Leak at Bunk Area over Cab

[TrekGreat]

Hi
Need help Leak driving me crazy
I have a 2006 Fleetwood Jamboree 23e which I purchased From De MartiniRV in Grass Valley CA 2 years ago & was assured all leaks & repairs would be made before I drove off their lot Water was obvious to both me & sales representative at time I looked at MH
I must admit I was a real sucker in taking these people at their word
Water appears every time it rains & accumulates at the very front of bunk area on passenger side It accumulates there because of slope of MH
I have sealed everyplace imaginable but still no luck
I have scheduled a Leak PressureTest for later this month but Camping World says test is not foolproof Could drive off still having leak but with 300 dollars less in my pocket I was hoping someone may have had this test performed & a leak was discovered in an area that had never been consisted before
By the way the MH came with tires made in China & were recalled & I had 2 blowouts Are all MH dealers as corrupt as this one
Please help
Thanks Ted

[BFlinn181]

If it leaks every time it rains, that can help you track it down. ICC lights are a notorious leak point. Tape plastic over each light and spray. If the leak stops, you know it's the lights, if it doesn't, you can eliminate those trouble spots. Take the light lens and fixture off the RV, caulk with a good butyl rubber caulk and replace. If the lens or fixture is cracked, replacement lights can be purchased at any good auto or truck parts store, or on line.

If you have windows in front, do the same thing, tape all joints where window frame meets exterior and spray with a hose. If it's leaking there, just caulking around the window would be a temporary fix. The sure way to cure the problem is remove the windows. Often interior trim is used to cover up the screws, but most likely the window frames are screwed from inside to outside. If you remove the screws, the window frame can be pushed out. Use butyl rubber strips to seal when replacing. The metal window frame and the RV body move differently as temperature changes, that's why butyl rubber strips will work better than just caulking. Do NOT use silicone caulk, it will fail and attract dirt and won't allow anything else to stick to it's residue.

On the roof joint between front cap and roof, Dicor self-leveling caulk is often used, if old layers are built up, use a heat gun and plastic scraper to remove the old. Another strategy is use EternaBond tape to seal joints. Clean old caulk, use acetone to clean the old seams, and carefully press and use a roller (like a wallpaper seam roller) on the tape to eliminate bubbles, wrinkles, and make could contact.

If the leak has been there for a long time, you might have to remove interior panels to find any moisture damage like rot or mold. Just fixing the leak might not be the end of your problems.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by TrekGreat

Hi
Need help Leak driving me crazy
I have a 2006 Fleetwood Jamboree 23e which I purchased From De MartiniRV in Grass Valley CA 2 years ago & was assured all leaks & repairs would be made before I drove off their lot Water was obvious to both me & sales representative at time I looked at MH
I must admit I was a real sucker in taking these people at their word
Water appears every time it rains & accumulates at the very front of bunk area on passenger side It accumulates there because of slope of MH
I have sealed everyplace imaginable but still no luck
I have scheduled a Leak PressureTest for later this month but Camping World says test is not foolproof Could drive off still having leak but with 300 dollars less in my pocket I was hoping someone may have had this test performed & a leak was discovered in an area that had never been consisted before
By the way the MH came with tires made in China & were recalled & I had 2 blowouts Are all MH dealers as corrupt as this one
Please help
Thanks Ted

You had the tires replaced under a recall, that's not the dealers problem.
You've had the rig for two years, has it leaked that whole time or is this something new since you owned it? If it's leaked all this time why didn't you take it back sooner? Maybe they repaired the existing leaks when you bought it, once it leaves their lot it's the owners responsibility to keep up with the maintenance.
A lot of RV manufacturers recommend checking the roof/body sealant every 6 months, did you do this?

[TrekGreat]

They were the tires that came on the mh During there inspection they noted tire pressure at 47 psi at all tires & noted OK The leak at the bunk area was evident by both mme & sales rep
I was assured once I made a firm offer & my offer was accepted ALL DEFECTS WOULD BE REPAIRED The leak has been the same since i bought the MH & I feel I was totally screwed BY DE Martini RV When I called about something they agreed to correct they just gave me the run around I feel all RV dealers are the same I did not have the tires replaced by recall After 2 blowouts within 2 days I had at my expense all 6 tires replaced with new tires by Les Schwab
I believe here in Calif it is against the law to knowingly place a vehicle on the road with old & defective tires Sending a MH on the road after doing an inspection & noting tire pressure was 47 psi & noting on inspection report that this was OK?????? Come on Where is the justice in that Since they didn't repair all leaks as agreed I have been for the last 2 years trying to fix them myself The former owner obviously had this leak As all screw heads have been sealed Seller agreed 100% if I made a firm offer & my offer was corrected ALL defects would be repaired Fluids in generator were noted as OK but I checked oil level within a few days after I purchased unit & oil did not even show on dipstick Ripped off

[Mr_D]

So, you had the rig for two years and it's still leaking? Did you ever take the rig back to get it fixed?
Still don't understand the tire situation. You bought the RV with bad tires, and they were replaced under a recall. How is that the dealers fault?

