Moisture in Scamp

[pageleigh]

My new/used Scamp has a leak somewhere. Rain came in either from the ceiling vent or a window...I can't tell which one. Part of the cushions and my new mattress got wet. When I slept in it last nite the interior of the windows were wet. What is the best way to get the moisture out? Should I take the cushion out, put in sun and run a fan?

Thanks,
M

[Cat futrell]

That's what I would do.

[Donna D.]

First you need to trace down the leak... if it's a leak. Is it possible the windows developed condensation during the night while you were sleeping. Breathing is an issue that causes condensation. Since you can't stop breathing, you'll need to get air movement. Open the top vent (just a tad) and a window (just a bit). Having good window coverings helps too.

Right after a camping trip (anytime of the year), I stand all the cushions up on their edges and put a Dri-Z-Air (Classic) in a plastic tub, in the sink. No dampness issues in 10 years of ownership.

[pageleigh]

Thanks Donna

[cpaharley2008]

check your window weep holes to insure their operating correctly, if not they will overflow inside.

[pageleigh]

What is a window weep hole?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by pageleigh

What is a window weep hole?

on the outside are tiny slots on the bottom outside rail for any water or moisture that collects allowing it to run down the side (creating the dreaded black marks) if these become clogged then the water in the channel will come inside.

[pageleigh]

I noticed the dreaded black marks after the rain..how do I unclog and how do I get to them? Do the black marks mean that the slots are clogged?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by pageleigh

I noticed the dreaded black marks after the rain..how do I unclog and how do I get to them? Do the black marks mean that the slots are clogged?

No it doesnt. The black marks will often just wash off - if not if you us a 3M Marine fiberglass cleaner with a fiber cloth they will come off fast.

The weep holes you are looking for by the way may on your Scamp have a plastic square cap over them (they do on mine), that you will need to pop off the window frame in order to run some weed wacker nylon through the holes to clear them.

[Donna D.]

Emily, get a piece of weed wacker line, or something kinda stiff that won't scratch, and run it through the holes. It's a standard maintenance issue. No biggy, just needs to be done occasionally.

Black marks oftentime mean the windows are dirty. A good wax job on the trailer will keep the dreaded black marks from staining the gelcoat.

[pageleigh]

Thanks again Donna.

M

[cvanzan]

Emily,
I have a 2002 16' Scamp that had leaks which appeared to be from each of the rear side windows. I re-sealed the top of the windows and verified that the scuppers were clear but still had the leaks. Turned out that the water was actually coming in from the holes in the ceiling which are for the mounting screws of the overhead cabinets. The screws holding the cabinets were regular wood screws that apparently don't seal as well as the rivet holes. The water would travel under the Ensulite then surface below the windows. My cabinets were damaged by the water so just I just removed them and sealed the holes with silicone. This is temporary fix till I get around to patching with fiberglass.
I wouldn't think that your 2010 model would have this problem, but just sayin'.....
Cheers,
Charlie

[Carol H]

Chas I think you are going to find that with time all the rivets/screws can develop leaks and at some point in the trailers life will need to be reset. I am aware of a couple of pretty new trailers that have had to have more than a couple rivets/screws reset pretty soon after build. It could be they were never sealed correctly at the factory or it could be a time and use issue. The more the trailer flexes on the road the higher the chance of a rivet/screw needing to be redone.

If the overhead bins in your 10 year old trailer were ever overloaded and the trailer spent time on rough roads that could do it. I have a 92 with rear bins and funny enough as far as I know the screws holding them have never been reset & haven't leaked as yet but they are on my list due to their age to redo one of these days. I also know the trailers full history so I am aware that in its first 15 years of its life it didn't travel a fraction as far as it has traveled with me in the past 5 years or over anywhere near some of the road conditions I have taken it. ;-) I did have to reset the awning bolts though that where hidden inside the bins though and I know that it wasnt the first time those had been done. I have also had to replace a good number of other rivets though over the past 5 years - some just loose and a couple snapped in two due to fatigue - that happen to two rivets near the end of one 3500 mile trip last year. It also wasnt the first time for one of those rivets either - I had redone it about 3 years ago. I wouldn't have much in the way of cabinets left in the trailer if I was to just remove the cabinets each time a rivet/screw failed instead of just resealing them correctly.

[cvanzan]

Carol,

It's good to know that all these things can be fixed and I do enjoy working on the Scamper.

Beside the fact that the cabinets were ruined by the water, I got rid of the overhead cabinets because I don't like the idea of having any weight up high in the rear of the trailer. Coming from an 8' tent trailer, the 16' Scamp has WAY more storage than I'm used to.

Cheers,

Charlie VZ

[Carol H]

Chas, you right you do need to watch what you put up into the overheads re the weight. Although I have a DVD player and a mp3 system up in one of mine for a few years now without any problems.

[ruscal]

Emily,
My Scamp had a similar problem. I found water on the rear dinette table top, and on the rear seat cushions. I thought the water was coming from a cracked corner of the overhead Fantastic fan curb. I caulked it and still had moisture intrusion after the next rain a few months later. I read about the scupper problem here on the forums and rodded them out. after rodding the scuppers it still leaked. I then suspected the caulking holding the window frame in place was the culprit, and proceeded to remove the rear window. It was solidly caulked to the trailer shell and there was no way it was leaking, so I re-installed the window screws and was back to the beginning again. I then did some hose tests and discovered the leak was indeed coming in via the lower window track caused by clogged scuppers! I then removed the screens and slid the window open fully. I then discovered the lower window track liner could be removed from the aluminum window frame. Mine were completely mucked and mired with black gunk. The previous owner must have parked the trailer under some really messy trees or ?. After much hydro jetting with the hose nozzle the scuppers were running freely and clear. There was no way merely rodding with weed whacker cord would have cleared my scuppers, as it just pushed the muck back into the track. After cleaning you can re-test with the hose and verify your work. I ended up doing all the windows on my trailer and spent less than an hour to do all.
If your water is entering higher on the trailer, I would check all the roof penetrations such as vents, ac, rivets, wire penetrations, etc, by doing a hose test. Always start the test at the lowest elevations first and work your way up. Have a helper inside feeling and looking for intrusion. Spend a few minutes at each elevation before working higher to give slow leaks a chance to show. Walkie talkies or cell phones are good to communicate with your helper to describe where you are applying the water.
Never neglect a leak, as they will cause many more hours to repair the damage as the hours to detect and seal.
Good luck,
Russ