Water Leak -Puddle under rear window cushion

[Dave Storey]

I have a puddle of water collecting under the cushion near the rear and side window at the curve of the trailer inside when ever it rains.
I can't find out where the water is coming in . The trailer is sealed good around the windows and molding around the outside of trailer .
Has anyone had this problem before and fixed it?
Dave

Forgot to put photo in .. It is not from my trailer but to give you an idea from photo where the puddle sits

[Bill K]

Just a suggestion, check the lights on the outside of the trailer.

Bill K

Originally Posted by Dave Storey

I have a puddle of water collecting under the cushion near the rear and side window at the curve of the trailer inside when ever it rains.
I can't find out where the water is coming in . The trailer is sealed good around the windows and molding around the outside of trailer .
Has anyone had this problem before and fixed it?
Dave

[Doug Mager]

Indeed, check for leakage at the lights but where this stain is happening (in this picture) is well ABOVE where the lights attach to the body.

Trilliums have wood framing sandwiched between the glass body where windows are installed. I think, if you pulled that window out, you'd see water damage there. If you do this and find damage, repair it as best you can even if it means replacing that frame (or part of it). Then reinstall that window but use butyl tape not silicone as a sealant. Also don't try n seal from the outside, you're apt to be trapping moisture inside the trailer's window frame....

[David Swinnard]

I had a leak in my Trillium 1300 that showed up in a similar spot - noticed a damp cushion in the back corner (standing water once the cushions were removed). It's been two years now and I'm still not 100% convinced I've found and fixed the source...

I took out and resealed the back and two side windows as well as the back window pane itself (the back window isn't original and I believe some of the caulking was missing), I had the lights off and sealed around the wires, I sealed all the rivet heads around the belly band, sealed (epoxy putty) a myriad of rock pock marks around the trailer (I was on a roll) and even a couple of divots in the FG on the roof.

Last year I left the trailer parked over the winter with it non-level, tilting down towards the hitch and when I inspected after the first severe winter rain storm - no wet spots. Last weekend I leveled the trailer to see if that made any difference...I'm still trying to convince myself I fixed the leak somewhere in my trek. (It's rained pretty good since then and I'm going to run out and check it once I've sent this...thanks for the reminder)

I was convinced it was the window but the leak persisted after I'd replaced the window's perimeter seal, that led me to check the window glass installation itself, that led to... short story is, the source of the leak wasn't obvious in my case. Hopefully yours will be different, but do be prepared to look and consider a number of things - it seems water can travel a distance under the wall covering (mine's the ensolite stuff).

Good Luck in your hunt.

[Gumpit]

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...and-44340.html Have you checked the belly band? Where the band around the middle connects the 2 halves? Could be one of the rivets rotted and allowing the water to get in. BUT I would go with the rear window and the rotted wood below it as the culprit. If you look at my pics in the thread above you can see where I took out the window and had to replace the wood that was completely rotted just below it down to the belly band. I removed all the rotted wood. Poured epoxy into the space. Place an epoxy covered piece of hardwood where the old piece was. Clamped and let it harden. I took off the belly band when I did this and ground out all the rotted rivets and filled the gap with fiberglass and smoothed out. Window is sealed,Belly band is repaired and sealed and replaced with moulding. I think it came out great. And no leaks.. ... Randy

[Reid Larsen]

We had water showing up in the some place in our Trill and I am pretty sure (it has rained alot since I did the repair) that the leak was in the roof vent. I replaced the vent w/ a new one and installed it w/ butyl tape , SS bolts, then sealed every thing w/ Dicor lap sealant. No leaks. The water was running between the ensolite and the fiberglass. Darned leaks can be elusive but you know it has to be leaking above where the water is showing up. Good luck.

[Dave Storey]

Thanks for the tips . Maybe I will try putting 7ft lengths of electrical tape and temporarily cover the belly band and see if that leaks with the garden hose trickling down the side of the trailer similar to a rain fall . If that works then I would have to seal the belly band with silicone or something in the middle of belly band . There is silicone on the top side of the belly band already all around the trailer . If that isn't the prob I will check the roof because I installed a 5ft by 27 inch 130watt solar panel on the roof of the trailer earlier this spring . I should reseal the four bolt holes with - butyl tape ( Bill's idea) that hold the solar panel frame down . Probably that is where the water is coming in , like Reid mentioned about the roof vent caused his water leak .
I will see if that fixes problem . Be back with results in a few days .
By the way the solar panel works great ,runs some of the appliances ( TV ,lights, etc) at home when trailer is parked in the driveway can;t wait to go camping .

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Dave Storey

If that works then I would have to seal the belly band with silicone or something in the middle of belly band . There is silicone on the top side of the belly band already all around the trailer .

[Greg H]

Did somebody say Sillycone? oh no.

[Rick G]

Originally Posted by Dave Storey

If that works then I would have to seal the belly band with silicone or something in the middle of belly band . There is silicone on the top side of the belly band already all around the trailer . .

I wonder if the silicone is the source? The Trillium RV website used to say, before they removed their vintage trailer information, that silicone would not stick for long time periods properly to the fiberglass body. My experience removing my louvered window (one was broken and a plastic piece installed over it with gobs of silicone) was that it would come off quite easily. I wonder if you have leaks around the silicone?

Rick G

[Orcus79]

I ran into a similar issue with a Trillium I had borrowed and as payment, was to help fix and restore. There was a combination of two issues, the top weather stripping of the rear window had rotted away from age as well at some point the aluminum drip edge along the top has been bent upwards creating an open gap for water to enter the trailer.

not sure if that fixed the issue, but was the most obvious spot I found after giving the trailer a scrub.

[Gumpit]

NO SILICONE ON FIBERGLASS....You will hear that a lot. Some people may even slap you for even mentioning it.... Step one. Remove the silicone. Remove the belly band and any rotted rivets. Replace/repair the rotted wood under the rear window which means you have to remove the rear window.This is much easier than you would think. BUY BUTYL TAPE/CAULK. Seal the belly band after you repaired the wood and removed the bad rivets. Replace the rear window using the Butyl caulk/tape. Cover the belly band with moulding/wide pinstriping 2"/or something.... DO NOT USE SILICONE. DO NOT MENTION SILICONE. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT SILICONE. It is evil and probably your problem. Randy

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Gumpit

DO NOT USE SILICONE. DO NOT MENTION SILICONE. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT SILICONE. It is evil and probably your problem. Randy

Could not have said it any better

[Dave Storey]

Belly Bands and Silicone dance mission accomplished . I found the where the water was sneaking into the trailer . It was coming in the roof where one of the bolts come through to hold the solar panel frame down. When I removed one of the bolts water dripped out of the hole . So I removed all the bolts with the rubber seals and other sources entering inside trailer and put some butyl tape around the bolts ,under the rubber washers and the other sources going into trailer before I stuck them back in .Now no leaks

[Greg H]

Awesome!