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08-08-2015, 01:24 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Macon, Georgia USA
Posts: 301
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water in storage lockers '99 american dream
Looking at poss buying a '99 American Dream and noticed stains in the basement lockers indicating water had gotten in. The existing owner says every time it rains and he drives it, that a little water blows in through the door openings, but the amount isn't signficant. It looked to me that anything stored would asbsorb the water pooled on the floor.
I wonder if this is a design flaw, or if the gaskets need replacement. Stains indicate that most of the doors are letting water in this way. Is this common? Long term, would it cause rusting or compromise the storage structure? Is there a quick fix? Its really something I wouldn't want to live with, so hate to buy into a continuous problem.
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08-08-2015, 01:44 PM
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#2
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New to the RV World
Vintage RV Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 3,092
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trimacon
Looking at poss buying a '99 American Dream and noticed stains in the basement lockers indicating water had gotten in. The existing owner says every time it rains and he drives it, that a little water blows in through the door openings, but the amount isn't signficant. It looked to me that anything stored would asbsorb the water pooled on the floor.
I wonder if this is a design flaw, or if the gaskets need replacement. Stains indicate that most of the doors are letting water in this way. Is this common? Long term, would it cause rusting or compromise the storage structure? Is there a quick fix? Its really something I wouldn't want to live with, so hate to buy into a continuous problem.
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Proceed carefully, if there has been water intrusion the metal holding the floor of the basement can be rotted out.
this is what my 97 looks like
I have washed it since and it is nice an white, and I adjusted the latches to have them seal tight
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08-08-2015, 02:13 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Posts: 250
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Trimacon,
Proceed carefully. Water should not intrude into the lower compartments. Some causes for this include bowed doors, compressed gaskets, and tweaked support frames. Assuming the source can be pinpointed and corrected, you then have a much larger problem, where did that water go?
The underbelly of the storage compartment is a vacuum bonded sandwich of steel, insulation, undercoating, aluminum, and the face material (the stuff you see when you open the luggage doors). Contrary to popular belief, this sandwich is water resistant, not water proof. The compartments below are caulked to the vertical support pieces and those loosen over time and can be a source of water intrusion into the floor. Another source is where the floor meets the luggage door frame. There is Sikaflex used to fill the gap, but over time and if it has not been properly maintained, you've got another point of water intrusion and rust. You can take an ice pick and poke around just beyond the Sikaflex joint. If you can make a hole, there are problems.
Take a close look at the battery compartment. That area gets the most abuse and many coaches have had the compartment replaced over the years.
Just another point, if the coach was driven knowing water was intruding into the compartments, then what else has been neglected? If water has intruded into the sidewalls, that's a game stopper.
If the walls are ok, despite the above they are great coaches. Even if the floor is discovered to be bad, the factory can replace the underside, align the doors, and you're good to go.
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08-08-2015, 05:36 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Macon, Georgia USA
Posts: 301
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Thanks All. It was my first visit to the coach and a quick test drive. The pooled water stains definitely caught my eye. I certainly could be doors not adjusted to close tight or the gaskets. I'll definitely go back and check the integrity of the metal around.
The battery compartment looked solid. There was slight corrosion on one battery terminal, everything else very clean.
Again, thanks for taking the time to reply & help. Rgds, Tom, GA
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08-09-2015, 05:40 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Posts: 250
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Tom,
I believe you can call American Coach with the serial number and they can look up any previous service on that coach by the factory. The number is 1-800-435-7345.
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08-10-2015, 08:31 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Macon, Georgia USA
Posts: 301
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Thanks STKT! That's great info.
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