New 2014 Shamrock owners...ALL our beds leak!!

[nofitpitchin]

Just a word to those who own a 2014 Shamrock hybrid, you might want to open it up if you haven't already to check for standing water trapped in your tent fabric inside. All 3 tent ends were like bags of water when we went inside to check ours a few weeks ago. Our wood paneling is rippled, the carpet is wet and the matresses are wet. Who knows how many times this new camper has gotten soaked and dried over the winter. Thankfully it's under warranty and we will get it serviced soon.

My husband felt very uneasy with the new pole latches when we bought it and wanted the old style metal latches put on but we decided to wait. Why do they have to tinker with stuff and use plastic no less!? They've been making submarines for decades...why can't they make a camper that doesn't leak?

Go check yours if you haven't already and open the cabinets under the bed to feel the carpet...if it's leaked recently and the tents are dry, the carpet may still be damp. Oh, and go ahead and buy another shower head and plastic connector for the back of the comode too...as soon as we turned on our water, we found leaks. 3 other camper owners were in the parts store waiting in line for the same comode connector cause theirs bust too. ugh.

[cpd1343]

I have the same new latches. My rear bunk is fine. The front has leaked since new last fall because the fold down bunk door does not sit squarely in the opening. As a temp measure I cut a garden hose length wise and put it in the gutter and over the front of the bunk end. Did not leak all winter. Am taking it in soon to get this issue addressed.

[tomjsas]

What do these new latches look like? I had a 2008 Roo and it had the metal swing over latches, much like semi trailers have. They sealed nice and tight. Didn't have issues with mine leaking, just couldn't sleep well in the tent ends - too much noise. Really liked it otherwise, good room and value for the money.

[nofitpitchin]

the new latches make it easy for the vertically challenged (like us) which is nice. They are long poles that extend out of a lever on the bottom. The top of the pole has a c-clamp claw thing that grips a peg attached to the bed door and once the c-clamp is around the peg, you pull down the lever and it seals it...well, that's the plan anyways. All of it is made out of plastic except the pole and it barely grips the peg. I think I saw a photo of the new lever on one of these posts. The old swing style is much better. Have fun camping!

[Murf345]

I have a 2014 Roo and the bunk end leak. I plan to bring it in and have the seals checked. Very disappointed.

[Archicamper]

I only had one leak and that was when the trailer was brand new and there was caulk in the seals preventing them from sealing properly. Make sure that there in nothing in the seal when closing the bunks.

[ParrishCamper]

Our new 2014 Roo hasn't been out in the rain storm open or towed in the rain yet. But I agree the bed door latches feel like they barely pull the door tight to the camper. And plastic..... I'm afraid won't last long in Florida sun.

[chriscowles]

I saw one of those at a dealer in St. Augustine. One would think FR would adjust that so it had a more secure grip on the pin. It may not be necessary to pull it tight if the door edge gap is small and the gasket fills it adequately, but I agree it doesn't feel substantial.

As to whether or not the plastic will survive, time will tell. Some plastics do well despite continuous UV exposure. If it fails, I'm willing to bet FR comes up with a retrofit workaround. Let's just hope the trailer isn't damaged in the meantime.

[Sheripoms]

We have a Shamrock 21dk. I just soaked both tent ends with the hose. This was the 3rd time I did this. To season the and enlarge the thread in the tent ends. The first time I felt a light wetting around the bottom of the canvas stitching. But this time it was fine. No leaks..
I dont understand what you are saying about the carpet being wet . There is no carpet under the beds. Not in mine anyway.

[Jimandchris]

New 2014 Roo 23ss. TT has been been out of inside storage for a couple of weeks now, maybe we are just lucky but haven't had any leaks yet. We are worried about the new style of latches as well. Dealer tech during PDI told us to be sure not to catch any of the tent ends or it will leak.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T217A using Forest River Forums mobile app

[ddbck]

The latches do seem a little weak. I have towed ours in the rain and snow. It seals up tighter than a ducks a**. No leaks or moisture of any kind. I will definitely keep a close eye on it now.

[RabidRoo]

All three of mine have been leaking while open and during heavy rain.

Standing water in the Chanel above the hinge. I'm not very thrilled. I've been doing the wetting the stitching thing to season it and I'm really hoping that's it. Or it's going back to the dealer. It's brand new.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by RabidRoo

All three of mine have been leaking while open and during heavy rain.

So, is your problem that the water leaks into the tent while it's n the open position? Or that the door gasket leaks while closed?

[BigBaron]

Why don't you put seam sealer on the seams?

[RabidRoo]

I was under the impression we are not supposed to treat the tents with stuff. Is wax the preferred treatment for the stitching ?

[chriscowles]

Are the leaks through the stitches? If so, have you soaked your tent ends with a house a few times? FR says to do that because the thread is designed to swell and fill the needle holes. Additional sealant shouldn't be necessary.

If you have leaks from somewhere else or if you "seasoned" the seams as described and the seams still leak, you have a problem.

Chris Cowles
Gainesville, FL
Former pop-up owner
Hybrid owner wannabe

[BigBaron]

Why is it that hybrid tent ends leak, but popups don't?
It doesn't make sense to me.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by BigBaron

Why is it that hybrid tent ends leak, but popups don't?

What's still unclear to me is the source of the leak. If it was dry when closed but water still collected, it's not the tent that leaking. It's the door panel. If the door and seals are not installed correctly at the factory, or if the door is not closed correctly by the user, water gets in through the crack with the bunk end door closed.

I've heard that used to be a common problem. Because it was common I would attribute much of the problem to design flaw. I've also gotten the impression that the problem has been mitigated. It can't be completely prevented by the manufacturer because the user can contribute to the problem by leaving some of the tent stuck in the door, preventing a good seal.

If the trailer is new, not completely "seasoned" by getting the threads wet a few times (they swell up to seal the needle holes), and put away wet, the trapped water on the tent could leak through the seams into the interior of trailer.

Pop-ups will leak through the tent ends just the same as a hybrid. The difference when closed is the roof seals completely down on top of the trailer wall. On my old Coleman it overlapped some. There still can be a roof edge seal problem if not closed correctly, or not installed correctly at the factory.

[2gocamp]

We had purchased a new 233S last spring. It leaked all year. I treated all the seams and all 3 beds still leaked. The beds were always wet. Took some videos to show the dealer. They were very surprised how much it leaked. We also didn't like the beds as they are not even with the edge of the trailer and the mattresses are not comfortable. They took it back as a trade in for a 23RS we picked up a week ago. No more hybrids for us.