Community Forums

littleahi30 · 01-13-2017, 01:46 PM

I have a Sea Breeze LX, 31 ft. Where the front cap meets the roof there is molding the full width of the motor home with a lot of screws holding it in place. There is some water leakage in that area, so I cleaned up all the old caulking and discovered all the screws holding everything in place are all stripped. I tried to screw in some bigger screws but they don't hold either. I took out the old TV so I have access to that area in the center of the roof. I put bolts and nuts to hold the center section in place, but it's the side that is leaking. Any ideas aside from tearing out the ceiling?

Rook · 01-13-2017, 02:17 PM

This suggestion will not provide much "structural" support......but it will STOP the water leaks. I applied a 4 inch wide strip from gutter to gutter of EternaBond Tape over the joint between Body and Cap......on both ends of my MH. No more leaks! Rook

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...sl_e5jmukv0c_b

littleahi30 · 01-13-2017, 05:25 PM

What kind of surface prep is there? Do you have to take off all the old sealant?

John Wayne · 01-13-2017, 05:47 PM

I did the same as ROOK you can go over the old sealant as long as it's not wider then the 4" wide tape. I just cleaned the area with denatured alcohol before putting the tape down. When using the tape don't stretch it and once it touches the surface it's hard to lift off to reposition so make sure it's lined up before you set it down. And pressure is needed to get it to stick so go with the roller to install it. You tube videos on how to use it. Once you install it you will not have to worry about any leaks from that area.

cruzbill · 01-13-2017, 06:08 PM

I had a Sea Breeze 5th wheel, made by National RV same as you. Rear cap leaked, So I removed the sealant and metal trim strip and all the screws, filled each screw hole with toothpicks and a bit of wood glue, trimmed toothpicks flush, ran 4" eternabond in one piece from one side to the other. replaced rusted trim screws with stainless steel screws, filled each screw hole with Dicor sealant, then ran the screws in. More Dicor over each screw head and then reinstalled new screw cover in the trim strip. No more leaks. National had installed the rubber roof so the roof ran under the rear cap insead of on top of the rear cap, costs us $4K to repair water damage to slide out and kitchen floor.

Rook · 01-13-2017, 06:13 PM

Ditto what John Wayne said. I just used soap (Dawn), water and a brush to clean mine. As JW said, be careful to have it centered on the joint because once it's down it's nearly impossible to remove! Do not let the roll of tape lay on it's side, it will stick and you will be lucky to get it unstuck! The surface must be completely dry. Use a good roller to get a good seal. Rook

GREGORYJ · 01-13-2017, 08:44 PM

On our 05 Dolphin, I stripped off all the old Dicor, then drilled new holes in the metal strip between the striped ones but at slightly better positions and angle for new screws to fasten to a better support or frame underneath the roof surface. I then applied new Dicor. Good idea to add the Eternabond tape over that.

ChasRob · 01-18-2017, 06:45 PM

I had a rig with the same leaks and used Eternabond to cover the trim strip. I first removed the excess caulk, but not all of it. Having a little along the sides of the trim helps the Eternabond blend into the roof top. I cleaned everything with lacquer thinner, but wiped the area with alcohol after because it doesn't leave a residue.

I agree with not stretching the Eternabond tape. It is best left in a neutral situation to accommodate the expansion and shrinking.

I did an experiment and placed a tape patch over an antenna hole to be plugged later. To remove it I used a heat gun and most of the plastic backing came off, but much of the backing tape remained.