water leaks in front while towing

[rvjimjayco]

towed rv 212QBW 6 hrs in continuous rain at freeway speeds 50 to 65 mph. discovered wet bed mattress and side shelves at front of trailer when finally parked/camped that night. emailed jayco tech support -- no resppnse. Ideas for sealing front of trailer against water incursion wjile towing?

[Jolvi]

Originally Posted by rvjimjayco

towed rv 212QBW 6 hrs in continuous rain at freeway speeds 50 to 65 mph. discovered wet bed mattress and side shelves at front of trailer when finally parked/camped that night. emailed jayco tech support -- no resppnse. Ideas for sealing front of trailer against water incursion wjile towing?

Not sure on how new trailer is but check the clearance lights for sealant at top and sides not bottom, lets water drain out if it gets in there. There should be sealant at front sides where wall and front join also. Any intrusion on the trailer needs to be checked I know they use butyl rubber but they still put some type of clear sealant. Had a different trailer and the clearance lights had a dab of rubber on each screw hole and where wire went thru but no sealant of any type, it shows it in owners manual.

[Rustic Eagle]

rvjimjayco,

Welcome to JOF

If your TT is still under warranty I would hold off on any DIY repairs, unless it's a caulking issue. If you don't get an e-mail response within a week, I would contact Jayco via phone (have your VIN handy).

I would check the roof/front cap and sidewall/front cap joints (specifically along the metal joint trim), marker lights, etc., for any signs of possible moisture intrusion.

Another possibility are the horizontal aluminum joint seams on the cap. Here is a recent JOF thread on the subject:

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ked-71548.html

Just food for thought.

Bob

[Tunce the traveler]

Take the covers off all your running lights and inspect for open holes that were never caulked correctly at the factory. This is a good example of what to expect.

[Jolvi]

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

Take the covers off all your running lights and inspect for open holes that were never caulked correctly at the factory. This is a good example of what to expect.

Exactly, that is how the lights on our previous unit, not a Jayco were done so seems to be the way it is. Now if I knew how the cute little round lights they use on the Jay Feather were sealed. Asked dealer and the shop at dealership and they said they thought, bad word, they were tight in the hole and rubber sealed it great. We have put the unit in storage but plan on checking first thing when we get it out again. I did check and they are pretty tight in there.

[01tundra]

On the front clearance lights I personally use Pro Flex and seal all the way around them to prevent water from being force in from the bottom side during transit. All the other marker lights I seal top and sides down to the bottom and leave the bottoms unsealed.

[ttavasc]

I had this same problem with our 195RB which has the added intrusion point of the front window. After sealing around the window, which I expected to be the source of the problem, and verifying that the running lights were sealed and dry this was still happening after towing in rain for any length of time.

Further inspection found a couple of large gaps in the butyl tape sealing the seams where the front and sides join - see pic below that shows a toothpick inserted into a gap in the butyl tape. I also found a section of overlap between two strips of aluminum siding that was loose. I taped off and applied a seam of No-Sag Dicor along the side of the corner trim top to bottom making sure to force it into any of the gaps I'd found with the toothpick. I also taped and caulked across every overlap joint on the front. See additional pics below for that as well. Never had a problem with it again.

[LuckyDuck]

Nice work, ttavasc. Having the same TT as the OP, I’m thinking of doing what you did as a preventative measure. Question: I hear a lot about using OSI Quad for similar jobs. Dicor vs OSI — one better than the other for such work? Thanks!

[33 RLDS]

My 2013 33 RLDS showed signs of water when we drove from NY to Fla in 2016. I noticed the front storage luan peeling so I ended up removing my from corner molding to find poor sealing from the factory the culprit. I left it open for 2 days to dry out the wood before I put it back together using the dicor sealing tape first and then the regular dicor sealer. I still have to replace the crumbling luan in the storage.

[Tiguan Tow r]

Originally Posted by ttavasc

I had this same problem with our 195RB which has the added intrusion point of the front window. After sealing around the window, which I expected to be the source of the problem, and verifying that the running lights were sealed and dry this was still happening after towing in rain for any length of time.

