Leaking Bunk end tents

[amabee]

Hey everyone, having some issues with our "tents", never had this problem with our popup, the tent ends are leaking around all the roof seams. Actually most all the seams were leaking. The widow flaps were also soaked after a few hours of rain. Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Allen

[glsimms]

Maybe try some seam selar and see if that takes care of the problem?

That or try some PUGS??

http://www.popupgizmos.com/bunkcoverpage.htm

Also saw a thread similar to yours and wmoses says he used scotchgard....

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...ofing-bunkends

[amabee]

We did put our PUGS on to help out, but a 2-3yr old camper shouldn't need them to not leak.

I will try some scotchguard and seam sealer but I just don't understand why this happened. We had our 1207 for 2 years and never had an issue like this and it went through some weather.

Is this something you do on a regular basis? The owners manual doesn't make it sound like you need to redo the seams all the time? Just curious how common this is.

[go wild]

I bought our 17Z new in 2010, haven't touched the tent ends and they are still water tight (and it rains/storms almost every trip!). Seam sealer seems like a good idea, not sure about scotchgard..is that really a water repellent?

[Ladywendolyn]

Are you sure the water is coming in at the seams. Our last Hybrid had water come in when folded up around the hatch door when it was closed, we couldn't figure out why this was happening and then after some research we found out that the hybrids have a "track" that runs around the door that is supposed to drain any water that gets in, especially when moving. If the track gets dirty or plugged, then water gets in... either way, its really important to resolve the issue as soon as possible as the bunk end doors can rot out if they stay wet. We even ended up replacing the seals on our last one to increase the water protective factor.

[amabee]

It is coming in through the seams, I spray it with a hose and water comes in around the stitch holes, you can see and feel the water immediately. It's not just in certain places, it's everywhere. The thread get wet and eventually starts to drip. We had water dripping off the bed bow and from the seam between the roof and sides this past weekend. I put our PUGS on, which helped with some if it, but they shouldn't be required, we didn't have them for our popup and it didn't leak in those areas.


The bunk doors do not leak, believe me I have checked that. Scotchguard does have a water repellant, but this would not be a long term fix.

[delaneymedic315]

I have a 2013 X17Z and it has had new top on it and still leeks jayco said they would put another set on it crappy craftsmanship wish they would give money back I hate my new water bucket

[Jagiven]

Sorry to hear about your issue. I wish I had a good solution for you. Our 23B I thought had a leak but I determined it was condensation. I would do a little research on water proofing options. One company I use when I did a lot of hard core backpacking was Nikwax, and I liked their products. Doing a quick Google search I see they make a spray on water proofing for fabrics. I might be a good easy option. You may need to apply it once a year though. But it would be easy to do.

The pugs that where mentioned above, a lot of people like as it adds a layer of protection from the sun and weather. I have not used them, but people state in warm weather the tent ends stay cooler and in the cold weather they do not get condensation inside the tent ends. When it is raining, the tent ends are quieter (I would like this feature) and the tents stay cleaner and dry. The pugs may be a nice feature from those prospective.

[wmoses]

Originally Posted by amabee

We did put our PUGS on to help out, but a 2-3yr old camper shouldn't need them to not leak.

I will try some scotchguard and seam sealer but I just don't understand why this happened. We had our 1207 for 2 years and never had an issue like this and it went through some weather.

Is this something you do on a regular basis? The owners manual doesn't make it sound like you need to redo the seams all the time? Just curious how common this is.

PUGs are not designed to help with leaks. If they do then that is a bonus. They are designed to help with heat.

I strongly suggest liberal applications of seam sealer and Scotch Guard. Did the Scotch Guard on my maiden voyage (as the storm was approaching) - sprayed the canvas 3 times on each bunk end. Storm came and went and there were no issues. I figure that seasoned the tent ends enough. Since that time (3 years ago) I have not reapplied the Scotch Guard but then I have not had any leaks either. Now in all fairness while we try and go out every month we rarely encounter monsoon type rains but have had decent rainshowers - RV was dry as a bone.

[amabee]

I certainly appreciate all the comments and help. We did opt to replace the tents, they've been through a couple torrential downpours and not a drop of water anywhere. I do think the original owners put something on the tents to remove the waterproofing, what is hard to say, they just should not leak that badly after a couple years. Anyway, all is good and we can sleep dry.

[DocBrown]

While they should not leak after a couple of years, when all is said and done it is still tenting material and needs to be cared for as such. You're right, the previous owner probably did something to it. Perhaps camped under trees that stained the vinyl and used something harsh to clean it. Maybe the leaks are why they got rid of it? Glad you got it worked out.

[amabee]

Yes, that is very possible, I'm also suspecting that's why they traded it in and didn't bother saying anything. I am fairly certain they knew it was leaking, the stains I found in the seams of the roof portion tells me this had happened before. But, hey we have new tents now and can make sure they are cared for, so all is good.

[29BHS ECO]

I really feel bad about bunk ends that leak, I can truthfully say that we just went through 6 days (6/27--7/2) of down pour after down pour and absolutely no leaks in our 2009 19H.. I should name it Noahs Ark lARRY