Gulf Stream Owners RV Forum - View Single Post

Chuck v · 05-31-2018, 06:23 PM

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.

Chuck

05-31-2018, 06:23 PM	#5
Chuck v Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1,028	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. Chuck __________________ 2007 Tour Master T40C Acura MDX toad "It takes a great deal of time to recover from any improvement..."