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Old 10-05-2016, 12:33 PM   #1
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Unhappy Leaking Rear Skylight

We bought a new 2016 Flagstaff T21QBHW in July and the rear skylight had been damaged during shipping. The dealer finally replaced it, but now we discovered that we have a water leak. We had earlier found wet linen on the bed before the original skylight was replaced, but didn't detect a leak because we were never in the camper when it was raining. So, it may be that the original skylight leaked also. Can't see anything wrong with the skylight seal, but when I put Gorilla tape across the top the leak seemed to stop.

Anyone else had a similar problem?
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Old 10-05-2016, 01:54 PM   #2
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Haven't seen a skylight yet that didn't eventually leak. So now the first thing I do is use eternabond around the skylight and then dicor the edges of the eternabond.
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Old 10-05-2016, 02:50 PM   #3
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Get the leak fixed first, then seal with eternabond or 3M tape.
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Old 10-05-2016, 05:57 PM   #4
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Old 10-05-2016, 06:16 PM   #5
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Thanks for the info. How do I identify the 3M tape?
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Old 10-05-2016, 06:22 PM   #6
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If I use the eternabond, should I also use the eternabond cleaner?
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Old 10-05-2016, 06:35 PM   #7
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Your 2016 has an Alphaply membrane. Get a tube of Alpha self leveling sealant and after cleaning the existing sealant the best you can with denatured alcohol, float a good bead of that sealant over the existing. It shoud be easy to find a split or hole in the sealant of a skylight bubble.

Or you can use eternabond tape....... but your playing with fire. If your skylight ever cracks, which it probably will, you'll probably tear up the membrane removing the eternabond tape. Then you'll be in for some real fun.
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Old 10-05-2016, 11:51 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp View Post
Your 2016 has an Alphaply membrane. Get a tube of Alpha self leveling sealant and after cleaning the existing sealant the best you can with denatured alcohol, float a good bead of that sealant over the existing. It shoud be easy to find a split or hole in the sealant of a skylight bubble.

Or you can use eternabond tape....... but your playing with fire. If your skylight ever cracks, which it probably will, you'll probably tear up the membrane removing the eternabond tape. Then you'll be in for some real fun.
I have actually replaced a skylight I had used eternabond on after a hail storm destroyed it. Easy. Used a utility knife to cut around the edge of the skylight and removed it. Removed all the old dicor with a gasket scraper. Screwed the new skylight in place, eternabonded the new one over the remaining old eternabond and finished it up with dicor just like the original. No biggy. Didn't tear up anything and no leaks.
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Old 10-06-2016, 01:53 AM   #9
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If I use the eternabond, should I also use the eternabond cleaner?
I would use eternabond tape 4" wide, YES you will need to clean the area either with there cleaner or acetone, it has to be prepped for good adhesion, also get a roller the kind they sell for wallpaper seams. Skylights are really A PITA. But great stuff. It's all in the prep work...
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Old 10-06-2016, 08:08 AM   #10
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Thanks for the info. Your help is really appreciated.
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Old 10-06-2016, 08:36 AM   #11
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Replace the broken skylight with one made of lexan. Run a 1" strip of butyl tape under the edge, secure with a few screws, use 4" Eternabond all around and good indefinitely.
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Old 10-06-2016, 04:20 PM   #12
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Your 2016 has an Alphaply membrane.
I believe that is incorrect. A-frame campers have a composite roof of fiberglass over a foam core.
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Old 10-08-2016, 03:00 PM   #13
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Good for a few laughs and/or tears: This is how my dealer gracefully resealed one of my front skylights to fix a leak (or so they say).


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Old 10-08-2016, 07:49 PM   #14
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My condolences.
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Old 10-10-2016, 09:05 PM   #15
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Wow my ten year old could do a better job. I would send that picture to Forest River and ask if that looks like a factory approved repair. That dealer should be ashamed for doing that to your trailer, I would not be happy.
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Old 10-10-2016, 09:35 PM   #16
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That picture of the repair is exactly why we do our own repairs. Some of these people who claim to be professionals should be ashamed.
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Old 10-10-2016, 09:43 PM   #17
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Ahhh, the imfamous skylight. Within 6 months my dealer replaced mine with new. The sealing failed in less than 2 months - the skylight actually lifted away from the roof and created a major gap. He resealed it. 3 months later, it was lifting again. I applied the 3M sealing tape, but within a month has leakage again in a heavy storm. Now I find the skylight cracked along the edges. Maybe from the second removal/reseal. Photo below:



I currently have black electrical tape over the cracks. I will be replacing with more 3M soon.

Amazon tape description:

3M Extreme Sealing Tape 4411N Translucent, 1 1/2 in x 5 yd
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Old 10-10-2016, 09:48 PM   #18
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Ahhh, the imfamous skylight. ...
Wow, I hope that's not what I am in for. I think I'd rather take the horrendous caulking job! (All joking aside, the quality of my dealer's work greatly concerns me about other forthcoming warranty repairs. I have other stories I could tell...)
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Old 10-11-2016, 07:44 AM   #19
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Good for a few laughs and/or tears: This is how my dealer gracefully resealed one of my front skylights to fix a leak (or so they say).




If a company had done mine that way I think I would take a video and post it on youtube along with the company's name. They deserve all the bad press they can get with that kind of shoddy work.

David
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:53 AM   #20
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Just in case anyone thinks I am a total pawn, after this and other minor repairs, I arrived at the dealership to pick the trailer up 5-10 minutes before they were to close and lock the gate. And it wasn't the same branch (of two, both with questionable service departments) that did this particular repair; they had delivered the trailer to the branch closer to my own city. I was in a rush and didn't even notice the caulking until I got to a campsite a couple of hours later.

This Saturday I will be dropping the trailer off at the branch that did the repair (using the term very loosely) to get other work done. I will be sure to show the service manager on duty and get his/her response as to this shoddy caulking. This is the same dealer (both branches) that has been telling me a creaky and soft spot in the floor is either normal or not noticeable (to be fair, the severity varies from time to time based on unknown factors).

Will post again with the outcome, optimistically within a couple of weeks!
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