Seal-Tech Not the Answer!

[Becky B.]

I just got back from an RV place about a hour away from my house. I dropped off the AS to have them do the Seal-Tech method on it. After having the trailer dry through a light rain, I ordered new carpet & had it installed yesterday. However, on Monday we had a torrential rain. You guessed it--four spots with water. I cried "Uncle" and made an appointment to have the Seal-Tech done on the trailer. Brought it in yesterday afternoon. Place called me today that it was finished (I am going to fix the leaky spots myself--just wanted them located). They had a drawing of the trailer from all sides & showed me where the leaks appeared. Only one of them is a possibility for the dampness on the floor! The other two were where new gaskets haven't worn in yet & a bit of air was getting out of there. I showed the guys where I actually had leaks & they said nothing showed up there--did I try sealing this & that? I told them that's why I had it in there--for the Seal-Tech to show me where the leaks were coming from! Then they said they'd take it back in the bay & use the hose method. I told them they have to wait at least 5 minutes between watering & actual showing of water inside--it just takes a while to get through. They said maybe the Seal-Tech air takes a while to come out the outside of the trailer too. Told them maybe they needed it to be pressurized longer to actually work its way out seams & such. So, they took the trailer back & are going to do it over. I walked through the trailer & showed them where all the leaks were (why didn't I do that before--cause they didn't seem to want to hear anything I said about it & thought every leak would show up like nothing! Wrong!) Anyhow, apparently Seal-Tech isn't the magic answer to leaks. I have run out of time to work on the Airstream right now & need to have it back together for the hunting season if I want happy menfolk in my house, thus the desparate measure of bringing it in to the RV place (not an Airstream dealer). I'm pretty bumbed about all of the leaks not showing up & hope I'm not spending huge bucks on their $100/hour labor fees. The Seal-Tech machine cost $79 just to hook it up--I told them that the machine was pretty worthless! I'll update when I get it back as to what they had to do.

[Colin H]

Sorry to hear you're bummed out. As I'm sure you know, any tool is only as good as the operator. Taking an Airstream to a shop that does not work on them regularly is not always the best solution. Water can leak in at one end of a trailer & present itself in the form of a puddle at the other. Always keep in mind the age old adage, Sh*t runs downhill. We use the Sealtech machine & have had good results however I'm sure we've missed some due to any number of reasons. Our labor rate is $60/hr & the clock starts ticking when we pick up the machine & enter your trailer. It usually takes about an hour & a half for a trailer however that changes due to the number of leaks found & the length of the trailer. Sealing the leaks is another matter. We often have to remove plumbing stacks etc to reseal them properly or replace them all together. Is it the "perfect" solution? Probably not, however the guessing game is no better.
Colin
WBCCI, VAC 1936
GSM Vehicles Inc
The Vintage Airstream Podcast - Home
VAC Technical advisor

[Alumatube]

It can be difficult to pin-point leaks in these trailers/mohos since the water can leak in at one spot and go a long way before it get through the interior panels. Our rear a/c was leaking, and the water came in along one of the windows and along a seam by the end cap, nowhere near the site of the leak. Don't castigate the Seal-Tech testers yet! Once those leaks are sealed you may not have any more issues.

Good luck,
Susan

[Becky B.]

I called them this afternoon & told them not to bother with the hose. I certainly can operate a hose & my fee is alot less than $100/hour! We'll see on Monday if they found any of the problem spots with another go round with the Seal-Tech machine.

[john hd]

becky

you did check the stupid stuff first? like your sewer vents.

john

[davidz71]

Originally Posted by john hd

becky

you did check the stupid stuff first? like your sewer vents.

john

You got that right John. I kept getting a leak into my A/C vent inside the trailer and also into the bathroom counter even though I wasn't using the A/C. Turns out that it was either the rubber seal around the power cord from my batwing antenna OR one/both sewer vents which had cracked rubber seals. I said OR because securing the batwing cover took care of the leak into the A/C and replacing both sever vent rubber seals took care of the leak in the bathroom.

[Becky B.]

I did check the stupid stuff & have recaulked almost everything imaginable (removed lots of silicone w/a dental pick!). The point is, the Seal-Tech procedure is supposed to tell you where the leaks are, and it didn't the first
time around. Hopefully, the additional time they're going to leave it pressurized will find the leaks that I know are there, but don't know where. As you all know, leaks take a lot of time to find, especially small ones. I just have a timeline that I have to work on this thing & I thought the Seal-Tech would find all my small leaks at once. It just didn't pan out that way.

[ljmiii]

As noted by others, seal tech is just a tool - the quality of the tool is limited by the quality of the operator.

I had an intermittent leak in my Bambi and took it to Colin Hyde of GSM Vehicles in Plattsburgh, NY. I watched them do the Seal Tech thing, they found about 20 leaks in about an hour, and they fixed them all in about three. If you can get to Plattsburgh I strongly recommend Colin.

Also as noted by others, if you have a plastic sewer vent that is almost certainly (at least one of) the problems - it was the primary problem with my Bambi. Apparently, standard operating procedure at Airstream is now to overtighten the screws on the vent and then overcaulk over the cracks that form. If you do have a plastic vent, I also strongly recommend digging it out from under the pool of caulk that is probably sitting on your roof and replacing it with a metal vent and recaulking lightly.