Water found here after rain.......

JawBreaker

Member
I have sealed all exterior joints that have sealant from the factory, Dicor on the roof and quality silicone all other areas, after rain, I get water dripping from the trim at the junction of the nose and the side walls. I am very concerned, does anyone have a suggestion on this problem, maybe it is normal, I doubt. I live in the Midwest and we have a fair amount of rain. Please help? In the photos you are looking at the area on the bottom of the nose, where the end cap, side walls and under covering at the tongue all come together, the sealant in the photos has been breached for me to see if there was moisture there.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    132.4 KB · Views: 194
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    221.5 KB · Views: 217

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Did you check and reseal the marker lamps at the top of the front cap?
 
Last edited:

ParkIt

Well-known member
Its hard to tell from the pictures though I wonder about a couple of things:
Is the trim piece from the wall to under the bulkhead inset or at the actual edge? It almost looks like it sets in too far but it could be the angle you took the pictures from. It should sit on the edge.
Have you put a level under the cap to see if it is level? If its sagging at all it would break the bead.
What kind of sealant did you use and prep work prior to re-sealing? It looks like there is almost too much which can sometimes result in a bubble forming then breaking at the surface.
 

berky

Well-known member
If I understand correctly where you are seeing the dripping, I just found the same issue myself. What I believe is happening on mine:
- The top half of the front cap is fiberglass.
- The bottom half is "diamond plate".
- There is a piece of trim running horizontally at the seam of the two.
- This morning I found water dripping from the bottom of the TT's front right corner. The fiberglass was dripping wet with overnight dew, while the "diamond plate" was bone dry.
- The caulking along the top of the trim piece is perfect.
- It appears the trim is 2 pieces, a metal channel screwed to the TT and a plastic strip to conceal the screws.
- I believe the water is running over the face of the plastic strip, then into the interior of the metal channel, since there is not a watertight seal between the metal channel and the plastic strip.
 

JawBreaker

Member
Marker lights are sealed. I prepped the surface with denatured alcohol and good old elbow grease. The silicone had a little color in it, was to be clear when cured. As for the exact position of the trim and form fitting plastic cover, is is right at the junction of the front end cap and the side walls and roof. There is aluminum as a cover skin on the bottom area around and behind the tongue. I'm on a trip out, when I get home I plan to remove the white plastic, clean the area and replace the plastic and sealant. I'm worried deeply as the luan will not hold-up to a constant bath of water. My last trailer (sob) delaminated on three sides.
 

JawBreaker

Member
After watching the rain pour for hours yesterday and today before packing up and leaving the campground, I watched the water move down the side of the trailer. I think my issue is two fold, one being the quality of my work sealing the seams the other being the places the water travels. The water followed the trim piece and pooled on the bottom of the nose cap of my rig. I am home now, threw a tarp over the whole mess and will wait till the weather is fit to tackle all new insert and trim cover, reseal the areas and pray to God it solves my issue! Good luck with your issue, sounds similar to mine.
 

berky

Well-known member
FWIW, I found some 3/8" x 5/16" foam weatherstripping at the home center. The weatherstripping fit snugly between the metal trim channel and the plastic cover. I'm trying it to see if the foam will give me a better seal between the channel and the plastic cover. The monsoon has subsided here, so I can't yet see if it's doing any good.
 
Top