basement door leaking water in

[LaMonte Monnell]

I have a 2001 contessa and recently am having an issue with rain water leaking into a basement bin on the drivers side. It is the one forward of the sewer and water panel. Looking at the seals I don't see an issue as they are there and look ok.

When it rains I have a plastic bin that fills with water and want to correct it. I will try to get a picture of the area. Possibly I may have to replace a seal, where would I find such a part?

[Gerald Farris]

Lamonte,
Normally, a rain water leak into that compartment is caused by a leak in the compartment exterior walls and not the door seal. You can check for a leak in two different manners. First, put a bright lantern (preferable battery powered) into the compartment with the door closed on a dark night and look for any light from a hole or crack in the compartment.

The other method is to use a blow gun and direct compressed air from the compartment interior at all seams or possible leak locations while someone looks and feels of the exterior for air flow. Sometimes a soap and water solution is helpful when looking for the leak with this method, but it is usually not necessary.

Gerald

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Lamonte,
Has same problem with our Contessa. Found water was coming in via the wire to the light. Ours got wettest in the rear inboard corner of the bin.
Steve

[David T. Richelderfer]

Interestingly, our coach has a similar leak in a street side basement compartment.  Almost every time it rains the floor carpeting gets wet - but not the wall carpeting and not the ceiling carpeting.  The back of the bay door has no carpeting so the water must be running down the back of the bay door directly onto the carpeted floor.  When only a little rain comes the wet spot is localized to the rear, outward corner of the floor.  There is a wrinkle in the door seal at the upper corner of the bay doorway and right where the leak logically should be.  When the carpeting dries out in a few days I may crawl in there with a light and have Leslie run the water hose over the area.