ATF: Big Country - Disheartened - Need Help!

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Hello!

I have been trying to fix a leak in the forward bulkhead area of our new 3450TS for a few weeks now without any success. The water leaks out of the bulkhead at the pinbox (see photo). I have tried several things...resealed the cap trim on the roof and vertical sides. I did not do the bottom as it seems the water would drip down and not wick from the bottom area. I also resealed all the marker lights on the top and sides. I even resealed the area around the gutter where it meets the front cap. The leak persists! I did remove all of the old sealant before replacing it with new. I am sure the leak does not come from the W/D vent as I can inspect it from inside the coach. No water is entering the living areas...e.g. bedroom.

Is it possible for water to enter the forward bulkhead area from the bedroom slide? I did notice that the forward vertical D seal on the bedroom slide remains flat (compressed) when the slide is open. Could this be a source of water intrusion?Many Thanks for any help or possible solutions you can share. My lovely Big Country is getting an unsightly wavy bulkhead. Traveling to a dealer is not a current option. Hopefully I can fix this myself!
TopCapTrim.jpg
SideMarkerLights.jpg
MarkerLights.jpg
LeakLocation.jpg
CapTrim-Light.jpg
CapTrim1.jpg
CapGutterSeam.jpg
 
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Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Looks like you did a good job with areas addressed. I don't know anything about 5th wheels, but being in Washington, is it possible that it's condensation? How much water is dripping?
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

I think that the condensation is a real good possibility. We left WI two weeks ago when it was 6*. On the way down when we stopped in LA, I noticed a drip in the exact spot as SJH. We had no rain along the way. Condensation would be the only cause.......I think. Well at least that's what I'm going with.

Peace
Dave
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

There is a steady dripping when it rains. Water is not pouring out but enough to soak and damage the fiberboard although it never gets further than the flat area around the pinbox. There is never enough to wick down into the storage area. Not sure it could be just condensation but it might be a contributing factor!
 

wingfoot

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

I had the same problem at the same point you are (drip)..where you marked it in the photo "leaks here"....I think what you have is not a leak...Water is actually running down the side of the rubber cap molding and gravitating to the lowest point...I put a piece of tape and made a wick just past the bend in the molding. NO more drips. Think about this..If your trailer is not perfectly level, the water/rain will run down and gravitate to the lowest point. The damage you are seeing, could it be old damage? I had the same wavy filon you are talking about and after I did basically the same sealing job you did, including the Eternabond on the top. After I did all the caulking/Eternabond my waviness actually got to looking better.
I guess bottom line is...are you sure you haven't solved your problem?

BTW, Great job on the Eternabond application.
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

I had the same problem at the same point you are (drip)..where you marked it in the photo "leaks here. I guess bottom line is...are you sure you haven't solved your problem?

I wish it were true but I can reach my fingers up under the filon and feel that the cardboard backing is saturated near the pinbox. If I pull down hard enough, I can even get water to run out for a moment on both sides after it rains. I am pretty confident that there is still a leak somewhere albeit I am at a loss to know where!

Thanks for you thoughts...I appreciate it!
 

wingfoot

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

What about your awning mounts at the bottom...Mine had not been sealed properly. If you look at the bottom mount it actually has an indention that can and will hold water and permeate at the screws . I'll have to say though, the amount of water you are seeing, you got a pretty bad leak somewhere..And I don't think it could be from condensation. Too much water!

And you know, I've always not liked the way the pin box matches up to the cap...If you can reach in there feel the filon backing, then what to say water is not intruding there. Just curious, had you pulled the trailer in the rain recently?
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

If you can reach in there feel the filon backing, then what to say water is not intruding there. Just curious, had you pulled the trailer in the rain recently?

I can reach in there because I took the pinbox cowling off to get a better look around! I have the electric awning but I will check the mounts...just seems like they are so far back from the pinbox that it would be an unlikely to end up dripping out the area that it does. I am still wondering about the bedroom slide! It and the horizontal trim at the bulkhead are the only seams I have not resealed as they appear to look OK. I will do the horizontal bulkhead trim next and then the slide verticle edge closest to the cap.

