Window Leak

Dwill3332 · 04-20-2020, 02:29 PM

I have a month old 2019 Surveyor Luxury TT. With the recent rains, I discovered a leak in the front bedroom. The leak is evidently coming from the front window.

I called the dealership and their service department is closed due to the virus. The earliest date they can give me is June 10th to take the unit in for service. When I asked them what I could do in the mean time, they recommended that I try putting silicone around the window to see if that would stop the leak.

My question is - what type silicone is recommended for that kind of repair? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks.

**bikendan** · 04-20-2020, 03:17 PM

If it's under warranty, you can use an independent RV shops or mobile RV tech. You just have to get pre-approval from FR and be willing to be reimbursed.

Dwill3332 · 04-20-2020, 04:03 PM

Thanks for your response. I will see if I can find someone who can/will do the work.

Dwill3332 · 04-21-2020, 01:50 PM

In my previous post, I noted that my local dealer cannot get to my leaking window to repair it until June 10th. I called another Forest River Dealer and they told me to bring my camper in and they could get to it an a couple of days.

I will be taking my camper to Mid-South RV in Byron, GA tomorrow for the repair. Today, Danielle called me from FR Customer Service and asked if there was anything she could do to help me. Because I had not purchased my camper from Mid-South RV, they charge a $150 to coordinate the warranty work. I asked Danielle if she could cover the $150 charge, and after a couple of calls between Mid-South RV and FR CS, FR will cover the charge.

So, bottom line, I am getting my problem solved at no cost to me. I had heard good things about Forest River and this proved what I had been told.

I will be sure to recommend FR to anyone looking for a travel trailer.

Dwill3332 · 04-21-2020, 10:03 PM

I mis-named the dealer who is going to repair my leaking window. It is Mid-State RV in Byron, GA NOT Mid-South RV as stated above.

Thunderbolt75 · 04-22-2020, 07:59 AM

Glad to hear your being taken care of. That’s what customer service is about.

Dwill3332 · 04-23-2020, 07:48 PM

I took my coach to Mid-State RV in Byron, GA yesterday and they could not have been more accommodating. I talked with Sherrie and she was most helpful. They already had my information in the system and she was able to get us checked in in a matter of just a few minutes.

If the quality of the workmanship they provide is anything like my initial experience with them, I am sure that my leak problem will be taken care of correctly and completely. I should get it back in two weeks or less. I will post about my final experience.

Dwill3332 · 05-03-2020, 11:14 AM

Good news and bad news. The service advisor called me Friday and told me they tried to fix the leak on my coach. The tech could not stop the leak, (bad news) so they have to order a new window from FR (hopefully the good news - depending on how long it takes).

With everything is a state of uncertainty right now, does anyone know if FR is still working? Hopefully they have a window in stock and can ship it to the dealer very soon.

My other question is - has anyone else with the same coach (271RLS) had the same problem with the front window leaking? I hope this is not a common problem. If you have had the same problem, were you able to get it fixed?

THanks.

SailorSam20500 · 05-03-2020, 11:30 AM

To answer your question...
I had a similar leak in my Flagstaff. Turned out that when the window was installed, the rubber gasket got a "wrinkle" that allowed the leak. My dealer was able to simply smooth out the gasket and I've been dry ever since.

When I discovered the leak, I used some of that clear packing tape they use on boxes. Ran strips across the top of the window and down the sides. Kept the trailer dry until the repair was made.

Personally, I think the recommendation from your dealer to put some silicone on it was very bad advice. I have never seen a reliable post saying silicone caulk was a good idea.

Dwill3332 · 05-03-2020, 04:25 PM

Thanks for the reply. The service advisor said it nay be a wrinkle in the seal that allowed the leak, but evidently it was more than that.

As to the answer I got from the dealer who sold me the coach, I have not been too impressed with the responses I have received from them on several issues I have contacted them with. Mid-State in Byron, GA seems to have their act together so I am hoping they will have a permanent fix for my leak.

Dwill3332 · 05-09-2020, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwill3332

Good news and bad news. The service advisor called me Friday and told me they tried to fix the leak on my coach. The tech could not stop the leak, (bad news) so they have to order a new window from FR (hopefully the good news - depending on how long it takes).

With everything is a state of uncertainty right now, does anyone know if FR is still working? Hopefully they have a window in stock and can ship it to the dealer very soon.

My other question is - has anyone else with the same coach (271RLS) had the same problem with the front window leaking? I hope this is not a common problem. If you have had the same problem, were you able to get it fixed?

Thanks.

