Water Leak

[rndsommer40]

I have a 2019 Entegra Odyssey 31L (same as Jayco 31fs). The seam under the front cap at the very edge of the passenger side where it butts up to the exterior wall has a small hole in the caulking where water drips out. There is water getting in from somewhere on top or around the window. I could not find anything that looked suspicious on the roof or around the window. Inside there are no leaks or is any water visible in the over cab bunk or anywhere else. After rain ...... water will drip out of the hole for a day or two leaving a rust or discolored stain line. Afraid to just bring it in and have them just silicone the hole without finding the leak. I wish I had a little knowledge of how they construct the front cap and why it drips there but not inside. Any input or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[Grumpy]

Could be a clearance light.

[rndsommer40]

Yes I check those also. My clearance lights are molded into the cap. Not the ones with gaskets over the holes. I checked them all anyway can't see how that could be the issue. I know leaks were common in those lights.

[RogerR]

Were you in a windy rainstorm or on the road when it rained? The force of the wind can push water up into the camper along the bottom or sides of the window or hatches. Also could be a poorly crimped seam. My front window had a big (1/4 inch by 4 inches) spot on a corner where the factory seal did not even touch the metal window frame.

I used Dicor around every window, door, hatch and light after I found that out. This rain was on the way home from the dealer and taking it back 150 miles was not the best option.

By the way, if it is leaking back out some is still inside and rot and mold are in your future if you don't find and seal every possible entry point. I saw a tv show where they put a blower to pressurize the RV and then sprayed the outside with water to find the leak(s). Just a thought if you can't find the problem.

[rndsommer40]

Not noticed after driving just sitting in the driveway. I checked everywhere and can't figure it out. It's getting in somehow but not into the interior. Somehow getting into the molded front cap and weeping out the underneath cap seam, not the gasket that sits on the cab roof. Frustrating that I bought it new this past July. I bought Jayco class c primarily because of the molded front cap. Might wind up bringing it in.

[pconroy]

Have you been on the roof? Our cap essentially slips onto/over the front. When I went up on the roof, I was surprised to see how poor the caulk job was.


The rust stained water makes me think.
The water must have been standing there long enough for rust to develop.
I'm not sure what parts in the chain would be unpainted and metal?


There are high-tech moisture detectors.
Maybe if you let it dry out 100% - bake in the sun for days.
Then carefully, slowly apply water from the hose...
Wait for the leak, see if the detector can sense the path???


Pour green food coloring in the water before you pour it over a spot?
See if you get green water out???

Seal up the window completely, add water - see if it still leaks?

Run the jacks up to really exacerbate the tilt to the leak side.
You're sure its coming from inside? [ Our AC drains that way and would look like a leak. ]



For every leak you can see I figure there are 5 you cannot so I'm just resigned to caulking and Eternabond-taping every frickin' seam I can find.

[RogerR]

I did a little quick research and if you can't find the leak source there is a firm that lists places which will force air inside your rv and then spray with soapy water until they find any and all leaks. Based on what I read about 125$, a pittance compared to pulling off the roof and replacing decking or framing or mold remediation. Never done it myself but if you can't find it this is an idea.

[rndsommer40]

Yes was up on the roof. Everything looked pretty good. A little sloppy with the factory dicor which I filled in where I thought maybe could have been the problem. I'm going to make an appointment with the dealer I think but will check everything again first when the northeast weather improves a little. Its getting in and sitting somewhere under the cap and drips out slowly for day or so.

[rndsommer40]

That's a good idea. I think I'll go that route if the dealer comes up with nothing. The problem on Long Island is there are no such places that do that kind of thing. Not even an RV dealer near me. Have to head upstate.

[pconroy]

That's a great idea, I forgot about that.


It's possible to do a DIY air pressurization.
I did it on the old RV.


It doesn't take much.
Just seal up windows and vents, then I placed a nice powerful fan in the window and sealed up around it.


Never did find the leak but DIY is possible.

[JmsNMar]

Hello! Looking at the year of your coach, it's obviously pretty new, and the issue must be extremely frustrating. I bit of advice from someone who is not much of a DIY guy- don't be afraid to pick up a couple of Dicor RV roof sealants and an application gun, and just apply more sealant over the existing seals where your hunch tells you it may be coming from. From my own experience, don't fool yourself into thinking the RV shop can do a better job than you. After a bad experience at Camping World, I got up on my roof and scraped and re-applied sealant on most of my vents and seams. Made me feel better knowing I over-applied sealant to stem off any leaks; I did have a slow interior leak, which stopped; no one can see the roof, if you feel the optics of the job are ugly; and, it was my coach, and I felt better knowing more about my coach. Don't just do the area you think might be the cause of the leak. Do as much of that area as you can with 1 or 2 sealant tubes. Using disposable gloves makes it easy to use your hands and fingers to manipulate the sealant, too, into small and tight corners. Good luck, and Happy Trails!

