Leaking overhead lights, possible roof leak, help!

[MommaShelby1998]

Currently dealing with leaky overhead lights inside my 2015 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 154BH travel trailer. Got buckets under the lights until I can get a tarp. Recent heavy rains-- no previous leak detected. Planning on fixing the leaks and damage myself. Any advice is welcome!

[JFlightRisk]

A close inspection of every penetration and seam on the roof should be done, and all suspect sealant must be resealed. Rain water can travel from a spot distant from where you see it come inside, and be causing roof damage if not dealt with rightaway.

[MommaShelby1998]

Thanks, @JFlightRisk!

[jimmoore13]

First, leaking at the lights is happening because those are openings in the ceiling. This is no indication of where the roof leak originates. It's likely that there is quite a bit of water above the ceiling, so I suggest you remove one or several lights or ceiling speakers to provide ventilation to dry out the ceiling space.

That said, a significant leak MIGHT be coming from failed caulking around an existing roof penetration. But it's more likely that you have experienced damage to the roof itself.

Example:
In my case, we boondock. On two separate occasions, low-hanging branches damaged the EPDM roofing on my rig. EPDM is just one of several roofing materials used by RV manufacturers. Find out what's on your roof.

The branches dragged across the roof tearing up the membrane much as a rasberry bush will scratch up your leg. A 12" to 15" strip of EPDM was scarred up and had small holes penetrating the membrane. Not surprisingly, this admitted LOTS of water during a downpour...and that water did what water does...seeking the the lowest point by running across the upper surface of our ceiling and dripping out of a speaker hole.

The solution? Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant. First clean around the area with something like rubbing alcohol and let that dry. The alcohol won't attack the membrane, and it does a decent job of removing the grime that would prevent good adhesion. Then apply the sealant and let it do what it's supposed to do...level itself. Be generous, but don't overdo the application. This is the stuff the manufacturer used around all your roof penetrations.

While you're up there, inspect the whole roof very carefully. Look for pinholes in old sealant (perhaps air bubbles during hurried application at the factory?) and address those. If any edges of sealant are lifting, remove the old sealant and replace it.

Finally, as I said, remove a couple of lights and/or speakers to allow air flow. Use a fan pointed at the ceiling to accelerate drying...and prevent mold. Don't close up until things are bone dry. Note the location of the leak and where it emerged inside and pay special attention to that path of water travel, but bear in mind that RVs are never perfectly level, and once you hooked on and towed home, the path of the water in the ceiling changed many times. The water is likely spread out quite a bit. Don't be stingy with light/speaker removal. Get things DRY.

Once you address the leak and dry out the ceiling space, you should be fine.

[MommaShelby1998]

Thank you so much, @jimoore13! We looked at the roof from a ladder today and didn't see any obvious damage, so I think you're probably right about it being a caulking issue. The ceiling inside definitely looks like it's holding a whole bucket or two full of water. We put a tarp over the roof and secured it today to prevent further entrance of water during these daily storms we're having right now. We didn't have the right equipment on hand for draining and drying the ceiling today, but we've been popping off those light fixtures just like you said to. We've got some material for caulking (just got to figure where the heck it needs it) and we're going to find a fan asap. Scared to turn on the lights with all of them being wet now (I read a few articles on the possibility of shocking oneself).

It's a bummer this is all happening right now as I was just getting it move- in ready with new mattresses, curtains, etc. But I'm so thankful to have this community for advice and help.

[hoppers4]

The best sealant for the job may be RV Proflex. Whatever you use, don't use a silicon product.

[MommaShelby1998]

Thank you, @hoppers4, and thank you to everybody in this thread.

An update: popped out all the light fixtures and radio fixture on the ceiling & walls. Oddly enough, hardly any water came out, despite the ceiling feeling "jiggly". We could see the insulation fluff (for a lack of better words) and it definitely looks discolored, like an ugly yellow. We then placed an industrial fan facing upwards to try and dry things out. I spoke with another rv owner and they think I need to get my roof re-done. Any thoughts? I feel like I'm at a standstill.

[hoppers4]

The next step is to get on the roof and carefully exam every seam created by roof penetrations. The front and back running lights are also a distinct possibility. Roof replacement is an extreme solution. Not only that, very expensive. Your 2015 rig may not be worth the expense.

[jimmoore13]

Lots of variables on replacing a roof. It's a big job and expensive. Depending on your rig and its overall condition, that may not be a wise investment.

There are DIY roof coatings that might get a few more years out of an old, deteriorated roof. But removing and replacing "caulk" around roof penetrations is likely to still be required. Both of these comments assume you can't find obvious damage to the membrane and/or obvious failures in caulking around roof penetrations.

If you aren't up to the task as a DIY project, there are companies that will do it for you.

