Community Forums

bdpreece · 04-01-2016, 01:06 PM

After six years I have developed a leak that I suspect is coming in around the Traveler Satellite system. They used a white caulk that looks like it was probably poured on rather than from a tube as this is a large area. The caulk is now has a chalk texture and is cracking.

Does anyone have any suggestions on cleaning this up and hopefully what I can apply over it rather than having to remove all the old stuff. I am probably going to need at least a couple of quarts of something.

Sweetbriar · 04-01-2016, 01:34 PM

If you apply over what is already there you will need a couple of quarts. Bigger the glob, better the job. Best to clean it out. It's actually not that hard to scrape off if you warm it up with a heat gun. Doesn't have to be showroom clean just try and get most of it.

Since what is there looks like it was poured it was probably self leveling which might not be the best type product for this application. Works great for lap seals such as the cap to roof. Not so much for an antenna base. Use something such as Dicor, Pro Flex, Sikaflex sealants will do the job, but not self leveling and only use what is compatible with what the roof is made out of. Fiberglass is forgiving but use the wrong stuff on a soft roof and you could have problems later.

I cleaned out the rear cap seal in no time one day after getting home from work. The front was worse.

Before

After

MSHappyCampers · 04-01-2016, 01:42 PM

Brian, they probably used a self-leveling sealant, which when dry has the appearance of being poured on.

It's possible they didn't clean the area good, use a good quality sealant, or maybe didn't put enough on.

I would suggest getting Dicor 502LSW self-leveling sealant, which comes in the large tubes for use in a caulking tool. Thoroughly clean the area including the old sealant, with mineral spirits. Then put a generous amount of the sealant over the old caulk, covering it thoroughly, and extending it maybe an inch on each side. You don't need to remove the old sealant if you clean it good.

I had a leak that nearly drove me crazy! I finally bought a 50' roll of Eternabond 4" tape and the Dicor 502LSW. I resealed all the large openings, such as skylights, vents, etc. with the tape, then put a small bead of the sealant along each edge of the tape. I sealed all the smaller openings, such as vent pipes, TV antenna, etc. with the Dicor sealant. Finally got the leak stopped!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

lonfu · 04-02-2016, 06:01 AM

What I would do is to take a stiff brush, like a brass brush or stiff plastic brush and clean the area carfully to take off as much of the old stuff as possible. Then get some roof paint/ coating that is appropriate for your roof and seal out and around it about 12 inches or so. That said, the right way to repair it is to take the fitting off, replace the compression seal, then reseal the edges with regular silicon. Again, depending on your roofing material. Some of the rubber roofs require special sealents and they don't do well in the direct sunlight. The idea behind the self leveling sealants is that it will flow into any holes or opening. With regular silicon you must force it into the joint with your finger or spreader. The spreadable is faster for production and requires less time to install. But all this advice is useless unless you clean the surfaces carefully. good luck

lonfu · 04-02-2016, 06:05 AM

I'm sure you have already figured out, that when you walk on your roof with your shoes to wear booties to prevent micro holes from the small stones imbedded in your shoes. The micro holes take while, but they will show up as leaks further down he road. I use an old pair of socks that I've trimmed off the top.

bdpreece · 04-02-2016, 07:56 AM

Roof is all fiberglass so it is pretty much just a problem with figuring out if all the old caulk needs to be removed or if I can just clean it good and re-coat and what product to use. Camping World did the initial installation so I may have to make a trip over there to see if they can tell me what is on there now.

MSHappyCampers · 04-02-2016, 08:01 AM

Brian, unless someone really stupid used a silicone caulk there is no need to remove it. That would be a HUGE job, and a waste of time.

Just be SURE you clean the old caulk thoroughly using mineral spirits and you will be fine!

Daybreaker · 04-02-2016, 11:35 AM

I use a rag sprayed with brake cleaner, carefully but it cleans well

bdpreece · 04-02-2016, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I use a rag sprayed with brake cleaner, carefully but it cleans well

Would have never thought of that. I usually use acetone. May have to give the brake cleaner a try. Some of the area is such that you can't really just wipe it down so a careful shot with a spray might just be the ticket.

MSHappyCampers · 04-02-2016, 04:18 PM

How do you know what long-term effects the brake cleaner will have on the old caulk, or on the new sealant you put on top of it?

I wouldn't take the chance! Use something that is tried and proven!

Dutch Star Don · 04-02-2016, 06:37 PM

Brian.....I'm going to throw something out. When you're satellite was installed, it was supposed to be installed with a sealant under the sat and then sealant over the edge of the sat. I would be very surprised to hear that your satellite is the cause of the leak, especially with two levels of sealant.

I chased a leak for years in my Monaco. One thing I did to narrow it down was to tilt the coach. So if it's raining, tilt the coach forward and see if it leaks, if not, it could be the air horns or the front running lights. Just try it in different positions.

They also have the Seal Tech service that pressurizes your coach and then checks for leaks.

AbdRahim · 04-02-2016, 09:53 PM

x2 on Sealtech. I did this when the coach was brand new. Probably not a bad idea to do this every five years or so.

mojoracing · 04-02-2016, 11:59 PM

Sealtech is the best money you will ever spend on your coach. The dealer did mine before delivery even though it was a new unit. Its coming up on three years and all my sealant still looks good but I'm going to have the dealer do the sealtech again just as a precaution. Water leaks are the one thing that will absolutely kill a coach and in some cases make it nearly sale proof.

lonfu · 04-03-2016, 05:04 AM

I too have a fiber glass roof. Most installers will use silicon to seal it. I've been using silicon for many years to seal my coach. You can use butyl but it is not pretty. If it is butyl you can use ordinary paint thinner to clean it. You should not use carb cleaner to clean fiberglass, you can use lacquer thinner(acetone) and it won't hurt it. Just don't dump it directly on the surface.

I coated my roof with white roof coating when it was new, and recoat it every 7 years or so. I've used this on all 4 moho's that I've owned. I've had no leaks as of to date.

There should have been a compression gasket under mounting bracket of your dish. Basicly something between the bracket and the roof. The stuff around the edges is just a dust seal. Like I mentioned before, white roof paint is a little thinner and can find and fill the gaps where the compression seal has failed. The first coat on a fiberglass roof is called gel coat. Small rocks from your shoes can damage it and lead to bigger leaks down the road. (no street shoes on boat rule) Make sure you wear something on your feet. It is one of the reasons I coated my roof in the first place. Keeps the rocks from penetrating the gel coat. Besides, the roof coating keeps the UV rays from getting to the roof jacks and bracket sealents. There are different qualities of silcon. The cheap stuff is about $8 per tube at HD, the good stuff is about $15 per tube. The $8 stuff is good for home repairs but not good for moho and boat repairs.

By the way, I wouldn't use the recommended dicor SL, it is for a rubber roof only. Heny's has come out with some new silicon roof sealing systems. I have not tried them yet, but they sound very promising. Don't expect cheap.