2020 Dutch Star 4369 Roof Leak - Wet Bedroom.

[Bobbyj56]

2020 Dutch Star 4369 Wet Bedroom

We drove from cold and snowy (but beautiful) State College, PA to Sunny and warm and sometimes wet Naples, Florida in March after receiving our two Covid-19 shots.

This morning we woke up to a wet bed. I was glad it was from the roof...just saying.

On the other hand maybe not. Water was dripping from the ceiling wood trim at the point near the bathroom door. 2020 Dutch Star has a diamond pattern for the HVAC system.

Due to Covid 19 travel restrictions our coach was in storage since May of last year. Before starting our trip I noticed a stain on the far speaker cover above the bed nearest to the bathroom. Yikes, this is a Newmar, not possible, so I rejected my fear. Smart huh?

I climbed onto the roof and located a possible failure point located between the two roofs—bathroom raised roof is butted to the main level roof and finished with 4” sealant tape. At the end of the tape Newmar used DiCor (or similar) lap sealant to finish. This is under the fence bulkhead and awning bulkhead. It is difficult to see but I stuck my finger into what felt like a bubbled portion of sealant. I could feel the roof below. I removed the old and found a 1/4” X 1” rectangular hole with corrosion products inside. I cleaned and finished the job with new DiCor lap sealant. The leak is fixed, I think.

But what about the wet interior materials that will not dry? Wet fiberglass and wet foam board will not dry with out a bunch of air movement, which does not exist in insulated roof structures.

A recent failure in my sticks and bricks house required men in Tyvek suits armed with moisture meters and big vacuum dryers who ripped off the drywall. Gosh what a mess! Reason: Mold and/or potential for mold.

Will Newmar remove the ceiling and repair this properly under warranty for a coach that is 17 months old?

Would you know of a non-destructive moisture meter that will seek moisture behind a vinyl clad ceiling board?

You may want to check the condition of the DiCor sealant at that roof juncture under the roof fence when inspecting your roof.

Respectfully,

BobbyJ
State College PA
2020 Dutch Star 4369
2015 Yukon XL tow.

[ThunderRidge]

From previous experience with water leaks. It may dry out over time but, most likely will turn into black mold and weak spots in your roof area. I thought I had thoroughly dried out wet areas in my previous coach only to realize a couple of years later that the water damage went much further than I could originally see.
My wife and I started to get ill every time we were in the coach to the point we couldn’t enjoy staying in it.
Took it to a dealer I know and trust. Black mold had grown across the ceiling and down both bedroom walls. Could not see the damage because it was behind cabinets and closets. It ended up being a complete removal of everything in the bedroom along with a slide removal. Everything was stripped to the frame and had to be rebuilt. $15,000 and three months later I was on my way.

I believe this is structural and doesn’t Newmar have a five year structural warranty. I would definitely be in touch with Newmar on this.

[jrs]

Woah that sucks...... good luck! I found a potential spot when washing the roof on my hands and knees.

[bizzerbiz]

If there is any ceiling lights in that area that can be removed and provide cavity access for airflow, then you'll be able to help the drying process. You can stick a hair dryer in there or most restoration companies have air movers with multiple 3/8 air tubes that they can push through and get different positions of air for drying. If your going to go that route than they would handle the whole job of restoration. But a wood floor moisture meter might work for non abrasive contact info n measuring the moisture. Best of luck to you.

[Bobbyj56]

I purchased the General MMD950 Moisture Meter and whoa was that thing cool to locate all areas of dampness behind the wall and ceiling. It was rated to detect moisture up to 4” deep and I believe it can do that. It is a non-destructive tester.

I purchased, along with the meter, an 1100 ft2 dehumidifier by Vacplus. I connected it to the ceiling space with a 1.5” drain hose from Lowes. I made a box structure around the dehumidifier and inserted the hose. The ceiling has subsequently dried, but the wall areas below the roof leak (behind the bed) location remains damp. ( I would recommend this product too. Works well.).

This entire issue is related to a poor sealant job at the intersection of the two roofs near the passenger side edge. Stains on the bedspread and speaker cover indicate a slow leak was present for sometime. I guess the heat of expansion in the Florida weather, along with a rain storm finally overwhelmed the weakened sealant allowing water to flow into the bedroom. Since my roof repair, we have not had any water intrusion, since the April 1 failure, but today, 17 days later with active dehumidification, the wall remains damp.

Newmar has agreed to fix the problem, and I believe are accepting the financial liability according to Craig at Newmar. (We’ll see).

If so, I remain a satisfied Newmar customer. It is truly a pleasure to work with a great company that stands behind their product. We love our Dutch Star in spite of our early hour issues.

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on this issue. Hope this never happens to any of you.

Kind regards,

BobbyJ
2020 Dutch Star 4369
2015 Yukon XL

[arein]

Originally Posted by Bobbyj56

This entire issue is related to a poor sealant job at the intersection of the two roofs near the passenger side edge. Stains on the bedspread and speaker cover indicate a slow leak was present for sometime. I guess the heat of expansion in the Florida weather, along with a rain storm finally overwhelmed the weakened sealant allowing water to flow into the bedroom. Since my roof repair, we have not had any water intrusion, since the April 1 failure, but today, 17 days later with active dehumidification, the wall remains damp.

Newmar has agreed to fix the problem, and I believe are accepting the financial liability according to Craig at Newmar. (We’ll see).

If so, I remain a satisfied Newmar customer. It is truly a pleasure to work with a great company that stands behind their product. We love our Dutch Star in spite of our early hour issues.

Glad to hear they are taking care of the issue. Best of luck to see it resolved soon!

[bizzerbiz]

Originally Posted by Bobbyj56

I purchased the General MMD950 Moisture Meter and whoa was that thing cool to locate all areas of dampness behind the wall and ceiling. It was rated to detect moisture up to 4” deep and I believe it can do that. It is a non-destructive tester.

I purchased, along with the meter, an 1100 ft2 dehumidifier by Vacplus. I connected it to the ceiling space with a 1.5” drain hose from Lowes. I made a box structure around the dehumidifier and inserted the hose. The ceiling has subsequently dried, but the wall areas below the roof leak (behind the bed) location remains damp. ( I would recommend this product too. Works well.).

This entire issue is related to a poor sealant job at the intersection of the two roofs near the passenger side edge. Stains on the bedspread and speaker cover indicate a slow leak was present for sometime. I guess the heat of expansion in the Florida weather, along with a rain storm finally overwhelmed the weakened sealant allowing water to flow into the bedroom. Since my roof repair, we have not had any water intrusion, since the April 1 failure, but today, 17 days later with active dehumidification, the wall remains damp.

Newmar has agreed to fix the problem, and I believe are accepting the financial liability according to Craig at Newmar. (We’ll see).

If so, I remain a satisfied Newmar customer. It is truly a pleasure to work with a great company that stands behind their product. We love our Dutch Star in spite of our early hour issues.

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on this issue. Hope this never happens to any of you.

Kind regards,

BobbyJ
2020 Dutch Star 4369
2015 Yukon XL

You didn't mention if you used air flow to helping the drying process. Air pushes the moisture out of porous materials, allowing the dehumidifier to capture it. Could be without air flow, your capturing humid air. 17 days is a long time for moisture to ferment. You didn't mention what the moisture level was either, that makes a huge difference for damage expectations. 10/15 percent may be normal where your at in Florida. Either way be satisfied you have no mold issues before signing offf with Newmar.

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BobbyJ would appreciate a follow up to your problem after a visit to Newmar as to how much of a problem this may have created or if you stopped the real damage from happening, Thank you.