Water leak somewhere near the bed

[p40whk]

So this is twice now that I’ve found the back long side of my mattress wet and I’m not sure where it’s coming from.

The back side of the vinyl flap that hangs down and covers the hinge was wet (the bottom of it) as was that edge of the mattress.

I have been in the camper during a heavy downpour and no water comes in anywhere I can see so I’m thinking this happens when it’s stored closed. I have hosed it off closed like this a few times as well.

The bubble window seal looks fine as does the seal where the fiberglass meets the metal near the back. There is a this rubber seal between the main body and the upper hinge but I have no way of checking it.

Camper is new this year so should I take it back and let them figure it out or try and find/fix it myself?

My dealer is 3 hours away however there are local Forest River dealerships I could possibly go to.

Anyone have this problem or suggestions?

Thanks

[HappyCamper1962]

I see that you are a seasoned camper and probably well able to figure out the problem and fix it, however, your rig is new and I would want to bring it to an authorized repair shop to diagnose and do the fix, but more importantly, then it also creates a documented record of the issue for the future in case it happens again or their repair does not remedy the problem.

[steve02bat]

Are you perfectly level? If not, the top may not be seated correctly. Then water runs from the peak down the side edge and lands on the back of the bed. This happened to me

[p40whk]

Originally Posted by steve02bat

Are you perfectly level? If not, the top may not be seated correctly. Then water runs from the peak down the side edge and lands on the back of the bed. This happened to me

This seems to only happen when it’s closed and I was keeping it level until I noticed water pooling on the top then I tilted the nose up a few degrees so the water would drain. I do keep a cheap cover on it.

Doesn’t seem to leak when it’s open

[RStormC]

Had this happen to me. City water back flowed through the water pump filling the fresh water tank. Freshwater tank overflow is through the fill hose. Water infiltrated and soaked the mattress edge. Took two times to figure it out. I have now installed a check valve between the 12v pump and the fresh water tank.

[Murbella7]

Originally Posted by p40whk

So this is twice now that I’ve found the back long side of my mattress wet and I’m not sure where it’s coming from.

The back side of the vinyl flap that hangs down and covers the hinge was wet (the bottom of it) as was that edge of the mattress.

I have been in the camper during a heavy downpour and no water comes in anywhere I can see so I’m thinking this happens when it’s stored closed. I have hosed it off closed like this a few times as well.

The bubble window seal looks fine as does the seal where the fiberglass meets the metal near the back. There is a this rubber seal between the main body and the upper hinge but I have no way of checking it.

Camper is new this year so should I take it back and let them figure it out or try and find/fix it myself?

My dealer is 3 hours away however there are local Forest River dealerships I could possibly go to.

Anyone have this problem or suggestions?

Thanks

If you find that the bed sheets are wet in the morning, could be time for a granny-nappy.

[Pooneil]

I suggest you look for leaks in the rear bubble window.

[p40whk]

Originally Posted by Pooneil

I suggest you look for leaks in the rear bubble window.

I did check the seal around the rear bubble window but it looks intact. But, it's not easy to get a close look at it.

That's where I had figured the water was coming from. Maybe there's some kind of dye I can use to find it?

[backpacker3]

Use a garden hose and run water all over the bubble window caulking. If there is a leak in the caulking, it will show up. That's how I found my leak on my last AFrame, used Eternabond and never leaked in 5 years. Eternaboned my present AFrame windows the first week I had it to stop any future leaks. Great Stuff.

[MinneweeseMI]

Originally Posted by p40whk

I did check the seal around the rear bubble window but it looks intact. But, it's not easy to get a close look at it.

That's where I had figured the water was coming from. Maybe there's some kind of dye I can use to find it?

I don't think you want to use a dye, but if you find one, let us know. We had this happen too and finally we ran a hose on it when the camper was closed, had DW inside looking for leaks, nothing. When we lifted the back panel to let her out, a bunch of water poured from the bubble. The framing around the bubble on the inside can hold a lot of water and when we put it up it would pour out. We tried this twice before we noticed it and it only leaked when towing in rain. If we had rain while the camper was up, no leaking.

We went the Eternabond tape method and it's never leaked again, but if your camper is new, you may want to talk to a dealer or Forest River. We took ours back to Forest River once for some other work and we were delighted with the work and service.

[p40whk]

Thanks all, I did find a dye that does not stain (at least that's what the Manufacturer told me), it's a water based septic system leak testing dye.

I have it on order and plan to use a UV light to see if it will show me the leak path. Will test it on a small portion of the camper first to make sure it does not stain. If I can pinpoint where the leak is coming from then that would make it a lot easier for the dealer to fix.

I'll look into the Eternabond tape, sounds like a good product.

[sundancer330]

I used Eternabond tape around my skylights when the camper was new due to hearing so many stories about leaks, three years later and still no leaks.