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Old 04-11-2021, 07:57 PM   #1
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When it rains, it drips

Sadly, a water leak. Pouring rain all day. I’m sitting on the passenger captain’s chair watching TV when I feel water hitting my leg. I look up and it’s coming from the panel covering the front air conditioner.
Now the DW is mortified as our last coach ended up with severe water damage that cost over $15,000 and a loss of use for months while the repair was completed. She is ready to sell the coach and get out of Rving now.
Needless to say, I was not at all happy either as I know water can travel a long way before actually coming out in another location.
With nothing else to do I removed the black plastic panel and the plastic inserts that hold the filters. I got out my endoscope and proceeded to look around up in the ceiling area to try and determine where the water may be entering the roof. I may have been lucky this time. I saw a spot up on the roof structure that was wet and about the size of a pie pan. It is directly below the razor antenna. We have been in the rain many times and never noticed any leaks before and surveying the leak with my scope shows no signs of something that has been occurring for any period of time.
I get on the roof regularly because we are parked under pine trees that are constantly dropping the needles on the roof plugging the roof drains. While I’m up there I do an inspection of all sealant and recently resealed some areas. I never noticed anything unusual about the sealant around the razor antenna but, I apparently missed something.
One, thing I think that contributed to the issue is the storm was quite intense causing many pine needles to be deposited on the roof and plugging the roof drains. As a result of plugged roof drains and heavy rain a pool of water as deep as the gutters built up on the roof. I believe the water being underneath the razor antenna for most of the day and some small hole I cannot yet see caused the leak. If the gutters had not plugged and built up the pool on the roof I don’t think I ever would have caught the problem.
So tomorrow back up on the roof to see if I can resolve the issue. Hopefully, that fixes it and will not result in any long term damage.
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Old 04-11-2021, 11:15 PM   #2
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Good luck solving the leak! Keep us posted on the outcome.
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Old 04-12-2021, 07:30 AM   #3
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Are you sure it's not condensation?
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Old 04-12-2021, 08:40 AM   #4
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I am pretty sure I identified the problem. I can lift up all three air conditioners 1/8” to a 1/4” off the roof line. Obviously, many of the bolts on all air conditioners are not torqued properly or have completely stripped out.
I have not yet taken the air conditioner overs off but, it looks like all air conditioner hold down bolts are accessible with the cover off. Can anyone confirm this? Does anyone know the torque values for these bolts?
Any other suggestions?
I really now at this point hope, that will solve the problem. As for long term damage or possibly black mold or roof structure weakness I’m not sure how to find that.
I guess I will just continue to probe the roof cavity through the inside lights and air conditioner openings and see if I can identify any long term problem.
Knowing that water can travel a long ways before coming down through openings in the ceiling I really don’t now have any idea where it started or if it was through all three air conditioners.
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Old 04-12-2021, 02:30 PM   #5
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I spent almost an hour on hold for the que at customer service and never got through. I also emailed Newmar and no response as of yet. I need to get the bolts tight and since I don’t know the torque values I will be careful.
I need to get this done before dark as we leave in the morning.
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:10 PM   #6
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What size threads are the bolts? Or, if you don't know that, what size wrench or socket fits them? With that information, I can make a scientific wild azzed guess. -Paul
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Old 04-12-2021, 05:02 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThunderRidge View Post
I am pretty sure I identified the problem. I can lift up all three air conditioners 1/8” to a 1/4” off the roof line. Obviously, many of the bolts on all air conditioners are not torqued properly or have completely stripped out.
I have not yet taken the air conditioner overs off but, it looks like all air conditioner hold down bolts are accessible with the cover off. Can anyone confirm this? Does anyone know the torque values for these bolts?
Any other suggestions?
I really now at this point hope, that will solve the problem. As for long term damage or possibly black mold or roof structure weakness I’m not sure how to find that.
I guess I will just continue to probe the roof cavity through the inside lights and air conditioner openings and see if I can identify any long term problem.
Knowing that water can travel a long ways before coming down through openings in the ceiling I really don’t now have any idea where it started or if it was through all three air conditioners.
I'm pretty sure your leak might be through/under the gasket underneath your AC unit. I just went through this with mine. I would first try snugging up the four bolts that hold your AC unit down. You just need to snug them up and then twist a half turn. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. See if that stops the leak. If not, you need to replace the gasket which is not hard to do.
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Old 04-12-2021, 05:16 PM   #8
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Not air conditioner bolts. I’m back to square one. No idea where the water leak is coming from. Trying to get a factory appointment so I can hopefully find the problem. This is really frustrating.
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Old 04-12-2021, 05:26 PM   #9
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I'm pretty sure your leak might be through/under the gasket underneath your AC unit. I just went through this with mine. I would first try snugging up the four bolts that hold your AC unit down. You just need to send them up and then twist a half turn. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. See if that stops the leak. If not, you need to replace the gasket which is not hard to do.
Bolts are snug. Should not have to replace a gasket at 2 1/2 years. All drain lines are clear. I looked with my endoscope under all three air conditioners and everything looks good.
The razor antenna has some mounting bolts that are not sealed. I will seal them but, find it hard to believe that is the cause.
Screws that hold the gutters to the roof line could be better sealed but, they are on such a slope that I find it hard to believe that’s the problem.
Spent almost an hour on hold trying to get Newmar this morning then, emailed as well. No answer and no response.
I am going to try for a factory appointment and see if I can find the problem.
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Old 04-13-2021, 05:18 AM   #10
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Ensure you have resealed the top of the AC bolts with silicone. They sit in the condensation tray and the water will work it's way to the bolt threads and rot out the wood in the roof that holds the unit down.
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Old 04-13-2021, 06:34 AM   #11
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Have you checked your clearance lights? I had a very minor leak after the coach was a year or two old. Turned out to be the clearance lights were leaking. If I remember correctly they were leaking past the lens into the housing and then down.
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Old 04-13-2021, 07:15 AM   #12
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There is a dealer in Orlando, which may not be far from your location that has testing capabilities. I think the cost is under $300, less then a trip to Nappanee. Call Independence RV
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Old 04-13-2021, 07:21 AM   #13
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I had a leak that was the fan in my kitchen area. The drip was the most forward puck ligh on the drivers side. Water has a nasty way of traveling a long way from where it came in. Removed decor and replaced fan while fixing leak. Then I placed eternabond tape over every thing on roof that was sealed with diicor. Never had any issues with AC gaskets. Good luck


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Old 04-13-2021, 04:43 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pilotspike View Post
Have you checked your clearance lights? I had a very minor leak after the coach was a year or two old. Turned out to be the clearance lights were leaking. If I remember correctly they were leaking past the lens into the housing and then down.
Not the clearance lights. I checked those but, I would find that hard to have those leak into the front of the coach because, they are on a downward slope so I don’t think that’s the problem. I checked the fans and they are good.
Another possibility is the passenger side front roof drain may be partially separated and causing the leak. It may be able to handle some light rain or the runoff from the air conditioner condensation but, not heavy rain.
I have an appointment at the factory but, that is out to December so I don’t think that will work as I am reluctant to use the coach in case I get into heavy rain again.
Lazydays is a couple of miles from my house and they have the seal test system. I think I will try that first and see what it shows. Newmar just wants to replace all three air conditioner seals and, that may be the issue but, without some kind of diagnosis I am reluctant to drive from Minneapolis to the factory and then pay about $1,000.
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