# Wet carpet



## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

As some of you will know, we've been living full-time in the van for 4½ months pending completion of our house refurb. Everything has been hunky-dorey, except for a wet area of carpet which appeared about 2 weeks ago after (we think) a monsoon. It's remained damp, although sometimes getting quite wet. I've not been able to determine if it correlates to heavy rain, due either to not being here, or forgetting to check when I come in after an unsociable-hours shift. :roll: 

The dinette is on the rear on the slide-out on the left side of the van, and the wet area is on the floor on the inner edge of the slide-out, on the corner against the wall which the slide-out slides against when closing (the shower is on the other side). See attached pic.

I've removed the small inspection hatch on the wall and checked the shower tap connections, which are bone-dry. The shower drain runs towards the back of the van, so it's not that either. There is an outside shower with taps, but that is even further back, miles away, and it's dry too.

So - I've concluded that it's likely to be rainwater ingress, but I'm danged if I can see where it can come in - the slide-out seals look fine.

Ideas?

Dougie.


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi Dougie

Not coming from underneath is it?


stew


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

get yourself a spray bottle Dougie like for Mr Muscle add some food colouring and spray away, just be ready to clean it off before it dries out.


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Er. I know your living in the RV at the moment Dougie, but would it be possible to close the slideout for a couple of days, and see if the damp patch is affected. If not, then its more evidence to slideout seal leaking. 

I know that the blokey that sold us ours pointed out the bit in the Gulfstream manual that state that if full timing or in one place for a few weeks it is best to close the slideouts regulararilliy...reguualrilry...often, this apparently prevents the seal from " sticking and potentially leaking". It may be all you need to do, with a spray of silicon before and after.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

sallytrafic said:


> add some food colouring and spray away


Why?



bandaid said:


> would it be possible to close the slideout for a couple of days


Not really - it would do our heads in. 

Dougie.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

artona said:


> Not coming from underneath is it?


Nope - there's nothing near it. I suppose it could be a capillary action, but I'll have to wait until it's raining again to check that.

Dougie.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Leak*

Hi

I like the food colouring tip. I have used a bottle of lemon food flavouring before mixed with a pint of water. This probably will not leave a stain and the water source can be traced by the smell.

I know nothing much about Rv's but wonder do you have a water pipe in the area, or is the leak not consistent for that?

Russell


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## Superk (Aug 22, 2005)

Won't necessarily be coming in where you logically think it is - if that makes sense. Water leaking in can run long distances even with the tiniest slope.

The roof of the slide-out is a potential ingress point - could be water running through the slide topper because it is saturated by heavy rains or water pooling on the slide topper and the running over the edge and back under and then along the top through the seal or ingressing one of the roof or corner seams and running inside.

Some folks in the US put a beach ball under the slide topper to stop pooling.

Is it possible it's getting through a roof seal - round a vent, air-con or satellite say? The fact that it's staying wet might mean it has pooled somewhere and is only slowly running away to keep the carpet damp.

I'm just adding another thought - is it dripping onto the carpet from the slide roof or running down the inner wall of the slide - we first noticed a leak because the sofa was damp but the source was a drip from the roof and a leak through a coner join on the slide-out.


 
Keith


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

If the conditions are " right " the water comes down the ends of the slideout 

and at the seal near the bottom it drips along into the living area. 

One answer is to tip the RV to lean slightly away , 

the other is to buy a rubber, sticky backed gutter from Travelworld and

stick it diagonally downwards on the slide out ends, thus forming a channel

to take the water away. As it is rubber it does not affect the slideout 

operation.

I understand that Travelworld are putting this channel on all their new RVs.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

asprn said:


> sallytrafic said:
> 
> 
> > add some food colouring and spray away
> ...


Because then you can trace it without waiting for rain.

If you spray and look (best with an assistant) not only can you prove where it is coming in you can rule out where it isn't.

If the water has to pass through two skins or under sealant the dye will dry and you can follow its path when you strip down the offending parts.

A similar technique is used for finding cracks in aircraft parts


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

sallytrafic said:


> If you spray and look (best with an assistant) not only can you prove where it is coming in you can rule out where it isn't.


Aha. 



sallytrafic said:


> A similar technique is used for finding cracks in aircraft parts


 8O Visions of the Captain inside the baggage hold shouting, "SPRAY HARDER" to his wife who's on a long ladder on the tarmac..... 

I'll give it a go.

Dougie.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

For any (ex) airframe fitters who are saying Whaaat!!! I do know how dye penetrant systems are used on aircraft parts and I know its not really the same but I was struck how when I removed the sealant from around my leak that the food colouring had stained the leak path so effectively and how small cracks and imperfections also showed up.


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## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

sallytrafic said:


> For any (ex) airframe fitters who are saying Whaaat!!! I do know how dye penetrant systems are used on aircraft parts and I know its not really the same but I was struck how when I removed the sealant from around my leak that the food colouring had stained the leak path so effectively and how small cracks and imperfections also showed up.


A wheel hub etc is sprayed cleaned and left to dry then a chalk type of substance brushed over the area.

Any moist dye gets sucked up from tiny tiny often deep cracks

Wow thats from the 60's rigger ............

Deeper into aging mind......Ardrox testing.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Found the problem early this morning whilst sitting on the loo. Heard a slow "drip, drip, drip" in the silence, and once I'd verified it wasn't me , I worked out it was coming from behind the shower enclosure, indicating water dropping onto the floor in the shower space.

Although I'd checked this when the problem started, I re-checked behind the taps via an inspection hatch, and found a joint leaking. Having renewed my mains water supply with super-duper new white plastic household stuff from the plumber who's re-piping the house, it took the pressure to 4.5 bar, which is 1.5 above the max for an RV (apparently....).  Joints tightened, no drips, carpet appears to be slowly drying. 

If you're lucky, you live & learn. If you're ever luckier, you've got an expert for a good mate, in the shape of Duncan (damondunc of Star Spangled Spanner) - he dropped in with Chris today, and after sorting out another problem with a relay and then kicking my butt, provided me with a mains pressure limiter which I should have had all along.

Thanks everyone, and especially Duncan.

Dougie.


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