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Old 03-11-2009, 09:39 PM   #1
MLynch
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Default Leaky Interior

We've got a 2008 T40F and we've had leak issues on the full body slide out. After taking the RV on a long trip to the west coast and back, we cleaned the RV and put it in storage. A few weeks later, I lowered the jacks when taking it out of storage and water came pouring off the full body slide interior roof all over the interior of the RV. We had substantial damage, mold mushrooms, etc. Gulfstream initially wanted to deny the fix for "lack of maintenance," however, they eventually did the right thing and authorized the fix at the dealer. The full body slide-out started to creep out from the bottom and was not flush, leading us all to think that water leaked in the unit from the outside and simply accumulated on top of the slide when the slide was pulled in and the unit was parked.....seemed like a reasonable conclusion.

Since getting our rig back, we took a quick trip from South Florida to GA for a weekend and then we parked the RV again for a couple more weeks before squeezing in a long weekend trip with the kids this past weekend. When we pulled the RV out of storage after the GA trip, the carpet in the slide area was stained, some mushrooms were growing from the seams of the slide-out, and the floor was wet again. Oddly enough, there was no rain during the GA trip and weather has been completely dry down here in South Florida as of late.

Four days in to our long weekend trip to the Keys, water started leaking from the light fixture above the dining table. I stood on top of the counter and peered on to the top of the slide-out and saw that there was water all over the interior top of the slide. It seemed to be leaking in at the rubber seam in two areas and accumulating on top of the slide. One area where it was leaking in seemed to be parallel to the middle A/C main vent and the other area seemed to parallel to one of the other vents associated with the middle A/C, leading me to think that the problem is, and always was, an A/C leak.

When we had the trip to GA, we ran the heat and /or the AC significantly for a couple days and during the drive home to South Florida. The A/C would have leaked during the trip and we didn't know until we pulled the rig out of storage. When we were in the Keys, we rain the A/C non-stop for the 4 days that the unit was parked.

What a pain in the butt! I'm wondering if there are any other folks out there who have had this issue, or am I the lucky one?

The RV has been mechanically sound in several regards, but this deal with the leak has me frustrated, especially since Gulf Stream tried to fix the problem once. I'm thinking that they'd be hard pressed to not completely fix the problem. Admittedly, there was a Power Gear problem that caused the full body slide not to be flush (and that was fixed). Association was not causation and the Power Gear issue with the slide was not the source of the leak; rather, it was just another thing that was broken. We can't be accused of lack of service, as we've just recently gotten the damn thing back from being fixed. Everybody just missed the problem's source.

Once again, I've very interested in finding out if others of you have had the same issue with a leak above the full body slide in the interior.

Thanks,
Mike
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Old 03-12-2009, 06:17 PM   #2
darbyjudy
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Default I also had water leak problems

I bought a Gulfstream Sunvoyager triple slide out in 2004 and that has been my biggest problem water leaks. I have finally got most of them fixed myself but I finally gave up on the dealer I bought it from. And since I was second owner Gulfstream would do nothing for me, even though it had but 2000 miles on the clock.
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Old 03-13-2009, 08:30 AM   #3
MLynch
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Thanks Darby. It looks like we'll have to dig in to the ceiling and track down the A/C leak.
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Old 05-31-2018, 12:43 PM   #4
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Default Water in ceiling after hard rain

Third owner of a 2004 Friendship pusher with under 40,000 on a good chassis. Just discovered a rain-related wet ceiling problem. The vinyl ceiling insulation is soaked from the forward AC area, over the control console, It drips a quart or so of water from the seam over the now flat screen TV soaking the carpet below. A dry paint roller will move water toward that opening, dropping another pint into a bucket. A local RV shop suggested a self-leveling sealer on the roof, which I applied in a low corner and under the edges of the forward AC unit. Two tubes of white silicone caulk were used on any suspect openings.

Does anyone know how to dry out whatever is above that vinyl ceiling? Any clues as to likely source of moisture from hard rains?
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Old 05-31-2018, 06:23 PM   #5
Chuck v
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neondon,


The space between the structural exterior roof and the interior ceiling is rigid foam insulated on my 2007 T40C but the ceiling is vinyl upholstery sheet with a very thin soft foam backing. As you note a firm dry paint roller (or a wall paper roller) can move/squeegee the water to the nearest seam opening.


To dry the space between the exterior structure and the internal ceiling you need to promote a constant air flow for several weeks if possible. What I did for the one time I needed to dry this space after a repair, was to take down a couple of the ceiling lamp fixtures (fluorescent, in my case... and using that 3 inch access hole that the wiring was pulled through to the fixture interpose an appropriately sized 12 volt "biscuit" fan as often found in electronic gear. These are different from the normal 'muffin' fan that is axial flow...the biscuit fans are centrifugal blowers with a side discharge. The inlet to the fan was a circular opening that matches the opening in the ceiling, and the side discharge vents just above the body of the fluorescent fixture that now is temporarily remounted with longer screws. The fan was wired to the lamp leads so it ran whenever the light was on. I ran these for a season (I full time in this coach so it got a lot of ventilation...) and I am comfortable that the space was well dried.