FWIW, I had a farm back east. One building had a large flat roof. I nursed a failing "rolled roofing" roof for about 15 additional years by using an elastomeric roof coating every few years before I finally replaced the roof with a rubber membrane roof. The coatings did the job well. So rejeuvenating your roof with one of these coatings might do the job for years.

If you aren't up to the task as a DIY project, you can probably get a pro to do it.

Note that you'd be wise to use an auto-painter's-style masking tape/paper combo to protect your side walls from drips.

[MommaShelby1998]

Thank you, Don and Jim! I really appreciate your thoughtful responses. I'm definitely going to try to do it myself. Wish me luck.
- Shelby

[hoppers4]

Originally Posted by MommaShelby1998

I'm definitely going to try to do it myself. Wish me luck.
- Shelby

Wishing you a successful repair!

[MommaShelby1998]

Thank you! I appreciate your support in my endeavors.

Just as a side-note, what are your thoughts on Camco rv roof sealant? It was the only brand available in my local stores near me that seemed to be a solid choice (Dicor and Proflex aren't sold locally where I'm at and I'm trying to avoid shipping/handling). I bought 4 tubes of the Camco stuff (along with a caulking gun) but now I'm reading the Google reviews of Camco and it sounds like a lot of people prefer Dicor (and hate Camco). I'm not opposed to returning it and making the commute to the rv store in the next town over if necessary if y'all think I'm a making a mistake trusting this product. I was just trying to get something quick from the store while I was running errands locally anyways.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom and advice with me!
- Shelby

[hoppers4]

I'm not familiar with the Camco product. I've use RV Proflex enough to know that it's a really good product. It has strong cohesion and adhesion qualities. Cleaning and prepping properly is key. Cleans up with mineral spirits.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by MommaShelby1998

Thank you! I appreciate your support in my endeavors.

Just as a side-note, what are your thoughts on Camco rv roof sealant? It was the only brand available in my local stores near me that seemed to be a solid choice (Dicor and Proflex aren't sold locally where I'm at and I'm trying to avoid shipping/handling). I bought 4 tubes of the Camco stuff (along with a caulking gun) but now I'm reading the Google reviews of Camco and it sounds like a lot of people prefer Dicor (and hate Camco). I'm not opposed to returning it and making the commute to the rv store in the next town over if necessary if y'all think I'm a making a mistake trusting this product. I was just trying to get something quick from the store while I was running errands locally anyways.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom and advice with me!
- Shelby

Camco generally makes good products. But with a Prime account at Amazon, shipping is free...along with numerous other benefits including access to their Prime streaming channels on TV.

[thudbranch]

Originally Posted by MommaShelby1998

Currently dealing with leaky overhead lights inside my 2015 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 154BH travel trailer. Got buckets under the lights until I can get a tarp. Recent heavy rains-- no previous leak detected. Planning on fixing the leaks and damage myself. Any advice is welcome!

Could the roof top clearance lites be your leak source? On my 2017 Jaco, ALL the clearance light seals between the lense and the base were melting and leaking. I replaced the incandescent bulbs with LEDs to lower the heat Ann put in new seals.... solved leak.

[Terronaut]

Just a thought but I had a similar situation happen to me in a travel trailer. We were getting random water stains on our bedding when the trailer was in storage - and had no idea where the leak was coming from. Upon further investigation, when the bed slide was retracted (IN) the bed was directly beneath one of the ceiling lights. I removed the little plastic lens on the light and it was FULL of water!! Upon looking at THAT a little closer, I noticed it was directly downhill from the AC unit up on the center line of the roof - the roof sloped from the AC unit, directly down towards the light. I removed the AC cover inside the RV and found moisture on the AC anchors and mounting system. Turns out all four anchor nuts were loose, and weren't pinching down the foam seal around the AC unit well enough to keep water out - so rain was seeping in, running down the interior of the roof line, and dripping into the light. Tightened all four anchors down, and it immediately fixed the problem. May be something to look at... hope it helps!!

[MommaShelby1998]

Originally Posted by thudbranch

Could the roof top clearance lites be your leak source? On my 2017 Jaco, ALL the clearance light seals between the lense and the base were melting and leaking. I replaced the incandescent bulbs with LEDs to lower the heat Ann put in new seals.... solved leak.

Maybe? I found a local rv tech that is sensitive to my economic needs and is looking over my rig next week. I'm definitely planning on doing the caulking (and the roof coating), but there's something on the inside that I just can't figure out. It smells BAD. He came out today just to give a quick looksy and said he doesn't think it's mold though (which is a huge relief).

I'll ask him his thoughts on the light seals. I did notice (despite having dried everything out and put a tarp on the roof) that one of the lights appeared to have droplets in it AGAIN today.

It's an adventure!