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Old 07-01-2019, 03:32 PM   #1
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 49
Exclamation Exterior outlets are leaking water - silicone them?

Bottom line - silicone seal all your exterior outlets.

Appreciate any comments/suggestions about what works for this sealing this type of leak in the exterior of a Forest River trailer.

In more detail

While cleaning our 2017 Arctic Wolf, which we bought used in Jan 2019, I noticed that the rear corner of the dining room slideout was discolored. Clearly water damage. Unfortunately we had been using that corner to store a space heater so I don't know when it started.

So I checked the exterior, pushing my fingers up in the gap between the trailer exterior wall and the edge of the flooring in the slideout (why is there a GAP?)

It was perhaps a little damp but it was not obvious that the water was coming in from below.

So I noticed that there was a TV outlet mounted to the side of the trailer in about that location WITH NO SILICONE SEALANT - see picture 1. I took the TV outlet cover off and it was definitely damp. Plus the top screws (picture 2 on right) looked brand new and the bottom screws were rusty/corroded. (picture 2 on the left). I also took off the cover for the GFCI power outlet - all 4 screws were rusty/corroded.

BTW, the solar panel connection mounting screws, which had a much better rubber seal, looked great - no rust or corrosion on the screws.

So I applied a liberal bead of clear silicone on all three outlets and touched up the sealant on the furnace metal plate, which was only partially sealed, leaving the bottom unsealed.

I hope that this takes care of the problem and if it does I am REALLY depressed that Forest River saved maybe $0.10 in silicone by trying to use an ineffective gasket material.

Hope this helps others - if you just have a cheap gasket for sealing, add some silicone quickly!!
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