Water leak

[Frank Bannert]

Has anyone had any problem with a water leak that come in through the clearance lights? I seem to be getting a drops from above the windshield. The only thing above there is the clearance lights. I have checked the cap seam and all is good?

Pee Wee





Frank and Rosalie Bannert
02 Pat

[James Murphy]

My guess would be windshield seal. Had this problem once. Occured when i let front leveler down and water drained forward causing a leak inside at top of windshield. Never has done it again but seal around windshield probably needs replacement. Will probably wait until I have to replace windshield, it has two dings now that we have had repaired so won't be long before we have to replace whole windshield. Its 11 yrs old now so?

[Frank Bannert]

I don't think it is my winshield leaking. It appears above the winshield. We were level and the drip I had came from above the windshield. It was dripping from the vinyl where the shades are attached in the center and that is above the windshield and about where the clearance lights are. I had a spot about 12" wide circle on the white vinyl.  When we purchased this coach I had some clearance lights out and I had to cut silicone from around each light and I didn't think it would need resealing because there on a hole about 1/2" where the wire went in and a rubber seal behind it. I guess I will have to reseal them but it sure is differcult to have to cut these loose every time a clearence light goes out. Anybody got any ideas.



Frank

[Joel Ashley]

Recent threads here have referred to the issue of clearance lights' lens deterioration.  The front ones on my coach are displaying such failure this summer, after only 5 years of age.  The ones on our old '84 Pace Arrow never cracked like these, and the lenses (or bulbs) were easily replaced.  As you've seen, you have to replace the entire fixture on our coaches.  Mine don't leak yet, but eventually will.  Even with a good seal, rain water and condensing vapor can get inside the micro-cracked lenses and into the coach via the wire port.  Water can accumulate in a low spot in the overhead, then run down when the coach is parked at just the right angle.

I reckon you are looking at cutting silicone again, Frank.  Consider resealing with Lexel instead of silicone.  It would be nice to have longer-lasting LCD lamps in such fixtures, esp. if you can't just pop a lens off to replace a lamp or lens, so you might check into that.  I've just started regularly applying Aerospace 303 protectant on the lenses to see if that helps ward off UV deterioration, but it's too late for my front ones that are pointed south while parked at home.  A better plastic is needed in this application.

Joel

[LEAH DRAPER]

Joel
You know what they say about 303 Protectant if you want to save/keep it, use 303 Protectant.  I have always used this or another UV inhibitor, and so far (knock on my wooden head) I've not experienced any problems.  Either I am lucky OR it works.

[Gerald Farris]

I never just replace the bulb in the clerance lights above the windshield. The failure rate is so high on the lens that I replace the lens every time that I replace the bulb. You always should seal a clearance light with Lexel or silicon every time it is removed, without exception.

Gerald

[Jerry Carr]

Hi Gerald where do you buy your clearance lights? are replacing them with the LED?

[Joel Ashley]

There are several possible sources, including this one as an example:  http://www.foxtaillights.com/clearance--side-marker-lights.html

They have two different possibilities, the 180 and 153 series, but I didn't call yet to discuss RV application and lens durability.

Joel

[Gerald Farris]

Jerry I purchase my clearance lights "online" from several different sources,  however I have never used LED lights. They have only recently become readily available and I am not convinced that they are cost effective yet.

Gerald

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Does the current plan to stop production of incadencent bulbs include the automotive/rv ones also like the household bulbs? That could have an influence on whether an LED may be preferrable.

[Gerald Farris]

12V bulbs are not covered under the production ban on incandescent light bulbs. The idiots in the government are not that stupid YET. There is no acceptable replacement for a lot of the automotive applications.

The light fixture for an automotive application has to be designed for LED bulbs in most cases before they can be used because LEDs do not give 360 degree light like an incandescent bulb does. So a fixture designed for LEDs uses multiple bulbs to give light across a curved lens where an incandescent fixture usually has only one bulb. Also incandescent bulbs have a higher lumen rating than LEDs making LED headlights much less cost effective, although I understand that the words "cost effective" are considered profanity in Washington D.C..  

Gerald

[Joel Ashley]

My understanding is that some brands make clearance lamps available that have lenses of polycarbonate, which rejects UV light;  those of us who have eyeglasses may be familiar with it as a safer and lighter glass substitute.  Whether LCD or incandescent lamps are used, I would theorize the polycarbonate clearance lights less likely to have our micro-cracking problem.  And polycarbonate is impact resistant because it is softer, so rocks wouldn't break such lenses.  A downside may be that the softer material could scratch easier than regular plastic clearance lamp lenses.

Methinks I need to find time to research a bit more.

Joel

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Joel,
My eyeglasses made of regular plastic scratched so much, I had to replace them every year.  Since I switched to polycarbonate lenses, I have had no scratches in a year and a half.  If I could find polycarbonate lenses for the coach, I would bu them as replacements.

Larry