1974 Trillium 1300 Water in Upper Cupboard

[Kommander]

Hi,

I am in the process of adding a solar system to my 1974 Trillium 1300.

A couple days ago I went through it taking a look at the existing wiring.

I lifted the ensolite liner that is on the bottom of the cupboard and was surprised to find moisture there.

The electrical pot in the cupboard is quite rusted so it looks like it has been going on for a while.

Winter of 2017-2018 I removed the top vent and cleaned up the decades of caulking and silicone and then used butyl caulking and put in new rivets. There is no moisture under the ensolite on the ceiling around the roof vent opening.

There are no signs of water running from the vent towards the cupboard.

A friend has suggested the moisture could be from condensation onto the metal electrical pot. I am baffled.

Anybody with previous experience, suggestions??

Cheers,

Murray

[ststefan]

We have a 17'Boler. Most of the rivets holding the cabinets to the fiberglass had been leaking. Try checking all the rivets for seepage.

[Kommander]

It appears to me the Trillium cupboards are moulded right to the fibreglass. There are no rivets on the exterior in the area of the cupboard.

I’ll go look at it again.

Murray

[John in Michigan]

That's right. There are not rivets in the Trillium body. All fiberglass cabinets are fiberglassed to the outer shell. The upper shelves (fore and aft) are fastened to the interior window frames.

So moisture in the upper cabinet could be due to condensation, or maybe moisture migrating up from the large backsplash, or possibly water migrating from a leak in the roof vent frame.

[John in Michigan]

Murray, reading your initial post again, I see that you said you have re-sealed the roof vent, so probably rules that out.

Is it possible there was water left in the kettle, or possibly left in another container in the upper cabinet?

Again the other possibilities are condensation, or moisture migrating up from behind the backsplash. If you look or poke into the rear edge of the bottom of the cupboard you'll notice that there is access to the back of the backsplash.

[thrifty bill]

Yes one difference between the vintage Trillium and Boler and Scamp is that all the cupboards are fiberglassed in, no rivets. Only thing above that cupboard is the roof and the only penetration is the roof vent. I’d double check your vent reinstall and look for cracks in the roof.

[Kommander]

The trailer hasn’t been used for years. Hasn’t been cooked in since I bought it in 2009. My oldest son had it until late 2017 when I brought it home to fix the leaky windows and vent.

Vent seems to be watertight ... no moisture under the ensolite surrounding the opening.

I don’t see cracks but there are pits in the gel coat on the roof that I wonder about. Likely stones but my guess is that as time goes on with it spending winters outside those holes could get enlarged by the freeze thaw cycle when moisture is on the roof.

Once it is warm enough up here to turn on the outside water I will give it a good garden hose soaking and see if anything gets back in.

Thanks guys!!!!!

[John in Michigan]

Good luck! Let us know what you find!

[Mike Magee]

You have one of those special, rare trailers with a built-in natural spring. If it produces enough water, you may never need to fill your fresh tank.






Actually, since you haven't used the trailer in years, I'd suspect condensation from moist air that got into the unit at some point. It may be a good idea to keep some Damp-Rid or similar stuff in the trailer when it's closed up.

[getaway1]

Hi I own a 1976 1300 Trillium and my upper cupboard is the same condition as yours . I have no areas that can leak water in from the outside so I think condensation is the reason for any water in the cupboard. If you have been using your stove in cooler weather any moisture from any cooking will collect in any closed off cold spots too. The ensolite is thin and does little to help with condensation in frosty weather either. You didn't say if the water is there all the time in the cupboard. I would guess there are no external leaks or penetrations in the shell of your Trillium. My electrical box is rusty as well due to moisture over the years. These trailers are sealed up quite well and trap any dampness too. Try venting during good weather and see if things change for you.Duane

[Kommander]

Well, we just got some rain after a very dry spring and I looked up in the cupboard and it was very wet.

Long story short, I am 99.9% certain the water is coming in through holes in the the fibreglass shell itself.

My plan is to sand and power wash the roof, then use System Three Quikfair fairing compound to fill all pits. Then, I will either paint with System Three Yacht Primer and then use Epifanes two part paint. I am a boatbuilder so have all this epoxy stuff on hand and am familiar with it.

May also lay down a layer of 2 or 4 Oz fibreglass before the primer and paint. Still debating if that is overkill or not.

[Kommander]

Well, it turned out that the leakage was definitely coming right through the fibreglass. The pits on the roof were letting water through the shell. I peeled back the ensolite on the top of the cupboard and could see water drips forming from a particularly bright spot/pit.

So, here's what I've done:

- Filled all the pits with System Three Quikfair epoxy fairing compound.
- Put fibreglass over areas where the gelcoat had been worn through to the fibreglass underneath
- Decided to install a Maxxair fan in the roof so reinforced roof with 1/4" marine plywood epoxied to the roof. Before doing so, I used scissor jacks and some lumber to lift the central portion of the roof and create a bit of camber. After cutting out the old vent raised area, the plywood strips were weighted down when being epoxied in place.
- After the plywood had been faired and smoothed with more Quikfair I sanded the entire roof with 80 grit sandpaper and then laid down a layer of 2.3 oz fibreglass cloth with System Three Silvertip epoxy to laminate it to the roof.
- Cut out the 14 x 14 inch opening for the new fan
- Built a frame using douglas fir to raise the fan high enough that it didn't intrude into the trailer...flush with the ceiling inside.
- Epoxied and fibreglassed the frame into place
- sanded and faired everything on the roof and then started painting...three coats of two part marine epoxy primer and 6 coats of two part polyurethane marine topcoat paint.
- installed the new fan with butyl caulking tape.