pretty cub limited to the area right near the front of the sofa where the fold away tables are located..

I also checked around the battery boxes themselves and it seems dry up there.

I have a cheap audible type moisture detector that I rigged up with some sharp probes that I made to probe down through the carpet into the wood and it seems to work very well and is useful for checking the extent of dampness.

Brian.

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

There's a trick to seating these older Classic running lights. Tip the front (rounded) end in first and press the tail (pointed end) down HARD. It will "pop" into place, then screw in only moderately firm. Without the tip-in and pop, it isn't seated and will leak a lot. This stopped condensation and moisture in all but one of mine. (along with custom made EPDM gaskets)

Thanks again Rich, I will watch for that. I think I saw in an earlier thread from Andy and Can Am RV, he said they run a small bead of Acryl R around the lens - I will probably do that also when I install the new ones, although I guess the bead of sealant needs to be kept really small or it could be tough getting the lens off when needed. I ordered a half dozen replacement fixtures because I am guess that if two have been leaking there will be more.

Was going to switch to LED's but the LED fixture was about $24 compared to $8 fro the regular one - and I think I'd need to change them all for it to look good, I think tree are something like 13 of them.

Brian.

[dznf0g]

And is it parked exactly level, or even slightly nose high or tail high? That is the first step in determining c channel running. Even 1" or less off level makes a difference.

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by cwf

I had that happening on our 34'... turned out to be the upper clearance lights. I 'sealed' the wires, screws, etc.. and it resolved the problem.

Channing,

That's very interesting and sort of what I was hoping to hear! Maybe that is indeed my problem - if not, I'm sort of at a loss where else to look!


Thanks for the info ........ Brian.

[wolf146]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Just wondering if anyone else has a trailer with layout similar to mine with a sofa across the front (2005 Classic 30) and experienced minor water leaks appearing at the floor at each front edge of the sofa.

I have the 2004 Classic (30 foot) and had a leak near the door closest to the couch on the curb side. Airstream in Ohio told me I had a "weeping" rivet on the roof. They just caulked it and that solved the problem. Now I check both the running light seals and the rivets on the roof. Wolf146

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by wolf146

I have the 2004 Classic (30 foot) and had a leak near the door closest to the couch on the curb side. Airstream in Ohio told me I had a "weeping" rivet on the roof. They just caulked it and that solved the problem. Now I check both the running light seals and the rivets on the roof. Wolf146

Thanks for the tip!

I did buy a small bottle of "Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure" which is supposed to be very good for leaking rivets. I haven't tried it yet because I didn't find any rivets that seemed loose.

But I think what I will do if I still have leaks after putting on new clearance lights is to try a drop or two on each rivet up on the roof in the suspect area. I guess it is possible a rivet could leak without being visibly loose.

From what I have read about "Capt. Tolley's," it is a fairly thin liquid which easily can run into the smallest crack and then sets up to a flexible seal.

I read that if you put a drop on a rivet and it immediately wicks in, that indicates there was indeed a pathway and it will now be sealed. I suppose otherwise the liquid will just stay around the rivet edge if there is no leak.

Sooner or later I should be able to find the source of my problem!

If I cannot, I will call CanAm RV, a large Airstream dealer about an hour and a half from me, and see if they have one of those leak finding systems that pressurizes the trailer and uses soap solution to pinpoint the leaks.

I wondered if I could improvise such a system with a leaf blower (I have Stihl's largest gas backpack blower!) but I'm not sure if it requires more volume than that could put out. I haven't heard of anyone doing it that way.


Brian

[dznf0g]

Tolleys works well. Touch each rivet with a small drop. Order some oral syringes, the tip of the bottle will make a mess and waste a lot of product.

In addition, TV antenna, awning rail, awning wheel latch, and ALL window rivets are suspect. I found a broken eyebrow rivet where they bucked an attachment rivet over top of the small eyebrow rivet.

Check door frame rivets with tolleys. Also...if you have ever noticed, water coming off the awning rail floods the belt molding and runs back to the end by the door. From there it drenches the lower grab handle mount. This mount is rubber gasketed, but I found evidence that water was entering the shell from beneath the rubber gasket. Seal the gaskets to the skin with your favorite sealer.

[dznf0g]

PS. Pretend you're Sherlock Holmes with chasing leaks. Makes a frustrating, mundane task more fun and brain exercising!

[cwf]

Older thread, but similar issue..
I have been chasing a leak on the street side, near the gaucho side at bottom. I covered the sectioned, collapsible 'radio antenna' with blue painters tape at top between roof and over the antenna shafts.. NO DAMPNESS!

Anyone take one of these antenna's off/replaced?