ORV Sealed Underbelly?

[infowars]

We bought our second ORV trailer new in November 2014.
It's a 2015 Creekside 23BHS.


While out camping last week I noticed a soft spot on the floor---right side of the walkaround bed where it meets the end table.
I then went to the front storage bin and noticed it extends about 2 feet from there.


There is no plumbing in the area and we've never had a leak.


When I cut into the coroplast and pulled the insulation I could press on the plywood which gave in and was wet/soft.


We really don't drive in the rain too often but how else could the water get in?


I did notice a 1/2 x 1" opening on either end of the stab rail. The factory failed to seal it properly with the spray foam.


Needless to say I'm very unhappy about this. Our trailer is meticulously maintained...Didn't think about the underbelly not being completely sealed and worrying about water intrusion from the bottom.


I would appreciate any ideas about where to go from here.


Thanks in advance!

[Cumminsfan]

Is it possible that you have a crack in your caulking somewhere around the roof and front cap? I'd be checking the diamond plate trims as well. JMO but driving in the rain a couple times wouldn't be enough to soften plywood.

[egwilly]

You have a leak on the roof or a window that is allowing water to enter the wall when it rains. I think there is a window near that area.

Over time it will kill the wood. Even marine plywood will fail eventually.

I would take it to a good rv shop and let them look at it and run a water intrusion inspection of the walls in that area. Have them look at the roof seam in the cap area. The coroplast underneath has little to do with your issue (but it hides a lot of wires and pipes and other stuff). Meant for 4 seasons camping with insulation.

Even a small leak over time will take its toll. You are from Washington State and there is lots of rain there, right? I'm in SoCal, so we stare unbelievably at the rain when it happens, wondering what it is.

[infowars]

There is a window above the luggage door but it looks sealed tight with no evidence of a leak.



The exterior siding looks perfect with no delam whatsoever.


I just had the roof inspected at the dealer in April. Also the trailer is kept covered for most of the year.



The front cap looks tight too... but maybe water can get in going 65mph?


Its a small section of rot maybe 1ftx3ft and only on one side.

[Species8472]

The bottom edge trim of the sidewall is sealed with butyl. Have you checked it's integrity? That's a direct path to the floor in the area you described. Any pics you can post?

[infowars]

Originally Posted by Species8472

The bottom edge trim of the sidewall is sealed with butyl. Have you checked it's integrity? That's a direct path to the floor in the area you described. Any pics you can post?

The butyl joint along the bottom of sidewall is very thin and looks o.k. I didn't think I had to worry about that...only the roof and corners


When I examined up close there were a few "hairline" cracks along the seam.


Do you think enough water could get in there to soften a section of flooring?


I tried to upload a photo but cant figure out how to resize it.


Has anyone else had this problem with a 5year old ORV?


I have an appointment with the dealer in October and will update the thread.
This could be a big problem for a lot of ORV's with that sidewall design.

[camper8251]

I noticed on mine that the gutters are not continuous and there is an area where the two join. Water flows from the gutters right on to my window trim.

Crappy design and sealed it myself. That could be another intrusion area..

I used to have SealTech testing when I lived in Wa.... Sold my 11 year old AF no water damage, found a few leaks that way over years....

[infowars]

Originally Posted by camper8251

I noticed on mine that the gutters are not continuous and there is an area where the two join. Water flows from the gutters right on to my window trim.

Crappy design and sealed it myself. That could be another intrusion area..

I used to have SealTech testing when I lived in Wa.... Sold my 11 year old AF no water damage, found a few leaks that way over years....

Yes, we caught that gutter seam back when the trailer was new...leaked right down the wall.
I wonder if the dealer has access to some kind of seal testing?

[Van Downey]

Did you check the front storage slam hatch door in that area for leaks?

Thanks

[Lafrance11]

It’s coming in where the metal skirt slots into the aluminium j moulding is stapled to the wall. It funnels water directly into the outer floor areas and soaks the insulation.
I found mine by accident at delivery inspection. Went back to the factory for poor quality assembly. It still leaks to this day.
ORV is well aware of this issue.
Todd Morton is your only point of contact.
The skirting on my 2016 27 bunkhouse is coming off again and I am junking all that skirting j moulding. It’s a 10,000 dollar bill to replace the floor wrap as well.
I have drained gallons of water from those outboard voids after towing in the rain as well.
You need to check all underfloor voids outboard of the frame rails for water penetration.
That means cutting open all the underbelly wrap.
ORV is using a different floor wrap and different trim on the sidewalls now because of the water leak issues.
My advice, sell it. I can’t and ORV has saddled me with thousands of dollars in repair bills.
This existed from brand new and the factory repair quality was terrible.
I Cannot sell it in good faith with the existing defects.
The RV industry is a quality sham.
Good luck.

[infowars]

Originally Posted by Van Downey

Did you check the front storage slam hatch door in that area for leaks?

Thanks

Yes, appears to be tight as a drum. It only got wet once for a short time while packing up in the rain...The water was quickly dried out

[Blazing zipp]

On another brand, we had a seam running down the front side (with a trim piece), that wasn't sealed. The rain water ran down the seam and into the trailer soaking the wall. I sealed the trim with rv sealer.
Good luck.