Nothing short of a fire or major accident will destroy the structural integrity of your RV faster than a water leak. You my get leaks from plumbing, roof damage, cracked seams, old caulk, and around windows, doors, and other openings. If you see signs of leaks or water damage, the first step is to locate the source of the problem. Signs may include drips, puddles, wet spots on the floor, ceiling, or walls, soft spots in floors, ceilings, and walls, and discoloration of upholstery, carpet, ceilings or wall coverings. Water damage can be sneaky. Water can seep into ceilings, walls, and floors and they my get rotted out to where major structural repair is required before you even notice it if you aren't paying attention. Odd, musty smells, soft spots, and discoloration are some of the clues that point to water damage in progress. One of the problems with water damage is that it often goes unnoticed until things are almost beyond repair. Keep an eye open for possible signs and seek rapid remediation.
You may be able to mitigate some leaks in the field. Others may require significant work by you or a professional RV technician when you get home. A waterproof tape such as Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tape would be handy for field repairs. Even ordinary duct tape might help mitigate leaks for a while. The sooner you can stop a leak the less damage it is likely to cause.
It may take quite a bit of investigation to locate the source of a leak. Even what appears to be rather obvious, like a drip around a roof vent, is frequently traced to a problem some distance away. A hole in the roof or spot where caulking has failed far from the vent may be where the water is coming from. Water will sneak around inside the ceiling until it finds the easiest way out, like around the interior trim on a roof vent. Then it appears that the vent itself is leaking. Of course, the vent could be leaking, but if further investigation proves the caulking around the vent is in tact, you may have to look elsewhere. Similarly, the real source of just about any leak might be several yards away from where the symptoms show up. We once discovered damp carpet next to the outside wall in the bedroom of our Class A motorhome. At first we suspected a problem with the screw strip on the outside at about the same height as the interior floor. Eventually we discovered the wetness only showed up after using the shower and we tracked it down to a problem with the plumbing in the shower, more than 10' away on the far side of the bathroom!
Many RV leaks can be traced to places caulking or other sealing materials have eventually failed. RV roofs normally need to be re-caulked every couple of years. I solved that problem on one Class A by having a commercial roofing company seal the entire roof including all the seams. The white sealer they used is also used for commercial buildings and they gave a 10-year guarantee against leaks. The roof actually has an expected lifetime of more like 20 years. RV roofs always have seams around the edges where the roof meets the walls and often have cross seams where different pieces of the roof were joined. There is also caulking around vents, air conditioners, and any other accessories mounted to the roof. Over time caulking dries out and begins to crack or pull away from roof or the accessories it is meant to seal. When this happens you must completely remove the old caulk and re-caulk. Of course, it is best to do this before the old caulk fails, hence a common suggestion of re-caulking every couple of years. By doing so not only will you avoid the damage that failed caulk would allow, removing the old caulk will be easier before it becomes too brittle. A waterproof tape like Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tapecan often be used to tape over leaking seams for in the field repairs.
Leaking roofs often lead to failed infrastructure. If the roof feels spongy, the underlying roof structure has been compromised and you will likely have to remove the roof and replace the damaged sections of underlayment instead of just sealing the leaks. That is one reason it is important to find and fix leaks early, before they lead to dry rot and difficult and expensive repairs.
RV Windows are normally sealed with butyl tape (sometimes called "dum-dum tape"). Like any other sealant, it eventually dries out and begins to leak. Replacing it means removing the window frames, scraping off the old sealant, applying a new strip of sealant all around the window, and reinstalling the frame. When reinstalling the frame take care not to over-tighten the screws as this will dent the frame. Sometimes you can effect a pretty good temporary seal around leaking doors and windows using a good clear silicone sealer like DAP. Lay a bead of about 3/16" along the edge of the frame, making sure there are no gaps along the frame or the wall. This will probably control the leaks for an extra season or two until you can remove the windows and re-seal them properly. DAP is best installed on a dry surface so you might have to wait out a storm before you can use it to re-seal your windows.
