Wet!! Inside the bunk

[2015Shamrock]

We picked up are brand new 2015 -183 ShamRock on Saturday and camped on the way home Saturday night. During the night (2am) we received a pretty good rain that lasted about an hour. We started breaking camp around 8am the very back bed mattress was wet on the front right side, that was the side the wind and rain was the worst. We broke camp with wet canvas, drove the rest of the way home. When we got home we popped out the bunks so they could dry. The canvas at the bottom had pooled water and some had socked in. this leads me to a few questions:

1. Is this normal?
2. What can i do to correct the issue?
3. Do i need to season the canvas?
4. Do i need to treat the canvas with anything?

Thanks

[BigJohnD]

Welcome to the forum. I've never owned one like that, but seems I just read a thread the other day about wetting the bunk ends when new. Seems they will leak the first time, then after the threads get wet, everything seals off. Some purposely soaked the bunk ends to do this, prior to the first trip.

I'm sure another owner will chime in shortly with a definite answer. Enjoy the forum, you'll find lots of help on here if need be, and a bunch of great people.

[Shawnmg]

What he said. Threads swell with first wetting. Shouldn't leak after that.

[rockfordroo]

Doesn't sound like you seasoned the tents before the rain. You need to spray water on the tents before the rain so the threads can swell.

Do that now, and you'll probably be fine again.

[2015Shamrock]

thank you - that is what i was thinking but none of this information was in the packet of paper work they provided.

[vinmaker]

Sometimes the dealers will mention it during the PDI.

[2015Shamrock]

I just watered the bunks with the Waterhouse and set on steam. After I watered each bunk 2 times I went in and had 3 paper towels full of water is this normal? I will wait till the dry and will repeat should I continue this until they stop leaking?

[kpm]

I think my seasoning directions were on a separate sheet of paper inserted in one of the zipper panels of canvass. However, I learned about the seasoning process via this site.

I would definitely monitor this situation since there are many possibilities. Take good notes and document what you see and do. This will help with troubleshooting.

Originally Posted by 2015Shamrock

thank you - that is what i was thinking but none of this information was in the packet of paper work they provided.

[rockfordroo]

You should have used the spray, not water stream. You just want to get the canvas thoroughly wet, then let dry. You might want to do it twice.

As said above, the notice to season the tents was on a small piece of paper. It was in the "leather" folder in my Roo that held all the manufacturers paperwork. If you go through that paperwork carefully, you'll probably find it.

I consider this as probably the most important thing to mention during a PDI on a hybrid, as the last thing anyone wants is water coming in. If the dealer didn't mention it, that's a BIG dealer negative to me.

[vinmaker]

true. dealers should mention it.

[2015Shamrock]

I have figured out where it is leaking if you spray the hose in the corner where the zipper is attached water will come up and into the camper. The picture is of the bottom of the zipper attachment. What can be done to prevent water from coming in the great area ?

[ChooChooMan74]

Originally Posted by kpm

I think my seasoning directions were on a separate sheet of paper inserted in one of the zipper panels of canvass. However, I learned about the seasoning process via this site.

I would definitely monitor this situation since there are many possibilities. Take good notes and document what you see and do. This will help with troubleshooting.

I found the seasoning directions on a separate sheet in my 2nd hand Roo.

[2015Shamrock]

The bunks have been seasoned I still have water coming in the bunk thru the grey zipper cover seen in the picture is this normal?

[ChooChooMan74]

I have some problems around my zipper. Biggest is it seems to wick onto the bedding that is touching it. Is it normal? I can't say. But, I use my interior popup gizmos when I know it will be raining.

[liquidicem]

The other thing that I have noticed is that if we forget to crack a window and leave a roof fan running over night, water will actually be sucked in. Usually this seams to happen at the hinge on our trailer. The exhaust air has to be made up somewhere and the path of least resistance will be somewhere in tent ends unless a window is open.

[ChooChooMan74]

Originally Posted by liquidicem

The other thing that I have noticed is that if we forget to crack a window and leave a roof fan running over night, water will actually be sucked in. Usually this seams to happen at the hinge on our trailer. The exhaust air has to be made up somewhere and the path of least resistance will be somewhere in tent ends unless a window is open.

Good point!! That may be part of my issue.

[rockfordroo]

The other thing that I have noticed is that if we forget to crack a window and leave a roof fan running over night, water will actually be sucked in.

Man, my Roo isn't THAT tight. That's hard to believe.

I can see a little daylight in the upper corners of my bunks. No water gets in, but air certainly can.

[Jimandchris]

I could see that possibility. Bunk ends get sucked in tight with both of our fans on and door shut. That's how we close it up so we don't catch any canvas/vinyl in the seals.

[Avenger61]

I'm not sure if this helps, but I have had four different campers over the years that all had canvass; two were pups and two were hybrids. I have always seasoned them right away and let them dry in direct sunlight at least twice, then saturated every bit of canvass, seams and zipper cloth strips with Scotchgard. I redo the Scotchgard at least once a year and I have never had a leak yet. I have no idea if I've just been lucky or this actually helped but it has worked so far.

[Jonathan Hirst]

Just finished our first weekend with a new 233ss and it was a wicked, wicked storm on Friday might. Some water spotting along the thread holes in some areas and some dampness on the mattress edges in the morning.


I thought I had seasoned them enough in the drive, and certainly the bunk ends would have been out on the dealer lot.... We are back home now and its all dried out - I think an application of Scotchguard is next on the to do list.

I figured this is a pretty standard rite of passage for owing these but I expect the worst is behind us.

JH