Further inspection found a couple of large gaps in the butyl tape sealing the seams where the front and sides join - see pic below that shows a toothpick inserted into a gap in the butyl tape. I also found a section of overlap between two strips of aluminum siding that was loose. I taped off and applied a seam of No-Sag Dicor along the side of the corner trim top to bottom making sure to force it into any of the gaps I'd found with the toothpick. I also taped and caulked across every overlap joint on the front. See additional pics below for that as well. Never had a problem with it again.

Did the same on our 145RB after finding damp front cushions after a 3 hour drive in treacherous rain. So far so good.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by rvjimjayco

towed rv 212QBW 6 hrs in continuous rain at freeway speeds 50 to 65 mph. discovered wet bed mattress and side shelves at front of trailer when finally parked/camped that night. emailed jayco tech support -- no resppnse. Ideas for sealing front of trailer against water incursion wjile towing?

Same situation a few years ago on our 19RD. I caulked the front horizontal seams, especially where the diamond plate meets the white siding. We haven't noticed any more leakage so far.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

Same situation a few years ago on our 19RD. I caulked the front horizontal seams, especially where the diamond plate meets the white siding. We haven't noticed any more leakage so far.

What did you use to caulk?

[JFlightRisk]

I think it was Quad sealant.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Nice work, ttavasc. Having the same TT as the OP, I’m thinking of doing what you did as a preventative measure. Question: I hear a lot about using OSI Quad for similar jobs. Dicor vs OSI — one better than the other for such work? Thanks!

I always used the No-Sag Dicor on the aluminum trailer. Just liked the way it never really hardens - is always flexible and with a little extra elbow grease and perhaps a little Goof-Off it cleans off nicely if you want or need to redo it. On the fiberglass ORV I have started to use the OSI Quad for some things but am finding it's not as easy to deal with down the road as the Dicor as it dries harder and is less flexible. So I keep both on hand now. At least that's been my experience - YMMV.

[LuckyDuck]

Good to know. Thanks!

[MrKABC]

Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant, 4 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G6KGPFM..._l4dbEb6160HNZ

Is this what you are referring to? I notice that there are different types of Dicor. Would like to get the right stuff.

[ttavasc]

The Self-leveling would only be used on horizontal surfaces such as the roof as it is designed to spread and automatically level during application. Look at something like Dicor 551LSW Non-Sag Lap Sealant for anything vertical. It is a thicker formula that won't run or sag when applied to vertical surfaces. I would recommend verifying your roofing material - EDPM or TPO - and ensuring that the sealant you get is approved for use on your specific roof type. The 501LSW and 551LSW sealants were the ones our Jayco dealer recommended for our 195RB and are indicated as being compatible with a number of different roof types including EDPM and TPO.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant, 4 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G6KGPFM..._l4dbEb6160HNZ

Is this what you are referring to? I notice that there are different types of Dicor. Would like to get the right stuff.

The “self leveling “ is just for the roof.
Ttavsc, you beat me to it.

[Candy]

OMG, sorry to hear you are having same problem I had. I have the 2018 212QB. Really awful dealership up here in the north who didn’t want to take front panels off. Noticed this problem last year right after buying it. Took to dealership about water coming in when driving through storm. They sealed here and there on roof and said they couldn’t find a leak. “Must have been a fluke”, they said. Jump ahead to 2019, still doing it! Dealership didn’t want to take front panels off to dry out. I complained to Jayco and they’re allowing me to have it repaired at an independent. Well guess what. When front panels came off, damage had been done to wood frame corner piece. Water was leaking in upper edge sealant on passenger side right from factory. New corner had to be made, water in underbelly, had to be dried out, new insulation etc. I don’t have my trailer back because getting parts takes awhile but that’s ok, can’t camp up here in winter anyway. Hope you are under warranty because it’s an expensive repair.

[travelingjw]

I found that below the front cap there was a 3/4 gap between the floor and the cap. I put in a garage door seal across the floor after I filled the gap with expanding foam. We have a 23MRB so not sure if the front is assembled the same way but we were obviously shocked at this gap.