Help! Leaky front window.. very frustrated!

[007matman]

I was hoping someone would have a bit of advice for us. The front window of our 2008 Rockwood Signature Ultra-Lite continues to give us problems.

Here's a little history: We bought the camper a little over a year ago. At the time we were told by the previous owners that"it's leaked a bit in the past but we fixed it. Well, the first time we used the camper it was leaking real bad. I removed the window, cleaned off all the old caulk, and inspected the opening. It appeared to me that the wall board on the inside had sustained some water damage, was a little soft and the insulation in the wall was weakened. I did the best I could and sealed it back up with butyl tape, waited 48 hours for the squeeze out , cut that off and ran a bead of Pro-flex all around the window to seal it up.

In looking at my repair a year later it appears that the window has been moving some (sliding downward in the window opening) and the interior wall board has become even more soft.

I'm at a loss.. I don't know what could be causing this. The roof looks good, no gaps or leaks inside (or outside) the camper. It rained last night hard on our way to the campground and everything was dry. The pro-flex is cracked and likely needs replaced again. Also wondering about the seal with the butyl tape.

Here's a couple photos.

[SeaDog]

It may be that the water is coming under the cover and draining down between the glass and frame gasket. You might try sealing the glass as well at the outside frame.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by SeaDog

It may be that the water is coming under the cover and draining down between the glass and frame gasket. You might try sealing the glass as well at the outside frame.

It seems that the window seems to move around a bit maybe when towing and the wind is hitting it which cracks the sealant. I know that it's really just a friction bond as there are no screws that go directly into the wall. I'm.wondering if there is a way to make it stronger.

[tande]

Just a FWIW.....make sure any clearance/running lights up above the window are not the source of the leak......(had it happen to me; I thought it was the window )......

[007matman]

There are just two clearance lights up there at the top on either side of the window. The wall damage is pretty confined to under the window.

I'll take another look at that though. Thanks!

[midnightpumpkin]

I have a very similar trailer, 2007 8315SS. The front window leaked when new, I found the butyl tape from the factory was folded over on one corner causing the leak. I re-installed the window just as you described, it has been 11 years, the butyl tape works out of the edges, my window looks very much like yours on the outside.

I would run a strip of eternabond tape over the seal where the front cap meets the roof and look very closely at the clearance lights.

The front of our trailers is not laminated like the rest of the walls, it is an aluminum frame with styrofoam blocks inserted. The front cap more or less floats, this would give water lots of places to run around inside the front wall.

Here is a picture of the front wall construction taken at the factory in June of 2008.



Good luck finding the leak.

John U

[007matman]

Originally Posted by midnightpumpkin

I have a very similar trailer, 2007 8315SS. The front window leaked when new, I found the butyl tape from the factory was folded over on one corner causing the leak. I re-installed the window just as you described, it has been 11 years, the butyl tape works out of the edges, my window looks very much like yours on the outside.

I would run a strip of eternabond tape over the seal where the front cap meets the roof and look very closely at the clearance lights.

The front of our trailers is not laminated like the rest of the walls, it is an aluminum frame with styrofoam blocks inserted. The front cap more or less floats, this would give water lots of places to run around inside the front wall.

Here is a picture of the front wall construction taken at the factory in June of 2008.



Good luck finding the leak.

John U

Those photos help out a lot. Now it makes sense why it's so weak. It appears that there is no metal frame supporting the window which explains why there is so much movement in there.

Did you put a sealant around the window after the initial squeeze out? I saw conflicting opinions on that. It appears some of what I have going on is the butyl tape is still trying to squeeze out some.

[midnightpumpkin]

I put proflex rv over the edges. The butyl tape has pushed the proflex out all around the window, but it has not leaked in the 11 years since I re-installed the window.

I did cover the dicor material on the seam where the front cap meets the roof with eternabond tape when the unit was new. The eternabond has held up well, I would highly recommend it.

You are correct, there is no frame around the front window, when they install the front cap, the window hole has already been cut in the cap, they use the hole as a template to cut the styrofoam and interior paneling and clamp the window in place.


All the windows are installed without a surrounding frame, the laminated walls have the window openings pre-cut.

John U

[JP Camper]

I had the same issue with our 2008 Flagstaff. I ended up taking the window out, cleaned up the surfaces really good and re installed it. I used butyl tape around the window flange. Do not use silicone!

[007matman]

Originally Posted by JP Camper

I had the same issue with our 2008 Flagstaff. I ended up taking the window out, cleaned up the surfaces really good and re installed it. I used butyl tape around the window flange. Do not use silicone!

Thanks. Yep. I agree.. silicone = bad

My main concern is that it seems to be moving around some even though I had used the butyl tape previously. I am concerned that it's opening back up.

[cardwellmarty]

Have you fixed your front window yet, mine looks just like yours but it's a 2007 FR Flagstaff 831 bhss, l also had a leak around my front window and damage on the inside that l repaired, l put 2 layers of buytl tape and put dicor non sag sealant on the outside after a couple of days, the cut out for the window was a little big ( cut out from factory) you may have to shime it but it will take two people to put it in, it will make it easier. I also recaulked endcap seal on top of TT and put on 6" wide Eternabond, l also cleaned out the caulk on each front corner seals on the end cap and cut 4" Eternabond down to 2" wide and placed over caulk from top to bottom. I haven't had any leaks but l am stationary.

[cardwellmarty]

[cardwellmarty]

[cardwellmarty]

[cardwellmarty]

The end cap on my trailer is metal studs with the plastic end cap, the Styrofoam insulation is between the studs , not compressed like on the side walls with luan ,Styrofoam and fiberglass.

[007matman]

I haven't yet.. we got busy with vacations and life and other repairs (including a really badly cracked wall near the rear slide out which I have yet to fix as well). I'm so tired of the camper life. If it ain't one thing it's another.

For now I've got it under a cover and some temporary fixes in place (Gorilla Tape) to protect it further. I have all the materials to fix and as soon as I have some time to work on it I'll start tearing it apart.

[cardwellmarty]

When l did my repair on the front window and remounted my headboard l put it flush against the wall, it caused condensation in the winter months, so l took it off and put 1 1/2 inch spacers between the wall and headboard for air to be able to circulate. The mattress will cause it to condensate if it's against the outside wall, may be something to consider or question.

[007matman]

I don't have that head board.. was it factory? Or, is that how you covered your repair?

Originally Posted by cardwellmarty

When l did my repair on the front window and remounted my headboard l put it flush against the wall, it caused condensation in the winter months, so l took it off and put 1 1/2 inch spacers between the wall and headboard for air to be able to circulate. The mattress will cause it to condensate if it's against the outside wall, may be something to consider or question.

[cardwellmarty]

How I covered repair, plus I used contact paper to make border. But l had a problem during the winter with not having enough room for air circulation between the headboard and mattress also, caused it to condensate, needs room for air circulation.

[cardwellmarty]

The headboard is 1/2 inch plywood that l covered with a piece of bed comforter and stapled on the back with upholstery tacks.