Community Forums

SacsTC · 12-11-2008, 02:05 PM

While in the process of trying to remove another of the items from MM's HoneyDo List, I had ocassion to carefully check out the caulking on our roof.

I have previously told people that what you needed to look for was cracked or lifting caulk or tape..

I will now send that myth to its grave..

This picture is of the sealant around our tank vent. It was basically just laying on top of the roof around the vent. It was however, attached fairly well to the actual vent, just not the roof. This is sitting as if you are looking down on the vent and sealant. It looked like there was nothing wrong with the seal it should have been providing.

This Pic is of the bottom of the sealant. Notice how smooth the sealant is. If it was ever actually stuck down to the roof at all, it all let loose, not just some parts of it. The stain that is noticeable is from dirt and algae that was growing underneath it.

In closing, a word of caution, just looking at your sealant is not good enough!!! Try to move it, all I had to do was lift it right off the roof.

Mind you, our coach was built in May/June of 06 and had the roof re-sealed under warranty in July of 07, so I actually did not expect any possibility of leakage problems. Also, this was not the only place that this had occurred, just the best example for Pics.

SacsTC · 12-11-2008, 02:05 PM

While in the process of trying to remove another of the items from MM's HoneyDo List, I had ocassion to carefully check out the caulking on our roof.

I have previously told people that what you needed to look for was cracked or lifting caulk or tape..

I will now send that myth to its grave..

This picture is of the sealant around our tank vent. It was basically just laying on top of the roof around the vent. It was however, attached fairly well to the actual vent, just not the roof. This is sitting as if you are looking down on the vent and sealant. It looked like there was nothing wrong with the seal it should have been providing.

This Pic is of the bottom of the sealant. Notice how smooth the sealant is. If it was ever actually stuck down to the roof at all, it all let loose, not just some parts of it. The stain that is noticeable is from dirt and algae that was growing underneath it.

In closing, a word of caution, just looking at your sealant is not good enough!!! Try to move it, all I had to do was lift it right off the roof.

Mind you, our coach was built in May/June of 06 and had the roof re-sealed under warranty in July of 07, so I actually did not expect any possibility of leakage problems. Also, this was not the only place that this had occurred, just the best example for Pics.

Lukeaa · 12-11-2008, 03:17 PM

Ron,

Also check all of the nuts holding the full wall slide arms to the slide underneath. Most of mine were loose.

Luke

SacsTC · 12-11-2008, 03:29 PM

Thanks Luke
If you are referring to the vertical adjusting bolts with the locking nuts, that one has been done and most were loose. The nuts on the hydraulic rams were also loose.
I suppose I should check them again if MM

ever gives me time away from making "Improvements" to both the Dip and the House..

BaldOldBob · 12-11-2008, 03:54 PM

SacsTC,

Just curious as to what the other places where the loose sealant problem manifested itself. I've been chasing a leek that lets water into my inverter compartment for some time with no luck. Maybe I need to go up top with a putty knife and do the pry and lift test.

Long time lurker but now ready to join the brotherhood. Or maybe I should say the brotherhood and sisterhood. Sorry MonacoMoma!!

nutensteve · 12-11-2008, 04:04 PM

Thanks for the heads up Sacs.....guess I'll to have Nita climb up on the roof and check the sealant....oh...I mean I'll have to climb up there. I have always just done a visual, never thought to try and lift it.

MMouser · 12-11-2008, 04:22 PM

This is exactly what I want to bring to everyones attention. There is a thread started in General Discussion about hidden leaks from LACK OF PROPER PREPERATION OF SURFACES during the manufacture process.
This is prevalent in ALL brands. Possible extremes are mold. Lack of surface preperation to save time and solution cost is now showing up on slide and main house areas.
Thanks to OREGON MOTORCOACH CENTER I was not alone when information and repair was needed.

MonacoMama · 12-11-2008, 04:50 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Long time lurker but now ready to join the brotherhood. Or maybe I should say the brotherhood and sisterhood. Sorry MonacoMoma!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL...no offense taken, BaldOldBob! You also now have your Monaco karma... and we are also glad to have you join the "brotherhood/sisterhood".

I am sooo glad to see so many "come out of the lurker closet" this week. We hope to see your activity on the forum - whether it is you telling us how you solved a problem ... or asking for help with a problem you may have. We are all in this together .. to laugh, learn & help each other.

Again- welcome to the Monaco Forum- please continue to visit & post often!

MM

SacsTC · 12-11-2008, 06:14 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Just curious as to what the other places where the loose sealant problem manifested itself. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bob,
Glad to have you aboard...........

The other major spot was around the base of the Batwing antenna, but there were small spots around the fan housings as well. Have not finished looking at the rear cap area. That will be done tomorrow.
If your inverter is at the rear of the coach, it is possible that the rear cap may be leaking at the seam on the roof. I think that is above the inverter compartment on ours. If it is only leaking while driving on wet roads, it is probably only visible at nite with a lite in the bay. Looking under wheel well.

SacsTC · 12-11-2008, 06:19 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by nutensteve:
Thanks for the heads up Sacs.....guess I'll to have Nita climb up on the roof and check the sealant....oh...I mean I'll have to climb up there. I have always just done a visual, never thought to try and lift it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Same here Steve, never gave it a thought that caulk would not stick to the surface.
Give Nita our best and tell her to be careful up there!!

Lukeaa · 01-04-2009, 06:59 PM

Ron,

It was nice in Blythe this week, so I went up on the roof to check the caulking issue that you found. I have the exact same problem. The caulking around my blackwater vent came up complete, same as yours. The Fan-Tastic vents were the same. I pull it all up, cleaned it up, went over it with acetone and then resealed it all with Eternabond tape. I think that should solve the problem. Thank you for finding the defect. I could see where water had already started to seep into the roof.

SacsTC · 01-04-2009, 07:19 PM

UUhhh, glad you found it

UUhhhh, no I'm not, I sorry you found it

Ah heck, I'm so confused

Luke, you should probably get a good caulk and go around the edges of the tape with a self-leveling sealant also.
Seriously, I hope everyone is looking closely as I also found seepage under the caulk, and I know that there are others with the same problem..

Actually, we should thank MM.............. She is the one who made me get up there for her latest HoneyDo Project in the first place.

MonacoMama · 01-04-2009, 09:48 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SacsTC:
...Actually, we should thank MM.............. She is the one who made me get up there for her latest HoneyDo Project in the first place. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Nahhh..I don't get the credit for this one...Tom N gets the credit- he was my inspiration for the "HoneyDo" that Sacs was doing.

MM

Bobby C · 01-05-2009, 04:07 PM

I might also add that while I was looking around for possible water leak in the rear curbside slide, I noticed no caulk where the rear fiberglass cap joins the fiberglass roof. The roof wraps to join the side, and where it joins the rear cap, a space of about a 1/4" inch is formed. 3 of the 4 corners had caulk. The forth with no caulk I suspect was where the leak is coming from.