By the way...the rig has been sitting for several months as has not been moved. Even in the heaviest of NW rains, the bottom filon piece stays pretty much dry. I am pretty sure water is not entering there. I have seen the bottom filon piece fog up with condensation but i believe that is because of the moisture inside from the leak.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

There are shops that can blow air inside and pressurize it, then go around on the outside and check with a soapy solution for leaks. Maybe someone here knows more about that than me...Don
 

SouthernNights

Past South Carolina Chapter Leader
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

I can reach in there because I took the pinbox cowling off to get a better look around! I have the electric awning but I will check the mounts...just seems like they are so far back from the pinbox that it would be an unlikely to end up dripping out the area that it does. I am still wondering about the bedroom slide! It and the horizontal trim at the bulkhead are the only seams I have not resealed as they appear to look OK. I will do the horizontal bulkhead trim next and then the slide verticle edge closest to the cap.

By the way...the rig has been sitting for several months as has not been moved. Even in the heaviest of NW rains, the bottom filon piece stays pretty much dry. I am pretty sure water is not entering there. I have seen the bottom filon piece fog up with condensation but i believe that is because of the moisture inside from the leak.

Steve, had the same issue with my 09 BC, only the molding on both sides of the pinbox would drip. I did eventually find the the water intrusion point on the left side but never did on the right side.

For me, the the water was coming in where the roof, side and front cap all meet. Kept passing over that area because the caulk looked good. Out of desperation I finally pulled all the caulking off and resealed it. This is just below the gutter area. That did seal it on one side. The right side continued to drip there. I think the water was coming down between the rubber molding and ant metal trim, never getting to the filon overhang.

I did a search as I am sure you have and found a couple threads about leaks in the same area. Didnt really seem to be one certain place that was always the culprit.

I wish you luck in finding it.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Steve, have you resealed the horizontal moldings on both sides of the cap/sides back to where the molding turns down 90*s. Mine leaked there and was running inside like your is. Water leaks a tuff to find....so good luck.
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Steve, have you resealed the horizontal moldings on both sides of the cap/sides back to where the molding turns down 90*s. Mine leaked there and was running inside like your is. Water leaks a tuff to find....so good luck.

These are the only areas I have not resealed! The caulking looked good and I thought it would be difficult for the water to wick upwards into the bulkhead. They are next on my list as soon as the snow melts! We got snow last night and it looks like a couple more days of it is on the way.

Thanks for the suggestion!
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Everyone should know that I got an unsolicited call from a Heartland tech this morning offering his help! You must admit that for them to see this thread on the forum and then giving me a call regarding the issue is good Customer Service! The leak is not fixed yet but I am confident we will nail it down soon. Thanks Dusty and everyone else (at Heartland) for your help!
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Everyone should know that I got an unsolicited call from a Heartland tech this morning offering his help! You must admit that for them to see this thread on the forum and then giving me a call regarding the issue is good Customer Service! The leak is not fixed yet but I am confident we will nail it down soon. Thanks Dusty and everyone else (at Heartland) for your help!

He probably saw the pictures of your caulking/sealing job and figured the factory could learn from it :D.
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

That's exactly what I was talking about. Looks like this service is available at a lot of different locations...Don

Including 2 miles down the road from me! Not sure how they would seal the front bulkhead area for a pressure test? If all else fails, I will have to pay for the service but I would like to exhaust all my "self-applied" fixes first. I just doesn't seem like it should be an impossible task to stop the leak!
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

UPDATE:

Well, I have resealed every possible place there is to reseal and the leak persists! I have done the entire cap trim (the top with eternabond) and the horizontal trim on the bulkhead. I have done the areas at the gutter spout where the cap, roof and wall meet. All the lights have been removed and also resealed. Haven't even slowed the leaks down :( Still drips from both sides next to the pinbox. There are only so many places that it can leak and only enter the bulkhead. What am I overlooking?

It's a mystery!
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Steve, haven't read back thru all the posts so this may have been covered. Is your W/D closet in the Bedroom/main closet area? If so, is it possible one of the lines is leaking? On my LM this would be near the pinbox area.
 

KWire

Member
Re: ATF: Big Country - Discouraged - Need Help!

Steve,

It sounds like by now you are pretty familiar with the roof... Have you tried to isolate the problem area using a garden hose and only wetting down a small section of the roof at a time? While I don't have a Heartland (yet) I had a problem on SOB and was able to locate it that way.

HTH, Keith
 
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