Common Roof Leaks?

[glhalcomb]

My 2018 Hummingbird has been very water tight, but during a recent heavy rain I had a pretty serious water leak at the inside TV antennae outlet box. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to get into the panel it mounts in.

All the roof sealant looks okay and I'm afraid a hose bath will take so long to migrate down that it will be hard to locate the exact problem spot.

Sooooooo. Any ideas on common trouble spots, especially ones that aren't obvious. Or clever locating techniques? We are traveling for several weeks, so my capabilities are kinda limited.

[RogerR]

I would bet the dicor is loose at some point. Get more, or better yet get some Etearnabond tape and test all the dicor. Try prying it up with a dull plastic knife or some thing similar. Use the search button above and you will find a lot of help on Dicor removal and replacement.

On one spot mine looked ok to the eye but a simple fingernail pulled it up off the roof. Just had no stick at that point. Water will come in somewhere if any tiny crack allows it.

Main trouble spot I had was the front window, fixed it, next rain still came in. went over it again, amazing how water will find a way(s) inside. Then travel a long way to come out and make you think you know where it came it but fooled you.

[gnbkittery]

Had the same issue in our HB. Since then I have removed both the DTV antenna and FM antenna to make room for solar panels. The TV rotation controller is mounted so a wire chase extends into the cabinet area of the 17RB.

Don’t know your model so this is my experience for a HB 17RB. Water traveled down the wireway and leaked into the cabinet damaging the Furion entertainment unit and TV 12 DC antenna amplifier receptacle. (Didn’t ever watch TV or have a need for the radio so I removed the entertainment unit and antennas.)
In our model the DTV rotation control is mounted on a ceiling panel seam. Water also dripped in along that seam.

My thoughts on the water leak.
One possibility is rain coming in though the antenna elements and plastic “clam shell” housing. It was pointed out to me that the elements should be pointed to the rear during travel.

Second possibility is when I removed the antennas for the solar panel installation (I have 4 Renogy 100 Watt Eclipse panels on the roof) I found 1 mounting screw for the DTV antenna with minimal Dicor sealant and the coax drain wire for the FM antenna exposed on the roof in a loop under the FM antenna mounting plate that extended beyond the area of the mounting plate that was sealed with Dicor.

[Mustang65]

I had a leak from my Tv antenna and the caulking around the base was fine. Upon further investigation I found that the water was running down the COAX cable and into the cable boot where it goes into the roof.



I slid the boot up and filled the opening with caulk and around the COAX so when I slid the boot back down the caulking oozed out of the bottom of the boot and at the top of the boot where the COAX went into the boot. Since then no water issues.


Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[Tunce the traveler]

[QUOTE=Mustang65;786024]


I slid the boot up and filled the opening with caulk and around the COAX so when I slid the boot back down the caulking oozed out of the bottom of the boot and at the top of the boot where the COAX went into the boot. Since then no water issues.




X2

[t18skyguy]

One thing you can try is mix red food coloring into a bucket of water. Then pour it over suspect areas. It will leave a red trail to where you see the water collecting. It's water soluble and will not permanently mar the rig. One other place to check carefully is the over cab clearance lights if you have them. The plastic degrades/cracks and the water comes in.

[norty1]

Get one of those blowers that is used to blow up yard toys and fashion a 4 inch hose into your camper thru a small window. Seal it and blow air into the rig. Then go outside and use a hose to lightly wet the rig. You may see bubbles in spots that could allow water in.

I saw one at a dealers and made my own.

Usually checking seams and roof openings for cracked caulk or a small tear will put you right on a leak. Other times they can cut your butt!