Water Leak

NY RVer · 12-13-2016, 06:53 PM

Anyone have a problem with water entering the rear storage area on a 28BHBE? It's been back to the dealer for that problem, and they sealed around the metal trim around the door, but still having a problem. Went inside tonight to take in the coffee maker, and found water pooled up in front of stove and fridge area. Opened the storage area, and everything is sitting in ice. Could it be coming in from the hinge? Want to get this resolved before water damage occurs.

wwt · 12-13-2016, 09:52 PM

I'm not familiar with that model but could the water be coming from a water line or heater inside the unit and the water is running down into the storage compartment?
How could water go through the storage door and pool inside on the floor?

BigJohnD · 12-13-2016, 10:29 PM

My front 2 storage hatches leaked in a heavy rain or while washing, but after replacing the rubber seals they are good now. If you have water in front of the stove, check all the plumbing under the sink / stove. LOTs under there including water pump, fresh water fill etc. Could also be seal around the furnace. We redid every seal on the camper shortly after purchase, just because I'm very particular about how they are done, and what they are done with. To date, no leaks.

NY RVer · 12-14-2016, 05:45 AM

The trailer has a slight pitch towards the kitchen side, which is why I am assuming it is coming from the side where the storage is, as there is quite a bit of water which froze now.
I also checked outside below the fridge to see if it may have come in from there, but all dry there. Will check furnace exhaust next.

Gman1372 · 12-14-2016, 05:46 AM

Maybe look into the outside shower. There's no seal on the door and water could easily enter and travel down to the same storage bay.

NY RVer · 12-14-2016, 07:36 PM

I believe I may have found the problem. The door to the rear storage does not have a seal attached to the top over the hinge screws that would press against the top of the frame when closed. The other two compartments have it and are bone dry. Water runs down the inside of the door when you flip it up, and bulk of the water lays right behind the door. I went to Camping World today with my son, as he is having a water problem with a slide on his HTT, but they did not have the seal I need, so I will go to Home Depot tomorrow and see what I can find. Hopefully I can get it done tomorrow before the snow and rain come in this weekend. It will be a good test anyway!

BigJohnD · 12-14-2016, 08:59 PM

Just might be it. Seals like that I usually just get online at amazon or wherever. I just replaced all hatch seals a few months ago as I just didn't like the way they looked.

Swinepartner · 12-14-2016, 09:31 PM

I'm taking mine in for a leak this weekend. There's water dripping down the bottom, aft lip of the camper. The flooring of the aft storage compartment is dry, and shows no signs of pooling water. I did what I thought a good look around when I winterized the other day even paying close attention to the aft shower section and the rest of the water connections and fittings. So we will see.

Gman1372 · 12-15-2016, 11:15 AM

Before you spend money maybe temporarily seal the door with duct tape and hit it with a hose just to verify your suspicions. If your hose is shut off for the winter you could use a few buckets of water.

Camper_bob · 12-15-2016, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJohnD

My front 2 storage hatches leaked in a heavy rain or while washing, but after replacing the rubber seals they are good now. If you have water in front of the stove, check all the plumbing under the sink / stove. LOTs under there including water pump, fresh water fill etc. Could also be seal around the furnace. We redid every seal on the camper shortly after purchase, just because I'm very particular about how they are done, and what they are done with. To date, no leaks.

What did you use to replace those front storage seals? I don't have any leaks, but those seals don't look too great to me.

NY RVer · 12-15-2016, 05:42 PM

I picked up a stick on rubber seal at Home Depot and put it in between the hinge like the other two have. According to weather channel, I should know by Sunday night if it works.

BigJohnD · 12-15-2016, 07:19 PM

Camper Bob, I just used some 3/8" or 1/2" width (can't remember), adhesive backed epdm foam seal. Not as pretty as I'd like but no water.

NY RVer, water hose it down heavy now and find out before the rain.

Roaddane · 12-16-2016, 10:31 AM

We had a leak in the rear storage door area also. I crawled into the storage and had the wife hit the door with the garden hose. Turns out when they drilled the hole in the door for the latch, they messed up and the hole is a little off round. The latch wasn't perfectly centered to cover the hole, leaving the slightest of gaps. It's surprising how much water can get through such a tiny gap.

NY RVer · 01-24-2017, 07:47 PM

Well, after trying everything I could think of after discussing with dealer first, I still have water coming out in the storage area in between the wall panel and wood framing. I used proflex along roof line, and silicone around 3 sides of each bunk window above the hatch, and proflex along the hatch frame. The only thing I can think of now would be if one of the window units is defective and water is getting into the wall through the frame. It can no longer be getting in around the seal where frame meets siding, as that is all siliconed.

I would have brought it back to the dealer already, but they are 1 1/2 hrs away, and it would become an all day event to go and come back. I usually plan my stops there when going on a trip, and they have always made the time for me to stop by. I am assuming at this point, being I already tried everything they also agreed they would do first, that they would have to do an air test to find this problem. It has been extremely fustrating and my concern now is if there is damage in the wall.

Any chance the problem could be behind that strip that is inserted in the metal track that holds the TPO roof in place at the top corner? I would assume there are just screws back there, but could that much water get in around a screw?

32 years in my own building and contracting business and many before that, I have come across many leak issues that we resolved, but this one has me baffled! By the way, there is no sign of water around the interior of either bunk window, or corner of ceiling, or running down the wall. The water is some how getting in the wall and seeping out behind the panel above the storage door frame.

Anyone want to take a guess that is familiar with the 28BHBE?

BigJohnD · 01-24-2017, 08:18 PM

Shot in the dark you may have already covered. Have you checked or replaced that foam seal that is on the hatch door hinge itself? They will leak bad and I replaced that too. It's a very thin narrow strip of foam that gets jacked up easily. If you proflexed 3 sides of each window, I'm doubtful that's it. I pulled every window on mine, ditched the cheap foam seal that will leak in time, and resealed with a good butyl the old school way. If the outer seal does happen to leak in your case, it is possible to get in the wall. I'm still betting on the hinge though.

NY RVer · 01-24-2017, 09:13 PM

Yes, thank you, actually that is the first thing I did because that door did not have one, and I noticed that the other two did. I bought some at Home Depot and put it on hoping that was the problem. It was after that I noticed that the water was actually coming out between the interior panel and wood framing above the aluminum hatch frame. There is about 1/2" gap between the top of the aluminum frame and the bottom of the wood frame, and the aluminum frame only comes in about half way of the wood frame. The water actually drips straight down past the inside of the hatch frame. I see you have the same trailer (nice mods btw!), so if you look up inside the storage right behind the door you will see what i mean.

By the way, that seal you suggested did stop water that ran down the inside of the door that was coming in through the hinge, so I thought I had it, until I realized it was coming in from somewhere above the door.

BigJohnD · 01-24-2017, 09:47 PM

Seems like it would be the Windows then. Easy to pull and redo. If not that then back to the roof. You seemed to have covered both. A pressure test would probably be a good idea.

Mark Geer · 01-25-2017, 05:17 AM

Check bolts on a.c. mine loosens up on my 07 Jay feather 29n. The water went under rubber roof to side an denominated the side and fill the cover under frame .Traded in on new 26.5 eagle h t

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