Rear window leak. Repair? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 06-14-2016, 02:14 PM   #1
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Name: Mike
Trailer: 1993 Gulfstream Conquest
Minnesota
Posts: 4
Rear window leak. Repair?

Greetings from Minnesota!

I have a 1992 Gulfstream Conquest. The lower "channel" on the inside of my non-opening rear window fills with water when it rains and overflows onto the bedding, pillows, and gets behind the wallpaper at the head of the bed and forms mildew/mold.

Attached is a 7 second video of the inside of my window showing water in the inside bottom window channel. There's also a photo of the channel with water in it. Note that this is on the inside of the motorhome.


I have not yet located the source of the leak. I've had a new rubber coating applied to my roof and the integrity of that is not being questioned as it it new and seems fine. I'm convinced that the leak originates with the window itself....but... the seal between the fiberglass and the window seems fine.

After seeing a You Tube video (below) on removing the window and applying new butyl tape, I was going to follow the instructions in this you tube video.


However...I decided to do a "test" first and so I applied some vinyl tape at the top of my window (before it rained) to see if re-sealing the window with new butyl tape, as explained in the you tube video would solve my problem.

Below is a photo of my window with the vinyl "test" tape...which didn't keep the water out.

After applying the tape to the window before it rained, after it rained, there was fresh water in the lower portion of the window channel...so the tape didn't cover the problem area. I now doubt that removing the window and applying new butyl tape will solve the problem because the vinyl tape didn't.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to locate the problem and solve it? Any advice would be much appreciated.

~mike
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Old 06-14-2016, 03:10 PM   #2
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Name: Randy
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe
Minnesota
Posts: 143
Welcome Mike.

Before you do anything else do you see slots along the bottom window trim? If so, those could be plugged with debris and may need to be cleaned in order to drain properly. I use a piece of soft copper wire to do this as shown in the following video:



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Old 06-14-2016, 05:21 PM   #3
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Name: Mike
Trailer: 1993 Gulfstream Conquest
Minnesota
Posts: 4
No "weep holes"

Randy,

I forgot to mention that this particular window does not have "weep holes". However, once I fix this window's problem...I'll certainly clean the weep holes on the rest.

Thanks.
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Old 06-14-2016, 05:23 PM   #4
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Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
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Mike, all your test is telling you is it's not leaking at the top. That's a lot of window surface for rain to move down and over/into the frame. Try Randy's suggestion for a possible solution.
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Old 06-14-2016, 06:00 PM   #5
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
My front Scamp window looks very similar and I had a leak a few months after I bought it (new). In my case, where the lock strip started and ended was at the bottom of the window, and the sealant applied at that joint failed.

I could not tell from your photo where the lock strip end/start was, but I would check to see if it needs to be resealed at that point.

My understanding is that, when installed, the strip should be cut just a hair long so when it is assembled the joint is very tight. But even if done right the lock strip will shrink over time and this joint can open up enough to leak.
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Old 06-14-2016, 07:37 PM   #6
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Name: Mike
Trailer: 1993 Gulfstream Conquest
Minnesota
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Donna

I don't have weep holes to clean.
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Old 06-14-2016, 07:43 PM   #7
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Name: Mike
Trailer: 1993 Gulfstream Conquest
Minnesota
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Gordon2

Gordon,

I'm kinda a newbie and don't know what a "lock strip" is. There's a thin "U-shaped" rubber channel that goes around the perimeter of the glass. It maybe covers only about 1/8" of the glass all the way around. From the inside, I can see that much of the incoming water "ooozes" in between the glass and this "gasket". I'm thinking replacing that rubber thingy might solve the majority of my problem.

The other thing I'm considering is simply drilling some holes into the channel at the bottom of the window so the water that come in can run out....but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.

~mike
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Old 06-14-2016, 07:57 PM   #8
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike From MN View Post
Gordon,

I'm kinda a newbie and don't know what a "lock strip" is. ..
I should say that I know nothing about your make of trailer so I am just guessing that its like Scamp's (and Boler's) window. Check out this video.. in the install you can see the strip starts and ends at the bottom.. thats where my leak was.


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Old 06-14-2016, 08:00 PM   #9
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
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In part two you can see the locking strip installed in the trailer's interior. I was under the impression it should be on the outside.. so if you replace the window, get someone who knows for sure to tell you which way to do it. And be advised that its a pretty tough job.

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Old 06-14-2016, 08:31 PM   #10
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The lockstrip goes on the outside. It will probably be an easier job on Mike's trailer to replace as the window is flat, unlike Bolers and Scamps where the plexi has to bend to the compound curve.
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Old 06-14-2016, 10:25 PM   #11
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Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
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An auto glass place will get the job done PDQ In my area I can get a new windshield on a van installed in a half hour for about $120 and that includes the glass and a new gasket. Since you likely don't need any parts it should not cost all that much to have the window reset properly. Plus you will get warranty with the job

Your window is fairly recent, seems like the gaskets would have held up this long unless it was just installed improperly right from the start.

Can you do the job yourself...sure. But the auto glass guys have the right tools and materials and they do it all day, every day. It is best done with two people and there is a special tool that helps insert the lockstrip.
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Old 06-15-2016, 04:21 AM   #12
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Do yourself a favor. If that window is an original install, the gasket and lockstrip are 23 years old. That's 23 years of rubber being subjected to UVs and all kinds of weather. Rubber gets hard. If you're spending the money and/or time to replace and reseal the window, replace the rubber and the same time. We'd make this recommendation to an egg owner.
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Old 06-15-2016, 04:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Do yourself a favor. If that window is an original install, the gasket and lockstrip are 23 years old. That's 23 years of rubber being subjected to UVs and all kinds of weather. Rubber gets hard. If you're spending the money and/or time to replace and reseal the window, replace the rubber and the same time. We'd make this recommendation to an egg owner.
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:50 AM   #14
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Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
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In post #1 it appears the leaking window is mounted in rubber weatherstrip that uses a lock strip. The repair video the OP put up is for a clamp ring type window, not the same.
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Old 06-15-2016, 01:30 PM   #15
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Name: bills
Trailer: Trillium 1300
Nova Scotia
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Check the integrity of the 3 light seals above your window.
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Old 06-15-2016, 02:52 PM   #16
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Name: Mike
Trailer: Bigfoot 17' DLX
Alaska
Posts: 384
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^^^This^^^

Clearance lights require holes in the coach body for the wiring to pass through (at the minimum). If the seal (probably butyl tape) is broken, which can happen from something as simple as washing the rig, that may be the source of the leak.
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