23hotrodr
Iowa
New Member
Joined: 05/14/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
Hi-
Water gets into the outside compartments on our '95 Winnebago Brave. The seals are a rubber tube on a strip that secures on the inner lip of the compartment and the inner edge of the doors close against the tube part of the seals. There is a small gap at the bottom of most of the seals at the bottom center where the two ends of the seals meet. I don't think this is where water is entering, but not sure. Otherwise, the seals look in very good shape.
I can't tell exactly where the water is coming in along the seals. On refrigerator and vehicle entry doors, one can use a piece of paper closed in the door around the perimeter and pull on the paper to see if there is sufficient tension on the paper for the door to seal. The compartment doors are thick and the seals are buried inside where I really can't use the paper method to test the seal function.
Does anyone have a tried and true method for me to use to find where the water is getting in past the seals?
I really need a trained monkey to close inside the compartment to do the test for me.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
--Mickey
|
jeffnkelly
St. Louis MO
Senior Member
Joined: 02/15/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Can you adjust the door catches? Just wondering if you can... If not, I think you can pick up new weather stripping material from any Autoparts store.
Good luck and keep us posted...
Smooth Roads!!!
2006 Damon Challenger 372F Triton V10
2007 Ford Edge
JeffnKelly
St. Louis MO
|
Sully2
Cincinnati
Senior Member
Joined: 01/20/2003
View Profile
|
CLEAN the surface the bulb seal contacts. As for the seal itself..use "Silicon Rubber Lube" on it FREQUENTLY so that its "live" again ( squeezable). If it wont come back...then replace the bulb seal.
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
|
1995brave
San Antonio, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 01/24/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Check the mounting screws for the frame of the doors. Also seal up the outside frame and the door frame. Found mine loose and the RTV was pealing off. Retightened all screws and caulked everything and don't have any leaks. Also check where the door frames come together for leaking.
|
JTHarley
Harrisville, Michigan, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 02/27/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Here is how my dealer and I found the leaking into the outer compartments....
Put a very bright light inside the compartment and close the door. Go under the RV and see if there is light showing thru along the seams of the compartment especially where they are attached to the outer wall. Repeat in each bay. We found VERY small amounts of light coming thru along the seam and that was enough to get the compartments wet when the tires throw up water while driving in the rain. I too thought it was the seals but they are fine. A quick and easy fix if that is the problem.
Jim , MJ & Spirit of Sambuca Bear
2006 Winnebago Vectra
Jeep Liberty Toad
|
|
|
Dave From AK
Anchorage, AK
Senior Member
Joined: 06/15/2003
View Profile
 Online
|
I found our leak by climbing in the compartment on a bright sunny day and having my wife close it on me (gulp).
Monaco fixed it by adding a thin piece of rubber weatherstripping to the frame of the compartment, to mate up with the tubular weatherstripping on the door.
Dave from AK
2004 Beaver Monterey 40'
2000 Ford Explorer
|
23hotrodr
Iowa
New Member
Joined: 05/14/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll try and find time to work on this this weekend.
--Mickey
|
23hotrodr
Iowa
New Member
Joined: 05/14/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Hi there-
I spent time going through each compartment and caulking all inside seams. I also noticed that as the doors are closed, the tube seal is pushed outward toward the side along the hinge side. This is because the edge of the door on the hinge side (top of door) is moving sideways to the seal instead of straight in toward it like along all other sides. I took a strip of 3/8" thick by 1/2" wide closed cell foam weatherstripping and placed it between the tube seal and the opening of the compartment to help it stay in position as the door is closed and trying to move it sideways. I hope this will help keep it in position where will do some good.
I have since washed the coach and no water in the compartments. Hopefully I have solved the problem.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
-- Mickey
|
brobox
Sunny SW. Florida
Senior Member
Joined: 11/18/2003
View Profile
|
Our basement compartment leaks were not coming from the door seals, but the spray foam that seals the basement compartments against the angle iron framing underneath the MH. A couple cans of spray foam and a can of black spray paint solved the problem.
Chuck
02 Travel Supreme, 2 street side slides
02 Jeep Liberty Toad
|
John & Angela
Full Timers in Canada, USA and Mexico
Senior Member
Joined: 02/18/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
I put my wife inside, closed the door and told her to look for light. She found the problem, came out and sealed around the belt molding with clear silicone. Problem solved. Whattagirl. 
Come visit us at our website and share in our great fulltime RV Adventure.
2003 Fleetwood Revolution 40C
Retired Canadian Air Force Technicians
Vernon,B.C,Canada.
.jpg)
|
|
|
