What caused this, is it repairable?

metalhead · 07-19-2018, 11:07 AM

camper is 2011 x20E, bought new then. This happened about 2 years ago. It has been covered, I'm certain nothing hit it.

TWP723 · 07-19-2018, 11:10 AM

Usually it's water damage. Does it have any give? Crunchy sounding?

metalhead · 07-19-2018, 11:23 AM

Dry inside, no indication of water.

TWP723 · 07-19-2018, 11:29 AM

The roof material could have separated from the roof. But if you look at the 2nd pic, it looks like it has started to cave a little from water damage. May just be my eyes.

eagleback · 07-19-2018, 11:32 AM

Hybrids are notorious for wicking water and rotting and they wont show any signs of problems from the inside. Push on the soft spot and see if its solid.

bankr63 · 07-19-2018, 11:32 AM

Delamination, usually caused by water infiltration, but it could have been poor glue coverage at the factory as well. Considering the location, there is really only one area where the water would likely be leaking in and that is along the metal strip that joins the laminated front wall to the rubber roof. Perhaps near the edge of the roof at the gutters as well, but it does seem to be well centred.

Check the dicor carefully along the roof edge. Just to be safe, add fresh Dicor anywhere that appears at all suspect, and cover the joint area with Eternabond tape (belt and suspenders).

If you really want to know if there's a leak, get your unit pressure tested. It's a great way of finding small leak holes that you might miss by eye.

Aside from the look of it, as long as the wall isn't soft (rotting out) it's nothing to be concerned about if you get it fixed.

TWP723 · 07-19-2018, 11:32 AM

If I were you, I'd get a ladder and check it out. If you can press on the roof and it gives an inch or so, it's water damage under the roof material but above the interior.

metalhead · 07-19-2018, 12:22 PM

You were right! Water has gotten in from seam on top (see pic). I have removed the wet stuff on the inside, will have to figure out how to make it look good and match the rest of the interior. But for the outside, what is recommended to seal that mess on top? Should I scrape off what is there? It is pliable, not rigid and cracking off.

DocBrown · 07-19-2018, 12:22 PM

Hmm... That's strange. Looks more like dents than water damage. Like others said, check if it's soft.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eagleback

Hybrids are notorious for wicking water and rotting and they wont show any signs of problems from the inside. Push on the soft spot and see if its solid.

This has nothing to do with it being a hybrid. If it is water damage its a failed dicor seal on the roof where the aluminum panel joins the rubber. Same thing can happen to any travel trailer with the same roof construction. It's 7 years old. The seals don't last forever.

DocBrown · 07-19-2018, 12:26 PM

It is the Dicor! You posted at the same time as I did!

Peel up the old dicor and remove the seam molding. Most likely the screws are rusted. Lift the edge up and inspect the wood framing. If it's not rotted you can dry it out for a few days, put the molding back on with new screws, and put Eternabond tape on. Follow the instructions carefully and it will be a nearly permanent repair.

EternaBond Leak Repair Installation Instructions

Grumpy · 07-19-2018, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalhead

You were right! Water has gotten in from seam on top (see pic). I have removed the wet stuff on the inside, will have to figure out how to make it look good and match the rest of the interior. But for the outside, what is recommended to seal that mess on top? Should I scrape off what is there? It is pliable, not rigid and cracking off.

That "mess" should have been checked and resealed in 2012 at least. Owner's manual says to check and reseal as needed every 6 months.

Go to an RV dealer or on AMAZON and buy Dicor self leveling caulk.

TWP723 · 07-19-2018, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalhead

You were right! Water has gotten in from seam on top (see pic). I have removed the wet stuff on the inside, will have to figure out how to make it look good and match the rest of the interior. But for the outside, what is recommended to seal that mess on top? Should I scrape off what is there? It is pliable, not rigid and cracking off.

Dicor makes the materials to repair it. You can Google them or try Amazon. Or Eternabond tape.

TWP723 · 07-19-2018, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

That "mess" should have been checked and resealed in 2012 at least. Owner's manual says to check and reseal as needed every 6 months.

Go to an RV dealer or on AMAZON and buy Dicor self leveling caulk.

X2

Check your seals on a regular basis.

Merrick · 07-19-2018, 12:55 PM

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but trying to learn. That's what delamination looks like to me. So the source of water intrusion can be eliminated and fixed with Dicor, but how intensive would it be to fix the sidewall crumpling appearance (if desired), and make it look better.

Its my understanding there is foam between the outside (fiberglass/aluminum?) and inside (wood?) covering, and its pulling away from the outside material due to water intrusion/glue/swelling. So what, and how hard, would it take to fix cosmetically on the exterior?

metalhead · 07-19-2018, 12:56 PM

Doc (and others), thanks. Will do as instructed. Not sure how to smooth out the "dents".

metalhead · 07-19-2018, 04:48 PM

found this good info:
https://www.google.com/search?newwin...2jFQ#kpvalbx=1

**norty1** · 07-19-2018, 05:19 PM

There are many many threads on JOF on repair and maintenance of rv roofs.

Sometimes the cosmetic problems are harder to repair than regular inspection and caulking. Eternabond is a more permanent fix.

The main thing is to find and stop the water intrusion then dry it out before mildew sets in and ruins the whole thing.

DocBrown · 07-20-2018, 07:12 AM

X2 on using Eternabond instead of Dicor. I used it my our old '03 Kiwi 17a which had exactly the same issue except that I caught it before it became a problem. That's how I know how it comes apart.

Tunce the traveler · 07-20-2018, 07:47 AM

Another area where water enters is just under the dents on the gutter rail just above the tent end panel. Those screws that attach the gutter to the trailer is a great entry point, I posted about this years ago. I removed all the screws and put small "O" rings on them to stop the wicking. When you pull a screw out and if it's rusty you just found another entry point.

Tunce the traveler · 07-20-2018, 07:58 AM

As you can see I used 6" Eturnabond tape for the 8' seam on the roof and if you look closely you can see those screws that hold the gutter in place. You’ll also see that not all of them were screwed in straight !!!!!

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