The saga continues. The repair dealer has tried several times to find and stop the leak in my front window. In a conversation today with the service advisor, they made the statement that it may be a "poor design" since there is no way to channel the water away from the window.

My question again is does anyone else with a 271 RLS Surveyor Luxury have a problem with the front window leaking?

A new replacement window is on order but may take 8 to 10 weeks to arrive. I just hope it is the correct window when it gets here.

Thanks for all of your help.

srtmp5 · 05-18-2020, 07:12 PM

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Surveyor Luxury series has several design flaws and the front window was the first one that affected our 2020 287bhss.

There is no framing or support behind the front cap and the cap/window section gets pushed rearward when traveling down the road at 65mph. The interior plastic window trim on ours basically pushed against the window, breaking the seal and pulling the trim screws out of the wood they were attached to.

My dealer fabricated stand offs to support the front cap and the window is no longer being pushed off its seal. The stand offs go between the wood framing and the front cap.

If the cap is not supported, the new window will likely start leaking after a trip or two. I am pretty sure the window is just sealed to a frame like a auto windshield and the frame is mounted in the cap.

Dwill3332 · 05-18-2020, 07:17 PM

Thanks for the information. I will pass that along to the dealer who is replacing my window and maybe they can do the same thing to my coach while replacing the window when it comes in.

Point452 · 05-25-2020, 12:03 PM

Last week, I looked at a 2020 surveyor midwest 248 bh, and it had a leak on the passenger side bedroom window. Other than the need to repair it before anyone even used it, I really liked it.

Dwill3332 · 06-26-2020, 04:24 PM

I picked up my coach today from Mid-State RV in Byron, GA. They replaced the front window with a new one from FR. I had to wait for some time to get a window from the factory due to the COVID 19 virus. Hopefully the new window will not leak and we can now enjoy our "new" coach.

Garske · 09-28-2020, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srtmp5

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Surveyor Luxury series has several design flaws and the front window was the first one that affected our 2020 287bhss.

There is no framing or support behind the front cap and the cap/window section gets pushed rearward when traveling down the road at 65mph. The interior plastic window trim on ours basically pushed against the window, breaking the seal and pulling the trim screws out of the wood they were attached to.

My dealer fabricated stand offs to support the front cap and the window is no longer being pushed off its seal. The stand offs go between the wood framing and the front cap.

If the cap is not supported, the new window will likely start leaking after a trip or two. I am pretty sure the window is just sealed to a frame like a auto windshield and the frame is mounted in the cap.

I have a 2019 Surveyor so we're past the 90 day warenty for windows... can you share a little more on the fix? Pics?

And don't get me started on the other design flaws, we spent all last winter going back and forth with Forest River on our furnace. FR wouldn’t take ownership of the problem and kept blaming the furnace manufacturer, but in the end it was just poor venting that was causing the furnace to overheat. After weeks of calling FR to help solve the issue they finally got a tech involved only after we threated to lawyer up (this was pre-COVID days).

TheWolfPaq82 · 09-28-2020, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garske

I have a 2019 Surveyor so we're past the 90 day warenty for windows... can you share a little more on the fix? Pics?

And don't get me started on the other design flaws, we spent all last winter going back and forth with Forest River on our furnace. FR wouldn’t take ownership of the problem and kept blaming the furnace manufacturer, but in the end it was just poor venting that was causing the furnace to overheat. After weeks of calling FR to help solve the issue they finally got a tech involved only after we threated to lawyer up (this was pre-COVID days).

OP had dealer fix it. Not sure he'd have pics and he hasn't posted anything more since June.

Dwill3332 · 09-28-2020, 01:39 PM

Good afternoon. We have only camped one time since the window was repaired and did not have much rain so I don't know if the fix worked or not. The coach is stored under a pole barn so it is out of the weather when we are at home. Hopefully what they did solved the problem.

The Service Manager at Mid-State RV told me that they made several attempts to seal the window. They finally replaced the gasket around the window with a thicker gasket and used shorter screws to draw the window down tight. He said the original screws were "bottoming out" before the window was tight in the hole. Evidently there is only about a 1/4" clearance on either side so if you are off 1/8" it causes an opening on the opposite side.

I don't think pictures would tell you anything because all you would see is the molding around the inside and there is nothing to see on the outside.

We have several trips planned in October so we will see how things go. I have even thought about getting a body shop to fabricate a cover for the window that could be raised when camping (much like an awning) and lowered to cover the window when towing. That sounds expensive but may be the only solution to the leaking problem since it appears to be a design flaw in the Surveyor Luxury line of coaches.

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