Long time reader, first time poster. So hope in the right section. Have an old 1987 Jayco Classic which we are loving. Slowly restoring to some of it's former glory. Hoping someone can please help with a question on sealing the roof.
Originally around the outside of the roof, silicon was used by a previous owner to seal at the edge. The bit where the aluminimum roof sheet is bent over an aluminimum lip. We had a leak inside, so have replaced all the roof screws with stainless screws and with stainnless/rubber washers, in case water coming through there. I have also removed the silicon and my question is, should this be resiliconed, as it is bent over a lip and water would have to run uphill to come inside. I have a feeling, condensation is building up on the underside of the aluminimum roof and due to the silicon, it can't run outside. So it is running back inside the van, causing what looks like a small leak.
Any thoughts on this would be great. I am thinking to just reseal the front edge, due to water being pushed up from the force of the wind when towing.
I have attached a couple of photos of the caravan to give reference to model and also of the roof. Hope they upload.
Re (so have replaced all the roof screws with stainless screws and with stainnless/rubber washers)
Did the original roof screws have rubber washers?
Am wary of deterioration of the rubber washers long term.
Looking at a Fix, I would give the rubber washers a miss, put silicon in the hole prior to inserting the screw, on the roof, tape (electrical tape) a circle 10mm around the screw head and silicon the roof of the van (the exposed roof inside your taped circle) and the screw head. Remove the tape for a neat finish after a smooth over of the silicon with a wet finger.
Note I have some experience ( but not a lot) in leaks in resolving issues with friends vans. So definitely consider other advice.
Sorry if this is a double post. First reply seems to have dissappeared.
Thansk PeterInSa. Will keep that in mind if the waashers break down. Will monitor them. I did wonder how long they would last when I was isntalling them.
From your leak experience, did you normally seal the edges of the caravan roof, if you have dealt with one like this. Where they are bent over a lip? About to open a new tube of skiaflex, and want to get all the worked lined up. So not to waste too much.
Bear in mind that aluminium and stainless steel together can cause corrosion of the aluminium. This is particularly so in salt water. If you put a stainless steel washer on the floor of an aluminium boat, it will burn a hole straight through the hull. Fresh water will not be as bad, but it can still happen. You need to isolate the screws from the aluminium (difficult, but a rubber or plastic washer will help) or eliminate the electrolyte (water) from the equation. You do the latter by sealing over the whole screw assembly.
Bear in mind that aluminium and stainless steel together can cause corrosion of the aluminium. This is particularly so in salt water. If you put a stainless steel washer on the floor of an aluminium boat, it will burn a hole straight through the hull. Fresh water will not be as bad, but it can still happen. You need to isolate the screws from the aluminium (difficult, but a rubber or plastic washer will help) or eliminate the electrolyte (water) from the equation. You do the latter by sealing over the whole screw assembly.
I thought it was copper or anything galvanised . We use stainless bolts to connect elect alloy cables .,
I was under the impression that stainless was best for aluminimum. Will have to research some more. Hope it is, have replaced most of the screws with stainless. :)
Back on sealing the roof around the edge. Any ideas if it needs to be done. I have jumped the gun a bit and sealed around the front as had to open a tube of sikaflex. Holding off on the sides and back.
As mentioned, it is bent over a lip, so water would have to travel uphill basically to come in. Maybe in strong wind? Not sure.
HI there . Boy have i had some issues like this with my 2005 jayco poptop - I am not sure but is your top original or has someone added a tin top - i have the usual fibreglass composite top which slumps in the middle ending up with a swimming pool on top in the rain . I had crazy priced quotes for a new roof , but in the end have learned to live with it by using copious amounts of Sikaflex white marine sealant . Not cheap but the best . The previous owner used heaps of silicon which water just got under . The caravan repair place used a white silicon in a neat seam with a device . There is also a type of putty, But i would not waste money on that .... I decided HEY who cares no one can see it up there so plastered the Sikaflex on . Works a treat !
I researched many expensive imported gunk - there are heaps of u tube videos on various resealing . Hard to get and expensive .
By the look of yours perhaps spread some Sika over the bolts and around sides neatly . Then paint it over with an enamel based paint or even solarguard .
I have used it on a old Chesney Van we use as a garden shed with aluminium top that used to leak like a sieve . It went over everything that i could not scrape off . Forty years of seagulls .
If your top is not original it may be a refurbishment . They still make jayco poptops with the same stupid roof that eventually slumps but say they do it that way to save weight . Not sure if yours is the same but looks similar and i have seen many older ones that are slumped in the middle so maybe someones solution ? .
Thanks all for the replies. Got a bit distracted with life. So was out last weekend down near Canungra (back of the Gold Coast), with pretty heavy dew in the mornng. The missus heard drip drip drip during the night, however no rain. So pretty sure it is condensation causing what looks like a leak in one corner. Caravan probably sloped slightly in one direction. Not sure how to resolve this, under the tin, they have laid some aluminimum backed insulation as well. So not sure if that is contributing to it.
@Paulo, not sure if it is the orignal or refurbished roof. It is a slightly curved tin roof, same colour as the walls of the caravan and looks to be original.
Maybe the condensation is something we have to live with? Unless we look at spending a bit of money on some type of roof vent. But not sure that would be economical for the old girl, and the way the roof aluminium bows, not sure if possible. Also, not sure if it would work, as the toilets at the camp ground were pretty open, tin construction, and was dripping a river in the morning off the aluminium roof in there as well.