[Drv]

I believe your unit has the window in the front cap? Have you checked the sealant around window? I just recently picked up a brand new Accolade that was Built Mid-summer 2019 and on the way back home from dealer I had multiple points where water was leaking in around window. The water drops down the fiberglass lip inside then runs into flat bunk platform below. This could easily be where your water is getting in at.
Since everything is shut down around me and water is a RV's worst nightmare, I spent hours removing sealant around window on the outside. Mine had a poly sealant that had shrunk and pulled away from fiberglass frame. The automotive adhesive/sealant that holds window in place was left in place but it obviously has voids to allow water in. My hope is the new Sikka Flex 221 that Jayco said will work, does the trick!
If you haven't already, you may want to pull the bunk cushion and look under panel to see if water has been seeping in.

[RRHunter]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Could be a clearance light.

Agree. Have a new 27U and on first long trip hit rain. Actually leaked down on windshield as very slow drip. Looked at running lights and they were caulked on back side, but not on front side. Cleaned them up and redid caulking all the way around and no leaks since that time. When look on general RV forums - common place to leak.

[rndsommer40]

Tomorrows project. The cushion is dry. Do you mean look under he platform its on. I've never done more than feel around the cushions edges and it's been dry.

[Drv]

Yes, pull cushion completely out. You should have a 4x8 sheet of luan plus a smaller strip of it that are cosmetic cover for what appears to be plywood platform for bunk. The luan is not secured down where the big piece and small pieces butt together.(mine wasnt at least) If you lift up big piece at butt joint gently you should be able to see if the plywood foundation has been wet underneath.
My cushion was dry as well. What happened with mine, was water was leaking in and around window frame running down the fiberglass frame to the the lower right and left corners. It would then seep out and drip down fiberglass frame lip into the lower portion of fiberglass cap, hence the cushion not really getting wet.
If yours has a black cap you might even be able to see traces where the water streaks. The water pooling in the lower portion of your cap with various fasteners could easily account for the rust your seeing as well.
You could also have someone run the hose on front cap while you checked around inside for the water. Mine leaked from simple washing.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by rndsommer40

That's a good idea. I think I'll go that route if the dealer comes up with nothing.

Some dealers have the ability to do the pressure leak test. It's called Seal Tech and has been around for a long time, but the company has a new owner so not all dealers will necessarily be on his locator map.

[rndsommer40]

Great info thank you. I'm going to tear it apart tomorrow. Your leak was from the front window? My Entegra is basically a prestige with the same front window. I just want to find the leak before it does any damage. Did you seal the window yourself or bring it back to have them seal it with the industrial windshield adhesive?

[Drv]

Yes, my leak was from the large front cap window. I have the Entegra Accolade which is the same as the Seneca. If your unit is under warranty and you have a dealer you trust, have them take a look if you can. Getting it to the dealer under warranty will document the issue permanently and Jayco will be helpful resolving if dealer can not.
Given the various stay at home orders etc.. and the serious problems water can cause, I took to resealing myself. It was not an easy or quick repair. The biggest challenge I had was my rig is very tall and the engine bay blocks easy access to the center portion of window, so positioning a ladder was interesting.
In regards to adhesive and seal. The window in my unit had two different types or ways it was sealed. The window itself is adhered to the fiberglass with the automotive adhesive polymer. The the gap between the fiberglass and window on the outside is then sealed with a polyurethane product like Sikka Flex. The Sikka Flex is the first line of defense against water intrusion. Mine had shrank and pulled away from fiberglass allowing water in. I do not know if the factory used Sikka Flex 221, they would only say that is what they would use to reseal it in service center. Theoretically. the adhesive poly that is used to attached glass should have stopped the water intrusion, it did not. It was not applied uniformly and multiple failure points existed in mine.
Realistically, to repair 100% properly the whole window should be removed. New Automotive adhesive with no gaps or failure points should be applied, window laid back in, then outer poly seal done.

If I have problems again, I will add it to the punch list that I will have the factory fix at a later date.

[rndsommer40]

Thanks for the detailed info. I'm getting in there tomorrow to look. If I could just find the leak I'd be happy. Will follow up with what I find. Thx

[Drv]

Best of luck and I hope you can locate leak!