Crap, I Have A Leaker

[certified106]

I was doing some things in the camper this morning since it was raining and heard a drip and found this. I was up on the roof not less than 7 days ago and there was nothing wrong but on the last camping trip we had Hickory nuts pounding the top of the camper and I think they broke The skylight over the tub.

I got up on the roof cleaned the skylight and put gorilla tape over the two cracks and then laid plastic over the skylight. The good thing is none of the wood is wet around there so I caught it very early.

[TCNashville]

Glad you found it early. You may be able to seal it with JBWeld or something similar so replacement may not be necessary, although not a difficult job.

[TWP723]

Good catch! At least it's really no major damage.

[norty1]

You could also lay a small strip of Eternabond over it. It may not even be visible inside.

[certified106]

Yeah super glad I was out there upgrading the bathroom faucet. Here is the overall picture you can see you can't even see dampness on anything. While I had it open I moved some insulation and looked are and and everything looks dry and good so that is a plus. Called the dealer and they have a new one in stock for $40.

I have a trip next weekend though so I will probably just caulk it with some proflex once it quits raining to get me through the next week since it we have a camping trip scheduled on Thursday.

Does anyone else have reccomendations on sealing it with something for a week or two?

[certified106]

Originally Posted by norty1

You could also lay a small strip of Eternabond over it. It may not even be visible inside.

I thought about that but do you think eternabond would stick to the plastic? I have no experience with eternabond.

[NVGun40]

RTV Silicone will stick to the plastic and seal it for a short time.

[Griswald One]

Nice catch. I had a skylight crack in several locations last winter in the bathroom and because of the slide design was not able to open the door and access the location so I had no idea until after the spring thaw... Never been happier in my decision to put a cover on for the winter, saved me from major water damage.

What I did find is there are significant differences in the quality of skylights out there. My dealer was able to put on a new skylight that was at least 2-3mm thicker then the manufacturer (Not Jayco - my old Sunset) and hopefully not as prone to the brittleness that resulted in the cracks.

[hoppers4]

X2 on the Eternabond. I buy it by the 50' roll so it's much cheaper. You buy a hunk of it from your local RV dealer and they'll take you to the cleaners. You can get it here and you'll have enough to make a bunch of repairs. 4" Eternabond is what I use.

https://www.bigrocksupply.com/eternabond.htm

[norty1]

Eternabond will stick to most anything. Getting it off may be the problem.

[Camping Couple]

Originally Posted by norty1

Eternabond will stick to most anything. Getting it off may be the problem.

But if the OP is going to throw away the broken skylight anyway, getting it off doesn't matter.

[certified106]

Originally Posted by Griswald One

Nice catch. I had a skylight crack in several locations last winter in the bathroom and because of the slide design was not able to open the door and access the location so I had no idea until after the spring thaw... Never been happier in my decision to put a cover on for the winter, saved me from major water damage.

What I did find is there are significant differences in the quality of skylights out there. My dealer was able to put on a new skylight that was at least 2-3mm thicker then the manufacturer (Not Jayco - my old Sunset) and hopefully not as prone to the brittleness that resulted in the cracks.

When I called the dealer they flat out told me the ones they stock are much thicker than the ones that come on the camper and would be less prone to cracking. I am probably going to add a maxx air cover to the bathroom vent fan while I am at it.

[hoppers4]

Instead of just adding a Maxxair cover, add the one that comes with a three speed fan. You may not have the same junky one speed fan I had in my Greyhawk, but if you do the Maxxair fan is a nice addition. A bit expensive (more than a bit) but worth it in my opinion.

[Jagiven]

I used some electrical tape when I put a small tear in my roof. It held very nicely for a few weeks until I had eternbond.

[DJL1967]

JB weld. That stuff works awesome and at $8 a tube it is a cheap, quick and permanent fix. I used it to seal a crack in a hot tub and it hasn't leaked a drop since.

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by DJL1967

JB weld. That stuff works awesome and at $8 a tube it is a cheap, quick and permanent fix. I used it to seal a crack in a hot tub and it hasn't leaked a drop since.

x2... I used it to repair a plastic fitting that is under pressure inside a dishwasher... Can't imagine a much more damaging enviroment with the combination of water, heat, pressure and chemicals. It has held for four months so far.

[certified106]

Went ahead and put JB Weld on the cracks for now. Hopefully it holds until I can replace the skylight next Thursday. I would do it this coming weekend by we are leaving on Thursday to go camping.