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by TrekGreat

They were the tires that came on the mh During there inspection they noted tire pressure at 47 psi at all tires & noted OK The leak at the bunk area was evident by both mme & sales rep
I was assured once I made a firm offer & my offer was accepted ALL DEFECTS WOULD BE REPAIRED The leak has been the same since i bought the MH & I feel I was totally screwed BY DE Martini RV When I called about something they agreed to correct they just gave me the run around I feel all RV dealers are the same

I guess my dismay about a leak that "happens every time it rains" should be tempered by your location. Perhaps you've not had enough rain over 2 years to be motivated to really correct the issue. In many areas, a 2 year uncorrected leak would mean rot, mildew or mold, and expensive structural repair. If you bought the RV new, with the typical 12 month warranty, you should have been more aggressive in pursuing a repair during that period.

This is the second time you've stated you "feel all RV dealers are the same." How many have you purchased RVs from? I don't know what you consider a run-around, but I've found that repeated pursuit of a remedy usually gets the job done. Yes, some are interested in a sale only, but if they are an official dealer for your brand of RV they need to handle warranty issues. Did you contact the RV manufacturer?

An RV makes a great billboard. If you had shown up on their lot after a few attempts at an unsuccessful repair, A large yellow lemon taped to the side would get their attention. I had an issue years ago with a conversion van. The battery kept going dead. I had GM roadside service come and jump start it a few times, but eventually they said it had to be towed to the dealer. The service department said the battery was within specifications, but I had monitored the battery on a few occasions and knew it was faulty. Next time it failed, roadside service said I'd exceeded my limit of service calls for the battery issue. I pointed out I had it towed to the dealer and they said it was O.K., so I considered this a reset on the issue. This time when I went to the dealer, I wore a large button that said, "Ask me about service that isn't" and I sat quietly in their waiting room. When the owner walked through and saw my button, he invited me into his office. I showed him a calendar marked with the number of issues and outcomes. I got a new battery and new respect from the service department!

Often on here I see folks say, "But it's too far to take it to the dealer." In that case prepare to pay out of pocket even if a warranty was a feature you valued at the sale. Same for built in delays scheduling service or repair. Go sit in their waiting room and see how busy they are. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[TrekGreat]

You seem to be missing the point
The unit was not new
it was a 2006 MH
My complaint is I was told all leaks & etc would be repaired but they were not
I insisted on resealing entire roof & they only sealed around penetrations & only those that were easy to seal
read my comments
tires were defective & the MH should never have been released with defective tires
2 blowouts shortly after I purchased unit
i repeatedly contacted the dealer by phone & e-mail & still have a record of my e-mails to them
All i got was the run around
Read my comments very carefully
How do you explain 47 psi in tires & say this is acceptable????
How do you explain no oil in generator when their report says ok
Inspection by them was a complete farce & items were checked off without even inspecting each item
Read my comments

[mikell]

Mine leaked around the marker lights on the front. I replaced them all and silicone the crap out of the new ones. They never had any sealant on the originals

I also went to the hardware and got a gallon of white roof sealer. It's not especially for RV's but I go over all the seams and such with it and it has been there 3 years without coming lose. No more issues

[BFlinn181]

You never specified what chassis or tires your RV was equipped, so I didn't react to the tire pressures. While 47 psi might be low, it's easily remedied with a compressor and air hose. Two tires were replaced by manufacturer's recall, but tire age is your responsibility to check before taking it on the road and possibly negotiating replacement tires before sales is finalized.

You say you called and emailed, did you actually take the RV back to the lot? You took the word of the dealer that the repairs would be done, was it in writing? Did you verify the repairs had been done or have water sprayed on suspect area as a demonstration the problem had been corrected? I think your dismay with the dealer should be turned back on you a bit for taking the dealer's word on repair and not doing a thorough inspection before purchase. It's always "Buyer beware" whether buying a vehicle, a house, or an item in a store.

Especially in a used vehicle, the buyer must inspect or hire a pro to inspect if not knowledgable themselves. In addition, always "Get it in writing" don't just take verbal promises.