Recently took our second-hand caravan for an excursion of a few weeks during which it rained and we have a leak in one of our 4-season vents.
The vent is the old-style aluminium one, and the leak appears to be at or near a corner.
I tried putting extra sealant around where the clear panel (the top) joins the alloy, but this made no difference.
I am wondering about the rubber seals around the fly screens. The van is only 6 years old.
The seal around the base of the vent appears OK.
Any suggestions as to the most likely source of the leak?
Any tips on how to go about tracing it?
I thought about just replacing it with a new plastic one, but they are pretty expensive at about $500 each.
Cheers
C00P
Colin Penrose said
02:10 PM Aug 22, 2016
Hi. I had a leak in the corner of my pop top that no amount of silicone would stop. I scraped off ALL of the silicone and replaced it with a product called Eternabond. Costs around $85 for a roll but it fixed the problem. We have had torrential rain with NO resultant leaks. Where are you at present ? I am in Launching Place, Vic. You could have a look. I am more than please with the result I got. Main thing is to remove all the silicone. Cheers Col P.
C00P said
07:47 PM Aug 22, 2016
Thanks Col, much appreciated. I gather that Eternabond is a roll of a foam material much like what is used to seal the new 4-season vents?
Any tips on how to remove the old vent? It looks like the inside is just held in by 4 screws in the corners, and the outside is screwed down to the roof around the edge. There are 8 pop rivets, two in each corner, not sure if they need to be drilled out?
We are home in Adelaide at present, but thanks for your kind offer.
Cheers
C00P
macka17 said
05:56 AM Aug 23, 2016
Hi.
At 6+ yrs a Aluminium strip sheeting van
is overdue for a scrape out and reseal of all the seams. Vertical and horizontal.
If you want to keep it in top cond.
I normally do the vertical corner seams and round all windows every few yrs.
With the roof.
I scrape/dissolve the silicon/sikaflex every 3 to 5 yrs, depending.Then reseal.
Plus the last couple of vans.
I've done roof seams then 4 coats of heat protective/reflecting paint over the top.
2 of each layer.
Should last at least 6 yrs regular usage now.
with added benefit of definitely reflecting Northern heat.
Combined with roof solar and roll out.
We have van out of shade and still comfortable.
with the 4 seasons. I've removed, then reseated
on High density rubber strip from Clarke rubber,
Coated with sika top and bottom.
Then I also paint with "POOL paint" from paint shop (Chlorinated rubber).
Thick and flexible.
Up to the bottom of the flaps seal.
If you have leaky roof and slack.
a thick coating of pool paint over the whole roof. OR just the seams
does a good flexible waterproofing seal
mezza56 said
08:38 AM Aug 23, 2016
Hi Macka
How do you disolve set silicon ??
C00P said
09:39 AM Aug 23, 2016
Thanks for your suggestions, Macka.
Didn't realize van roofs needed so much maintenance!
Will follow up on some of your suggestions.
Cheers
C00P
Ron-D said
10:29 AM Aug 23, 2016
That sounds easy Macka Iam also interested in how to dissolve silicon ?? When I resealed the top of my old van the silicon was removed back to bare metal with a small rotary wire brush connected to a drill....
macka17 said
11:37 AM Aug 23, 2016
Hey. Go to Bunnings. They have a spray pack for Silicon. NOT SIkaflex.
Scrape most out first. Spray. leave, Then get very messy with lots of rags. but it does do the job. Rub over with Acetone.then reseal with small nozzle hole in sikaflex nozzle smoothing it in with a well wet finger to get into seam. OR just leave proud (if you can do a neat imitation weld run with it)
NO silicons are a waterproof seal, with exception of Sikaflex. Bostic industrial, and 3M Marine.
IF you do dirt roads.corrugations. Go the extra sealing with the flexible paints.
No jointed caravan cladding stays waterproof forever. Ask insurance co, or any van repairers how many payouts/writeoffs they have on rotten wooden frames from leaky walls.windows and roofs.
I've been using/living in, and sealing caravans since late 1963. Bitumising under floors and painting chassis rails.
Also. If in "cold" climes, and having those tinted plastic "domed" windows. It's easy to insulate the windows with thin sheets of clear plastic adhesived/epoxy'd to inside of plastic part. Double glazing. It works too. I've done a couple. decades ago in a real, cold climate.
Just put a 1\2 in strip of something along outer edge. INSIDE frame area of window first so it'll still open. to ensure the glazing goes up to the frame. I know it needs 1 inch min space between to be "efficient", But anything is an improvement on nothing.
And remember. double glazing works in cold AND heat.
I was involved in that too in one of my jobs (industrial) decades ago too.
-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 12:48:42 PM
C00P said
10:11 PM Aug 23, 2016
Hi Folks, Removed the internal trim today and found no water staining on the woodwork underneath, suggesting that the seal around the base of the vent was still intact. So, with the trim removed, got the Navigator to closely watch the relevant corner of the vent while I poured water over the area from the outside. We were able to establish that the vent itself was leaking around the hinged part of the vent flap. I suspect that any rain that falls on the hinge wicks its way along the hinge by capillary action and drips out at the corner. This will be difficult to stop. so we have decided to purchase a modern 4-seasons vent and replace the existing one. The vent without the internal trim can be had for less than $400. I gather the original internal trim can be used with the new vent. I'll also get some of the Eternabond tape to ensure we can re-establish a good seal around the vent base, and some chlorinated rubber to ensure good seals around any other leaks that develop. Thanks for all the advice fo0lks, much appreciated, Regards
C00P
-- Edited by C00P on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 10:12:36 PM
Hi Folks,
Recently took our second-hand caravan for an excursion of a few weeks during which it rained and we have a leak in one of our 4-season vents.
