Source of entry leak?

[ptbeth]

We have a 68 Safari we bought last fall. Over the winter (very rainy in Calif this year) every window leaked. My husband was able to seal and replace windows as needed so there are no more window leaks. The entry floor, however, is soggy even after all the window fixes and replacing the door seal. We emptied the trailer and replaced the carpet over tile floor with Marmoleum sheeting. We patched the small area of dry rot at the entry, but don't want the leak to ruin our new floor next winter. There is a joint under the door that looks like it isn't sealed. Could that be the source? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

[Wsmith]

Did you caulk the top of the door? Also check top of awning, roof penetrations especially the vent pipes for the sink and bathroom plumbing. (there is a gasket inside the aluminum stack that cracks and lets water to go down the pipe to the floor.) The water could be getting in several feet from where you are seeing it and running down the bottom channel until there is a joint to let it out.

[ptbeth]

There are really no vents anywhere in the vicinity of the leak as the galley is on the other side and the bath in the rear. We will get out the calking gun and start sealing every seam. We were hoping the hear "oh, yeah, that one always leaks _____". ) Thanks for your help!

-Beth

[Splitrock]

When I got my trailer there was a rotted spot on the wood floor just to the front of the entry door. When I resolved the issue, I had identified and fixed 11 separate leaks that contributed to that damage. I ended up removing the inside skin to get access to the leaks. The last and hardest leak to find was an exterior skin panel lap joint that looked just fine from the outside.

The easiest leak to find and the most time consuming to repair was the vista window above the curbside living area operating window. Of course the obvious leak points were the roof vents, television antenna, awning brackets, awning rail, window gaskets, door gaskets, and loose and missing rivets under the awning roller.

I followed sage advise here and the service manual, and did all the replacements and repairs from the top to the bottom. When I finished, the only leak I couldn't fix was a designed leak. That was the step release slot. For that I added screened drain holes under it and added aluminum bubble insulation that is suspended above the bottom of the belly pan. I coated all of the frame I had exposed with Por-15.

I can see keeping this trailer dry and in top condition will require a religious commitment. The good news is, all the parts and supplies are still available and help and advise is free and useful.

Gary

[ptbeth]

Ah...a true expert who has lived through the agony of the leak! I think you've got us pointed in the right direction with the step. There is a seam just above the step that we can just barely see the plywood floor through. Plus, someone in the past put silicone around the edge of the door frame that is now just a lot of chunks. We'll clean that out and seal the seam. Think that's where we'll head first.
Thanks for the help!
- Beth

[Jcashcollect]

Originally Posted by ptbeth

We have a 68 Safari we bought last fall. Over the winter (very rainy in Calif this year) every window leaked. My husband was able to seal and replace windows as needed so there are no more window leaks. The entry floor, however, is soggy even after all the window fixes and replacing the door seal. We emptied the trailer and replaced the carpet over tile floor with Marmoleum sheeting. We patched the small area of dry rot at the entry, but don't want the leak to ruin our new floor next winter. There is a joint under the door that looks like it isn't sealed. Could that be the source? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

how did you fix your window leaks? Just with Sikoflex or Vulcem along the top of the windows?

[ptbeth]

I repaired the window leaks according to the instructions from this forum. If memory serves me it was a post by Andy from Inland RV. The hinge along the top edge was "injected" with clear silicone and the windows were operated every 10 minutes or so to keep them from locking up. This is the only place to use silicone on the exterior. I replaced all the window door seals with the recommended profile from Inland RV and it is an excellent product. I cleaned all the surfaces thoroughly and used 3M weatherstrip adhesive to glue the new seals in place. I used Vulkem to seal any vents/trim/panel/lights joints that needed attention.