Reinstalled windows with new Butyl Tape and have a few leaks - 1977 Trillium

[TravelingAdMan]

So like the subject says I have removed the windows, removed the old butyl tape and installed fresh butyl tape and all new wood. I have leaks on 3 of the windows. The trailer is not super level and these leaks are in the lowest spots of the windows.

I tightened the screws a bit more and that hasn’t seemed to help.

Any ideas?

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by TravelingAdMan

So like the subject says I have removed the windows, removed the old butyl tape and installed fresh butyl tape and all new wood. I have leaks on 3 of the windows. The trailer is not super level and these leaks are in the lowest spots of the windows.

I tightened the screws a bit more and that hasn’t seemed to help.

Any ideas?

It could be the seals in the windows themselves rather than how you did the installation. Or it could be blockage in the weep holes. Just start looking at those things if you are sure you got a good seal against the side of the trailer.



There is certainly more than one cause of leaks in windows. The front fixed window in my Campster leaked at one corner and it was not caused by the Butyl seal or by weepholes. It was caused because as the aluminum extrusion that creates the window frame had a slight gap at the lower corner that occurred during the process of bending the extrusion to form the curve.Because that window sits on a slope water from the outside was overflowing the extrusion on the interior. I fixed it by on the exterior and the interior pushing some plumbers putty into that little gap between the glass and the edge of the curved corner of the aluminum framing. Simple fix, took only a couple of minutes to do and a tiny bit of plumbers putty. But boy that tiny leak certainly did a lot of damage, it had been used as a garden shed and that leak had been going on for years. It escaped the trailer by draining down along one of the bolts that tied the shell to the frame. The upper side of the frame was rotted out at that location and also the bottom side of the frame around that bolt location and on over to where that tube was welded to the rest of the frame.


So my advice is put on your thinking cap and be that bit of water and see where you can visualize flowing from and to.

[John in Michigan]

Can you be more specific about where the water is coming in? We pulled and re-installed the rear window on our Trillium 4500. Here's what we did:

- Replaced the Hehr top seal which required disassembling the window frame.
- Replaced the Hehr y seals.
- Used double layer of butyl tape and made sure butyl was oozing out all the way around after tightening the screws.
- Checked for leaks in factory applied sealant in the aluminum window frame joints and applied new sealant as needed.

Because the window "sill" is slanted down toward the exterior, any water that gets in around the jalousie panes generally drains back out.

[TravelingAdMan]

Here's where the windows are leaking. You can see in the photos the discoloration in the wood in the corners.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to try and locate the weep holes in the morning. I do not remember seeing them when I removed the windows and cleaned them.

[k corbin]

If you need to replace the seals you can find videos on youtube. Here is one such video where he is showing the whole process from start to finish on a Boler window.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS9-bCNVO-Y

[John in Michigan]

Jon, your window does not have weep holes. Based on your photos, two possibilities are:

- Water is still getting in between the fiberglass body and the window flange. When installing the window, ensure butyl tape is oozing out all the way around the frame (no gaps).
- Water is leaking through factory sealed joints in the bottom corners of the frame. Fix this by re-sealing these joints.

[thrifty bill]

Time for a hose test.

[mrmdvo]

I removed and replaced the front window on my 1978 Trillium which had been leaking. When out, I noticed on the top right corner, looking at it from outside, a small protrusion of fiberglass of maybe 3/16" which was the cause of the leak. I filed it down level with the surrounding area, wiped the whole area down with mineral spirits, put on the butyl tape, used stainless screws into new CDX plywood on the inside, and that was it, not counting tightening the screws every week or so.

No leaks now.

[John in Michigan]

Jon, also make sure to use butyl tape, not putty tape. Butyl tape is an oozy, gooey product that is the consistency of chewing gum. When warm, you can stretch it a couple of feet without breaking.

[Larry C Hanson]

Hi Jon,

When installing the butyl tape I have found a procedure that works well.

1. Make sure all surfaces are clean and dry... I use Denatured
Alcohol to clean everything just before installation.

2. Preheat the butyl tape. I place it in the truck on the dash
on a dinner plate in the sun to get it very warm and sticky before using.

3. Use a double layer of tape all the way around. This gives
plenty of squeeze out all the way around the window ensuring a
good seal.

4. Wait a day to cut off the extra butyl tape squeeze out. Then
carefully trim off excess with a razor knife.

5. Finally, when I trim off the top butyl tape squeeze out, I cut it
a tad under the frame at an angle and then run a small bead of
white silicone rubber across the top...

I have found that this procedure yields a seal that is good for
7- 8 years in the dry Arizona climate.

Good luck with the leaks!

Larry H