RV roofs are subject to damage from falling debris, like tree branches, hail or even wind. If a large branch falls on your RV it may crush part of the roof. When that happens about your only option is to rebuild the damaged section, and that may very well require professional help. If a branch pokes a hole in your roof you might be able to repair it yourself. A small hole, say less than 1", can usually be sealed with a sealant that is appropriate for the roof material. Typical RV roofs may be fiberglass, aluminum, or rubber. Rubber roofs require special sealants that are compatible with the specific type of rubber. Holes in fiberglass and aluminum can usually be sealed with any good exterior sealant. You might need a little patch of fiberglass cloth to reinforce holes larger than the width of a pencil. If you get an even bigger hole, say a few inches across, you can sometimes reinforce them with a drywall patch and then cover the whole are with appropriate sealer. On holes up to a couple of inches or so I've even used an old tin can lid. One downside to using tin is that it may rust, so the plastic or aluminum drywall patches are preferable. In a pinch you might be able to cut a patch from a plastic lid or even a milk carton.
Waterproof tape is a handy way to at least temporarily seal leaking seams and small holes. You might be tempted to try it with ordinary duct tape, but unless you can dry the surface before applying the tape, it probably won't stick very well or for very long. Waterproof tape will stick to wet surfaces and prevent any further intrusion, giving you time to get home and make proper permanent repairs.
Plumbing leaks can be difficult to locate. As mentioned before the source may be far away from where the water is detected. Sometimes you can get a clue about where the leak is coming from based on the color or smell of the leaks. Foul smelling, blue, green, orange, or brown liquid is probably coming from the black water tank. Gray, soapy, or greasy liquids are usually from the sinks, showers, or gray water tank. Clean water is usually from the fresh water supply system. While these may be good clues as to what is going on, they can not always be counted on. Sometimes clean water leaching through building materials may pick up colors or odors. Likewise, contaminate from gray or even black water tanks might be caught and filtered on their way to where they finally show up. One way to help diagnose the source of a plumbing leak is to turn off the water pump or disconnect the city water. If you immediately see a decrease in the flow or have a hissing sound that goes away, you know it is related to the water supply. If you can't see the decrease or change in sound it may take some time to determine if the leak is in the supply side or in one of the drain systems. Leaks inside walls or under floors can be VERY difficult to locate. Always check the accessible plumbing inside cabinets and behind furniture first. That is the place things usually get jostled around and start to leak. Another fairly common source of damage to RV plumbing is unintentional penetration of plumbing by screws used to install accessories. If a leak shows up soon after installing a new accessory and especially if it is anywhere the new installation, that could be the cause. Damage like this usually involves opening up the wall or floor and replacing the damaged section of pipe. Violent twisting of an RV on rough roads (or off road!) can sometimes cause plumping fittings to separate or leak. If you suspect an event like this try to trace all the pluming lines where ever they are visible: under sinks, inside cabinets, etc. to look for leaks. If you are lucky you may be able to tighten the fitting. If that doesn't work you will need to replace it. Many RVs use a type of pipe called PEX for fresh water lines. They usually have crimp fittings that require special tools for installation but there are some replacement fittings, like Flair-It brand fittings, that usually don't require special tools.
Anytime you have a leak there is a good chance there will be residual water under the surface that may cause future problems. Sealing out any additional water may also seal in the water that is already there, allowing it to continue to stimulate further rot. If have access, do whatever you can to dry it out. Sometimes a heat gun or even just a hair dryer can be used to speed drying.
When I lived in southern California and even in Utah, leaks were an inconvenience. Now that I live in Oregon where it rains a LOT, leaks are a major concern. If YOU live in a wet climate, finding and fixing leaks as soon as possible will save you a lot of frustration and money.
Don't take a leak, take care of it!
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