The vent is the old-style aluminium one, and the leak appears to be at or near a corner.
I tried putting extra sealant around where the clear panel (the top) joins the alloy, but this made no difference.
I am wondering about the rubber seals around the fly screens. The van is only 6 years old.
The seal around the base of the vent appears OK.
Any suggestions as to the most likely source of the leak?
Any tips on how to go about tracing it?
I thought about just replacing it with a new plastic one, but they are pretty expensive at about $500 each.
Cheers
C00P
Hi. I had a leak in the corner of my pop top that no amount of silicone would stop. I scraped off ALL of the silicone and replaced it with a product called Eternabond. Costs around $85 for a roll but it fixed the problem. We have had torrential rain with NO resultant leaks. Where are you at present ? I am in Launching Place, Vic. You could have a look. I am more than please with the result I got. Main thing is to remove all the silicone. Cheers Col P.
Thanks Col, much appreciated. I gather that Eternabond is a roll of a foam material much like what is used to seal the new 4-season vents?
Any tips on how to remove the old vent? It looks like the inside is just held in by 4 screws in the corners, and the outside is screwed down to the roof around the edge. There are 8 pop rivets, two in each corner, not sure if they need to be drilled out?
We are home in Adelaide at present, but thanks for your kind offer.
Cheers
C00P
At 6+ yrs a Aluminium strip sheeting van
is overdue for a scrape out and reseal of all the seams. Vertical and horizontal.
If you want to keep it in top cond.
I normally do the vertical corner seams and round all windows every few yrs.
With the roof.
I scrape/dissolve the silicon/sikaflex every 3 to 5 yrs, depending.Then reseal.
Plus the last couple of vans.
I've done roof seams then 4 coats of heat protective/reflecting paint over the top.
2 of each layer.
Should last at least 6 yrs regular usage now.
with added benefit of definitely reflecting Northern heat.
Combined with roof solar and roll out.
We have van out of shade and still comfortable.
with the 4 seasons. I've removed, then reseated
on High density rubber strip from Clarke rubber,
Coated with sika top and bottom.
Then I also paint with "POOL paint" from paint shop (Chlorinated rubber).
Thick and flexible.
Up to the bottom of the flaps seal.
If you have leaky roof and slack.
a thick coating of pool paint over the whole roof. OR just the seams
does a good flexible waterproofing seal
Hi Macka
How do you disolve set silicon ??
Thanks for your suggestions, Macka.
Didn't realize van roofs needed so much maintenance!
Will follow up on some of your suggestions.
Cheers
C00P
That sounds easy Macka
Iam also interested in how to dissolve silicon ?? When I resealed the top of my old van the silicon was removed back to bare metal with a small rotary wire brush connected to a drill....
Hey.
Go to Bunnings.
They have a spray pack for Silicon. NOT SIkaflex.
Scrape most out first. Spray. leave,
Then get very messy with lots of rags.
but it does do the job.
Rub over with Acetone.then reseal with small nozzle hole in sikaflex nozzle
smoothing it in with a well wet finger to get into seam.
OR just leave proud (if you can do a neat imitation weld run with it)
NO silicons are a waterproof seal, with exception of Sikaflex. Bostic industrial,
and 3M Marine.
IF you do dirt roads.corrugations.
Go the extra sealing with the flexible paints.
No jointed caravan cladding stays waterproof forever.
Ask insurance co, or any van repairers how many payouts/writeoffs they have
on rotten wooden frames from leaky walls.windows and roofs.
I've been using/living in, and sealing caravans since late 1963.
Bitumising under floors and painting chassis rails.
Also.
If in "cold" climes, and having those tinted plastic "domed" windows.
It's easy to insulate the windows with thin sheets of clear plastic
adhesived/epoxy'd to inside of plastic part.
Double glazing.
It works too. I've done a couple. decades ago
in a real, cold climate.
Just put a 1\2 in strip of something along outer edge.
INSIDE frame area of window first so it'll still open.
to ensure the glazing goes up to the frame.
I know it needs 1 inch min space between to be "efficient",
But anything is an improvement on nothing.
And remember. double glazing works in cold
AND heat.
I was involved in that too in one of my jobs (industrial) decades ago too.
-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 12:48:42 PM
Hi Folks,
Removed the internal trim today and found no water staining on the woodwork underneath, suggesting that the seal around the base of the vent was still intact.
So, with the trim removed, got the Navigator to closely watch the relevant corner of the vent while I poured water over the area from the outside.
We were able to establish that the vent itself was leaking around the hinged part of the vent flap. I suspect that any rain that falls on the hinge wicks its way along the hinge by capillary action and drips out at the corner.
This will be difficult to stop. so we have decided to purchase a modern 4-seasons vent and replace the existing one. The vent without the internal trim can be had for less than $400. I gather the original internal trim can be used with the new vent. I'll also get some of the Eternabond tape to ensure we can re-establish a good seal around the vent base, and some chlorinated rubber to ensure good seals around any other leaks that develop.
Thanks for all the advice fo0lks, much appreciated,
Regards
C00P
-- Edited by C00P on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 10:12:36 PM