Community Forums

Chickadee · 01-23-2009, 03:32 AM

Hi Newmar Gang!

All of you have been so helpful in the past with suggestions and spot on guidance concerning issues with our Newmar rig that I thought I'd again ask for your input.

We pulled here into Tampa on 12/13/08, in our 4502, 08 Essex, and proceeded to set up. A couple of days ago, roughly a month AFTER we pulled in, we noticed a trickle of water rolling down the INSIDE of our windshield seeming to originate from the very top of the windshield about 1/4 to 1/3 way from the upper right corner (looking out)toward the driver side.

This surprised us since nothing had shown up previously even during one or two raid episodes, but all of a sudden, with just the morning dew dripping down, we had a (SHUDDER!!) LEAK!!! (Dang!!!...we had been so happy to have a rig without a leak).

One other thing we've noticed, is that after the FIRST episode of trickle stopped and dried out during the warmer daytime, there appeared to be a kind of crystal clear residue track down the windshield which when rubbed quite hard, will come off, but remains. Subsequent trickle episodes don't appear to leave such a drip track.

Now, we've driven this rig since Jan. of 08, a full year, and never had any indication of windshield leaks. Only two things have "changed" on our roof. One, we just recently (about a month and a half ago) had the front A/C unit replaced, and I'm wondering whether that mounting might be leaking into the roof and migrating fwd. to drip inside the windshield. The ONLY other change is that we've extended our batwing T.V. antenna and left it up never having really used it till now.

Why this leak would all of a sudden develop, after being parked (air down, jacks down) for more than three or four weeks, is a MYSTERY!! We are on a hardpacked sand/grass, and I'm wondering if the jack pads may have settled a bit causing a frame torque leading to the windshield leak.

ANYWAY....looks like another trip to Nappanee on our way North this spring.....DARN IT!!

Do you guys have any suggestions or input before I try to make another appointment at 'DA SHOP'???

OH, one other question. A year or so ago I read some posts about whether or not to occasionally run your engine every so often when set up and parked at a campground for an extended period of time (ie., 3 to 6 months). Can't now find that discussion. Maybe it wasn't on iRV2. Anyway, I'd like to start up, air up, retract the jacks and then redeploy as a measure to perhaps alleviate any frame torque which might be causing windshield leak. Would it be o.k. to run the engine awhile in order to do this? Seems to me in the old discussion I mentioned that there was some talk of such short warm up wasn't advisable as opposed to taking the rig out and driving it. I'd rather not.

Thanks. Steve

soricobob · 01-23-2009, 04:35 AM

I'm not one to try to fix something myself, if it is under warranty. I always figure I will screw it up even more. However, it sounds as if the water encroachment might be in your ceiling. With wires, connections, ceiling panels, etc. I would take a tube of Loctite sealer (or something similar), go up on the roof, and try to take care of business. As far as jacks/torque; we had our left front jack "slip" in Reno a year ago and cracked our driver's side windshield, so it does happen. I was advised that running the engine does nothing positive.

Norm Payne · 01-23-2009, 05:20 AM

I have had leaks around the windshield caused by leaking clearance lights.

Running the engine while parked for months does more harm than good. Just wait until the day before you leave to start the engine to make sure it starts and is ready for travel.

GaryKD · 01-23-2009, 05:31 AM

Hi Steve,
I agree with the previous posts. Leave the engine alone until you are ready to travel.

On the leak, it could be coming from anywhere. This is because it happens when the coach is stationary. Since it happens even with the morning dew the entry point may not be too hard to find. If it was me, I'd try to find the leak and patch it. Then get the final fix at the factory. Unfortunately, you may need to get up on the roof when there is dew. Roofs are slipery. Please be careful.

Rick Long · 01-23-2009, 07:10 AM

You're in a very humid area.. are you sure it's not just condensation?

Chickadee · 01-23-2009, 11:23 AM

Rick:

Yup, pretty darned sure it's NOT condensation since I can pinpoint the exact start of the trickle line at the very top of the glass and absolutely zero dampness or trickle anywhere else on the inside of the windshield.

Norm & Gary:

Yes, that's what I recalled about NOT running engine until ready to drive it around. Too bad I can't air up and/or retract/redeploy the jacks by using only the gen-set. Thanks.

Steve

ET · 01-23-2009, 12:01 PM

"Anyway, I'd like to start up, air up, retract the jacks and then redeploy as a measure to perhaps alleviate any frame torque which might be causing windshield leak. Would it be o.k. to run the engine awhile in order to do this?"

Doing it this one time will not adversely effect anything. You’re not trying to burn off condensation in your engine or exercise your coach, you’re just trying to reset your jacks. Imagine after leaving your coach at your service department that you instruct them that they MUST drive your coach until the transmission and engine are at their proper operating temperature before they can bring it into a service bay. Or when they complete the service hours later when everything is cool they must do it again before returning it to where it was parked. Not going to happen!

As far as your possible windshield leak you can purchase “Liquid Silicone” and try that at the top inside of your windshield seal. It flows and finds small holes and gaps in the rubber seal. Good Luck

Chickadee · 01-24-2009, 02:31 AM

ET: Thank you for you suggestions. I appreciate the "Liquid Silicone" idea, but would be worried about daming up water in the ceiling space IF the leak is indeed migrating from, say, a poor roof seal on the newly installed A/C unit. It's darned near impossible to locate the real source of this water leak by just crawling up ladders, and trying to look at gaskets or sealed seams. I'm hoping the Newmar factory has some means of finding such leak sources. Perhaps, I'm thinking, like pressurizing the interior of the coach and looking for bubbles from soapy water applied around possible leak points..... don't know. WHY DOES THERE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT??? Darn it!! Steve

ET · 01-24-2009, 02:47 AM

Water and air leaks are always the worst! Good luck and hopefully it resolves itself on it's own once you readjust your coach position.

Max Hubrich · 01-24-2009, 05:25 AM

My amber running lights (5 of them) on the upper front cap leaked. Not all at one time.

I removed them, cleaned them good. Look inside the lenses for water-- get new complete lens sets from a Newmar dealer, and try that. You can use silicone but you'll have a big mess on your hands if it doesn't work. My big problem is the flat, hard plastic lens that is mounted on a curved surface, I hear the lenses crack when I torque them down tight. I tried every thing I could use to seal the lights, including soft string putty designed for home use.

I finally gave the screws a hard tightening and all appears well now--

Oh, my 5 new lens, fixtures, bulbs and gaskets cost about $30. It also could be the A/C you had worked on. But I suggested this to eliminate a know leaking area,

Good luck,