Do all campers leak ?

[Flametamr]

Me too Ed. Kinda hoping for it to be cool but not very cold either.

 

[North of Mouse]

Me too Ed. Kinda hoping for it to be cool but not very cold either.

Sorry, but don't expect cool or cold in October in the deep south. It probably will be hot, so be prepared, maybe a *little* cool late evenings, but not usually.

 

[Flametamr]

Thanks North, I live in So Alabama so were used to the weather. Just hoping nothing out of the ordinary happens like a late Hurricane or an early Siberian express cold front.

 

[klstiger]

Our 36' holiday rambler admiral's back slide has leaked from the moment it was delivered to us from HR. "fixed" many times under warranty; still leaks out of warranty. When it rains, close back slide.... no leaking then...

 

[jim martin]

I don't like leaks in anything. I would be going crazy if my camper leaked.

 

[North of Mouse]

I don't like leaks in anything. I would be going crazy if my camper leaked.

Ditto for us!

 

[pbarager]

ALL RV's will leak if not inspected at least twice a year. The sealants used shrink over time and it doesn't matter what you paid for the unit if not maintained you will have problems. If you have a local dealer that can perform a Seal-Tech test that will pressurize the inside to 25 psi and spray a detergent solution on the exterior to show bubbles that equal a seal failure. Windows and baggage doors can leak as well. If you keep up on these areas you will always have a dry RV! Also, never, ever tarp your RV! If you want to cover it use and RV cover that lets the top breathe. Placing a plastic tarp over the roof traps moisture and can create major problems. I too am in the RV business for over 15 years as well as a RV owner. If you have any more questions just let me know!!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

We've had 2 campers for 5+ years each. The never leaked, except for one spot where my dad backed in to a tree and cracked the fiberglass. It is not normal for a camper that new to leak.

 

[North of Mouse]

We've had 2 campers for 5+ years each. The never leaked, except for one spot where my dad backed in to a tree and cracked the fiberglass. It is not normal for a camper that new to leak.

Ditto! We've had various ones for the last 45 yrs. - only one 'lemon' that leaked.

 

[Flametamr]

Now we have a leak issue with the rear slide. During a driving rain while camping last week I discovered water running in around the rear slide. The next day I check my side level and I was leaning left. Not normal at the State Park but may have contributed to the problem. The next morning I leveled the camper 4 ways and had no other big leaks. It worries though since it looks like the wall is probably saturated. No idea what to do now. Going out in the rain right now to check it closed up. Were getting flooded badly down south tonight.

 

[PEC]

Our old camper leaked (of course, it was a 20 year old pop up). If you can find the leak, there's a great product called Eternabond that will seal seams. It's like a super heavy duty tape. I have a friend that bought a new pop up and put the Eternabond over all the roof seams when they got it. They had it for a long time and never had a water problem. She figured it was good preventative maintenance.

There are some great RV forums: RV Itch is one that I've frequented (and I don't have an RV! It's the sister site to Pop Up Explorer.).

Will this work for the Canvas seams of a pop-up.

 

[sippican]

We bought a brand new lemon that had apparently been leaking it's entire life on the lot. We could smell mold and mildew coming from the bedroom slide the first night. When they took the slide out the entire inside structure - floors, ceiling, walls were covered in black mold. They offered to "remediate" it for us, saying it became our problem when we took delivery. We threatened lemon law and got all of our money back.
We have owned 6 units (excluding the lemon) from pop-ups, to class Cs, a Class A and a travel trailer; some preowned, some new. Four have leaked, two have not. We maintained all of them faithfully. As others have mentioned, there are a number of factors to take into consideration. If you store in the north in the winter, water can get into the tiniest of cracks, it freezes and expands creating leaks. In the south, the hot sun plays havoc with the seals on the roof. Other than regular inspections, seal testing and using the RV wisely there is little to do to be assured your rig won't leak.

 

[photogal06]

I hope you're drying out, Flametamr. You have my sympathies, for sure. Of the 4 trailers/rvs we've owned, 3 of them have leaked...2 in minor ways, and 1 to the point where we sold it because we couldn't stand it anymore. (We fully disclosed the leak problem to the person who bought it, and he took it and had it sealed and said he's had no problem...I told him he'd better keep on top of it every few months!)

The one we sold had a lot of water damage to the walls over time, and it had a funky smell about it that never went away. I hope you can get your wall dried out and don't have any more leaks. After what we went through (picture it raining as hard inside the RV as outside!), my heart goes out to anyone dealing with leaks, large or small! They are just so frustrating!