If you already have nasty mold established you may have more issues getting everything dry and clean. Good luck!!


As to where the water got into your coach originally, most likely it is from cracks in the original sealant on the roof -- during heavy rains there may be enough standing/sheeting water to get wicked into the crack and find its way in the space above the ceiling.



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Old 06-01-2018, 01:19 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck v View Post
neondon,


The space between
As to where the water got into your coach originally, most likely it is from cracks in the original sealant on the roof -- during heavy rains there may be enough standing/sheeting water to get wicked into the crack and find its way in the space above the ceiling.



Chuck

I see now that this has been resurrected. My 2005 Sun Voyager has a fiberglass roof. The only place for it to leak is around the plumbing/AC/vents. The is no vinyl roof. My headliner is like bur-bur carpet. I have had it get wet (just last week when I power washed with slides in). I does get discolored but is easily cleaned up with some Oxy Clean in a garden sprayer and a little scrubbing. Am I to understand that this is not the way your units are constructed?


Sudsy



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Old 06-01-2018, 08:39 PM   #7
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Correct Sudsy -- my 2007 T40C headliner is not cloth or carpet-like, it is a vinyl sheeting over a thin foam backing laminated to an 1/8th inch plywood.
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Old 06-01-2018, 08:54 PM   #8
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Correct Sudsy -- my 2007 T40C headliner is not cloth or carpet-like, it is a vinyl sheeting over a thin foam backing laminated to an 1/8th inch plywood.

That sounds like the roofs in the Travel Trailers I have owned. I am new to this 05 Sun Voyager. I have never even see another GS coach.


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Old 06-02-2018, 08:24 AM   #9
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Sudsy,


My prior travel trailer (not a GS brand...) had a vinyl wall paper like finish to the ceiling panels similar to its walls -- not the heavier vinyl upholstery fabric with the thin foam backing as used on my 42 foot diesel pusher that I have now. I have never been inside a Sun Voyager of your vintage, but can imagine that different materials were used at various times on a range of models...


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Old 06-02-2018, 10:30 AM   #10
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Sudsy,


My prior travel trailer (not a GS brand...) had a vinyl wall paper like finish to the ceiling panels similar to its walls -- not the heavier vinyl upholstery fabric with the thin foam backing as used on my 42 foot diesel pusher that I have now. I have never been inside a Sun Voyager of your vintage, but can imagine that different materials were used at various times on a range of models...


Chuck



I se Chuck. I'll be out in the coach later installing the new LP,CO2 and Smoke detectors since mine were dated 2004. I'll try to get a picture of the interior so you can see what I have. In fact I will look in my files for a suitable shot now. This picture shows the headliner.



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Old 06-02-2018, 11:33 AM   #11
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Shop vac small tip on hose pulled another pint of water over half an hour.
Maybe a constant fan-blower would be best. More complete coating of roof
Sounds like best, along with new a/c seal, on order. What roof coating is best for fiberglass? I hear that rubber is not good for our fiberglass.
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Old 06-02-2018, 01:02 PM   #12
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It appears that acrylic products are used, that don’t stay flexible in signs, where polycarbonates stand up to the sun. I wonder how that, polyester, or epoxy would work. Are we limited to acrylic, with white pigment it’s ultraviolet protection? How does a roof paint meant for fiberglass bond to silicone caulk, or self-leveling sealer? Any ideas? Don
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Old 06-02-2018, 01:22 PM   #13
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Default My Fiberglass with Rubber Roof sealer

I am the new owner of an 05 GS Sun Voyager. It has a fiberglass roof and when I first looked at it it looked awful. I had a detailer friend come look at it and he said the fiberglass roof had been sealed with Rubber Roof sealer. It looks like hell but I really can't see it so much from the ground and not at all from where I sit. He said it didn't do any damage, The roof was resealed with Dicor before the roof sealer was applied and the dicor is under the sealer. My friend said it should last forever and it will be obvious if there is any erosion. I asked the previous owner and he admitted that a friend convinced him that "All" campers needed to be re-sealed every few years. I guess it actually has two coats. It didn't do any damage. I really don't have a picture of the roof. Getting ready to change the back-up camera and if I remember I will take a picture. Zoom in and you can see a little here.



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Old 06-02-2018, 06:47 PM   #14
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Sudsy,


My prior travel trailer (not a GS brand...) had a vinyl wall paper like finish to the ceiling panels similar to its walls -- not the heavier vinyl upholstery fabric with the thin foam backing as used on my 42 foot diesel pusher that I have now. I have never been inside a Sun Voyager of your vintage, but can imagine that different materials were used at various times on a range of models...


Chuck

Here's a couple close up pictures. I dropped my camera and cracked the lens cover. Trying to decide which new one to get.



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File Type: jpg GSheadliner2.jpg (101.4 KB, 7 views)
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