leaky bunk end on roo 183

kmak · 03-11-2015, 05:25 PM

We bought a 2012 rockwood roo last year. We noticed that we had a leak on our front bunk end prior to winter. We did caulk around the outside of the bunk end when we noticed that leak. I kept checking the camper throughout winter. After recent rain and ice, I went out to check it today. The bunk end seemed dry until I shook the canvas. At that point, we noticed more water. We have no idea where this water came from. Any ideas on where this water may have come from and how to fix the problem?

ChibullsAN · 03-11-2015, 05:35 PM

Was the water between the fold of the canvas? On the outside? Was it a small amount? If so... it's probably the black rubber / foam seal around the top and sides. We have closed our roo and looked for visible gaps in seams and gaps where the corners are. We added extra foam where there were probable issues and fixed most of the water ingress. The rest will be addressed by the pvc gutter guard or a custom angle piece to act as a permanent gutter.

I'm sure a dealer would love to TRY to fix it but you would be better doing it yourself and try.

kmak · 03-11-2015, 06:08 PM

This is where the damage is.

kmak · 03-11-2015, 06:08 PM

We are wondering if the leak could be here?

ChibullsAN · 03-11-2015, 06:11 PM

Ok not what I thought. Looks like it's been doing that for awhile.... your seal is different than mine. It's white on yours and looks like it's very dirty. It might be bad or not making a good seal there.

kmak · 03-11-2015, 06:11 PM

Honestly, I am terrified to take it to the dealer. I am certain they will rape us in cost. They tried to sell us an extended warranty, but of course water damage wasnt covered, so I passed. I assumed that if we needed the warranty, it would be for water. How right I was.

kmak · 03-11-2015, 06:13 PM

My husband peeled back the interior laminate to see how much damage was there.

**bikendan** · 03-11-2015, 08:19 PM

Not sure where the hole is but it looks like it's at the base of the bunk door, at the hinge area.
And the pic of door corner, shows rust and possibly badly compressed/dirty white seals.
My guess is that water got into the bottom of the door frame and caused the door rot.

rsdata · 03-13-2015, 09:45 AM

JUst wondering if this was a new 2012 unit or a used unit you bought at the dealer? They did not point out the damage when you bought? You might have some recourse like they sold you something that was damaged goods...? Those door hinge leaks certainly are major problems.

Just got back from 10 weeks in FL with my 2014 Shamrock 183... the first time the wife and I used it full-time since we got it last May... absolutely loved it.

I m going to make those PVC gutter guards described in here somewhere... I did have a cup of water or so in the front bunk area on the tent material when I opened it after travel from KY to FL in January and after being stored outside in October to January. THe small amount of water was trapped on the vinyl and did not seem to hurt anything.

kmak · 03-13-2015, 09:54 AM

It was used, and I did not observe any water damage when we bought it. I made sure that I checked all of the
bunks. I love the camper otherwise.

rsdata · 03-13-2015, 10:00 AM

YOu know my 2014 183 bunk hinges look completely different from yours. I wonder when the redesign of this area took effect? My build date was Sept 2013...

I will take a pic of my bunk end after it stops raining on Saturday...

Summer2Go · 03-13-2015, 06:30 PM

Should I be OK with a good cover when it is stored?

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rsdata · 03-13-2015, 07:33 PM

Certainly kept out of the UV light and under a cover should be good. I store mine under a tarp garage which keeps UV off the roof and all but the front bunk area out of the rain. I have not yet had mine for a year, so I don't know what kind of cover I would get if I had to. I think I have heard of Tyvek covers that breathe yet keep the rain off. I know that black mold grows easily on warm damp surfaces of the bunk ends very quickly. Except for being under cover, the entire structure I keep mine in is exposed to sun most of the day and wind so the rubber roof top remains dry yet aired out also. I dont see many, if any TT covered in outside storage lots around here.

I gave mine a good waxing last summer and plan on cleaning and inspecting the roof when the weather allows, then keeping it under the tarp garage I constructed last summer.

ernieandtammy · 03-14-2015, 09:10 AM

From our experience water was being held in the groove where the canvas tucks in. There was very little caulk to seal the water out and then water would pool behind the caulk that was there with no chance to dry or evaporate. We'd close up the bunk and then when we opened it there'd be water all over. Cleaned the grove and caulked the crap out of it and it did the trick for us. We were able to get the dealer to replace the doors minus labor though.
Good luck.

Summer2Go · 03-15-2015, 01:19 PM

How old is your camper? Do you need black caulk for the new trim? Did the water get 'inside' the camper, or on the canvas top?

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Summer2Go · 03-15-2015, 01:20 PM

Oh, I see, it was a 2012.

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kmak · 03-15-2015, 01:21 PM

The camper is a 2012. We have had it for 1 year. The water did get inside. We dropped it off at a repair place. Not sure about the trim.

kmak · 03-20-2015, 09:07 AM

Thanks for everyone that responded. We just spoke with the rv company that we took the camper too for repair. It was a leaky bulb seal, which will cost 180 to repair (parts and labor). If we choose to replace the door, it will be another 680, however he said that was up to us. He didnt try to pressure us at all. I am very impressed with them

I honestly thought they would try to pressure us into extra work, which we werent ready for.

geotex1 · 03-20-2015, 10:17 AM

kmak, I used to help many folks remedy their leaky hybrids and even fabricated and sold solutions for the original bunk design two generations before yours. My advise would be after you get the unit back, seek out a dealer or RV technician who performs positive pressure testing. SealTech is one company that makes the pumps to do this and have a dealer list on their webpage.

Basically, the unit is slightly pressurized and then hosed down with a soap-water solution. Any bubbles that form identify leaks. It can also be done DIY style if you are up to it (I could explain), but most who run the tests charge about $200-250.

Quite commonly in the bunk door design you get poor sealing of the gasket at the top edge because the trailer wall and bunk door frame curve inward while the bunk door curves outward. I sorted many leaks by removing the factory stiffener on the bunk door (near the end of the door), re-curving the door, and then either re-using the factory stiffener to hold the new curve or installing a new, slightly heavier stiffener to do so. Anyway, a pressure test will reveal if you have this sort of "non-obvious" issue.

Good luck!

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