Water leak in ceiling

[Dan Murphy]

We have a man detailing our coach and he spent a good part of the day on our roof yesterday scrubbing and cleaning. This guy really cleans it right. He was not using a pressure washer but just a nozzle on a regular hose and we got a few drips into our coach that came down thru the two puck lights over the drivers chair and the co-pilot chair. I asked him how he found the roof and he said it looked good. When I told him about the water he said he spent a lot of time cleaning under and around the air conditioners.He could not find any problem areas to check just from looking at the roof.

Has anybody had a similar type issue and can give me a hint as to what I can look for and how to maybe fix this leak??

Just checking in case someone has had a similar problem.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dan,
I'd check the front clearance lights. They've been known to leak if the lens are not sealed with Lexel or silicon. Also check to see that all mountings to the roof in the area of the puck lights are well sealed with Dicor and that the sealant is not cracked.
Steve

[Mike Groves]

My experience with cleaning around the air conditioners is that it is possible to get water in the coach that way.  One of my covers was cracked and I had some water ingress, and took off the cover and could see a possibility of water getting in.  I replaced both AC covers and haven't had an issue since. 

I did also have water coming down through a puck light toward the front of the coach when I took off the front cover and used a hose sprayer to clean the condenser.  I won't do that again.  Anyway, my guess is that it came via the AC units but if property covered it won't happen any more due to normal rain.

Mike

[LaMonte Monnell]

Possible leak by the front clearance lights. These are known to crack severely across the top because of being in the heat and sun all day and  allowing water to enter them.

Also water can get in under the ac units while spraying water from a hose nozzle and enter the coach. The strips along the side where the front cap is installed is a spot where water can get in if the sealant is old and cracked.

[john brunson]

Steve,

Does Lexel caulk play well with dicor?  It looks to be much more common and less$$$.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

John,
They are for 2 differing applications. Lexel is effectively a silicone replacement. It flows and adheres better (IMHO) and doesn't separate with age like silicone tends to do. Suggest you use masking tape when using Lexel to keep it from getting on to surfaces you don't want it to.  Dicor is mainly used as a roof sealant. It comes in both standard and self-leveling varieties. I've found the self -leveling is best for covering screw heads and sealing around the edges of roof mounted equipment and sky-lights.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

All the previous responses offer likely resolutions.  But after cleaning my roof this summer, the next heavy rainfall proffered up a significant leak around where the solar panel wires entered the roof.  Water accumulated inside the roof assembly and found its way down in buckets through a light fixture and AC vents.  Apparently my cleaning displaced dirt that had been acting as a seal, and uprooted weak adhesions.  Because the wires lay flat, the aperture was hidden from view under them.  The portal wasn't obvious until the wires were lifted and the underside of the sealant carefully examined.

Lexel was an excellent if only temporary repair.  It worked until BCS resealed the wire entry with proper roof sealants, probably self-leveling Dicor.  In addition to those areas others note above, I'd move and examine carefully any points where wiring enters the roof.

Joel

[Michael Rump]

Hi Dan,

If you have horns on the roof you might check the bolts as well.  Just had the front clearance lights replaced because the water was pouring in.  As the previous thread stated, the sun bakes them and they crack.  Actually came out in pieces.

When I cleaned the a/c coils, water came in the roof on the rear unit.  Nothing since thankfully!

Best to you and Kris!

[Bill Sprague]

We have a man detailing our coach and he spent a good part of the day on our roof yesterday scrubbing and cleaning. This guy really cleans it right. He was not using a pressure washer but just a nozzle on a regular hose and we got a few drips into our coach that came down thru the two puck lights over the drivers chair and the co-pilot chair. I asked him how he found the roof and he said it looked good. When I told him about the water he said he spent a lot of time cleaning under and around the air conditioners.He could not find any problem areas to check just from looking at the roof.

Has anybody had a similar type issue and can give me a hint as to what I can look for and how to maybe fix this leak??

Just checking in case someone has had a similar problem.

Dan,

The seal for the A/C units works by compressing a ring of foam rubber.  The compression is created by bolts accessible form the inside.  I fixed a leak there on our "old" Monterey by "firming up" those bolts.   It is not uncommon to replace those foam rubber gaskets due to age.

I also had leaks from the clearance lights.  On our Monterey, Monaco used the cheapest plastic lights they could find.  They looked OK but with even a little bit of age they got brittle.  A bump with a wash brush would crack them.  Once during driving Washington state rain while we were camp hosts I made an emergency repair.  I smeared bathroom calk over the cracked lenses.  It was a common Dap brand that is white when you apply it and dries clear.   It worked so well I never got around to replacing the lights.   

Water leaks were a huge PITA and constant battle for us for our dozen years of ownership. 

[LaMonte Monnell]

I hear ya on the water leak issues. I just found a brittle wall by a mirror on the kitchen backsplash.
Of course when I took the mirror off the wall it peeled halve of the wallpaper with it. I then cut the wallpaper edges straight with a razor knife and the wood was wet and peeling off. So now I hunt for the leak above and figure out what I must do to repair the wall satisfactory for the boss!

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

LaMonte,
Sounds like either a leak around one of the windows or on the slide top. If I remember correctly there are rivets along the top outer edge of the slide. If so I'd suspect a leak at one of them or at the seam itself.
Steve

[Carol Moffett]

I can't even add to this thread, although I'd like to!  I get so livid I can hardly type!  Leaks are the bane of our existence right now.  You fix one, two more pop up!  It is a never ending problem with these rigs.  Good luck!
:^3=~

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for all the replies. I believe the water leaked in when the air conditioner covers were off.After the covers were put back on and he quit cleaning the water stopped and it was very little to begin with. I intend to "firm up" the bolts a little on the seal as my buddy Bill suggested and I'll have to wait for a good rain to check again.

[Joel Ashley]

As long as the bolts aren't obviously loose, I wouldn't do much "snugging", Dan.  It doesn't take much squeezing the sandwich to warp the foam gaskets and create a real leak.

Joel