Water, water, everywhere...front cap!

So today I un-hitched the trailer from the truck from a trip last weekend. It has been rainy/snowy over the last few days and the trailer has been leaning down toward the front at about a 15* angle. So as I am un-hitching and the trailer slowly comes up off the hitch to a more level position I notice some water coming out of the trim area around the pin-box! I start looking to make sure the water is not rolling down the front cap and then dripping at the trim...nope, its coming from inside the front cap. I can force my hand up in the cap via the pin box mount area and sure enough, there is about a quarter inch of water inside the cap itself. Simple investigation has led me to think that it is a product of separating caulk around the front cap seems both on the roof lines, side of the trailer and probably around the top marker lights. Unfortunately we are expecting rain/snow over the next which means I am not going to be able to caulk anyting this week.

So I am in the process of taking out the floor in the closet to try and access the top of the pin-box mount area and inside of the front cap. What a pain in ***, it looks like the easiest thing to do is going to be to pull the carpet back and then cut the flooring instead of pulling apart the entire closet floor and wall separating the bedroom. I will update as I progress.

Has anyone else had problems like this?

Dare I even start on the fact that I have terrible tire wear and am supsicious of misplaced mounts on the frame....that will come in another thread once I have the trailer looked at by an axle/sping shop next week.

i have noticed when first hooking up in driveway as i pull out drive it slants downward and i have seen GALLONS of water run out bottom around pinbox!!cant find any caulk issues and its a mystery to me where all this water comes from as i turn right and slightly down it pours out. the water doesnt seem to affect carpet in closet but it cant be good,mold etc,wood floor . any answers heartland or ideas? buckeyebob

Rubicon, I dont think that removing the closet floor will give you access to the area you want. The front cap is by it self. When mine did that, the dealer went up and resealed with the caulk the front cap and around the pin box. fixed that.

The caulk around the front cap is an ongoing 'problem' with all of the fifth-wheels we have had and many we have seen. There is bouncing and flexing in that area and that causes separation of the area. We have to recaulk at least every 3 months and check it monthly. It will not take much of a gap in the caulk to allow much leaking. Going through the closet floor won't access the area you need. Check the top where the front cap joins the roof. That area will even allow water to leak into the closet. (Don't ask). In worst cases removal of the front cap could be necessary. Good luck.

Jim is right about the front cap caulk. We had started getting water into the same area. The top caulk was still good but we found the side cailking had very small cracks but allowed alot of water into that area evertime it rained.

I am not sure where your leak is, but if the joint between the caps both front and rear leak, replace the caulk with tape. My Cameo has a strip of tape made for roofs, and I have had no problems in 5 years of full time RV'ing. I do not what the brand is, but I have seen the tape in several RV parts stores.