Gutter Misaligned Leaking

[Steven@147]

Dang, when running the front AC unit had water running down and in behind the forward front awning arm. Got my "Little Giant" ladder up as high as it will go and found they had butt ended gutter pieces right behind the awning arm and badly misaligned the two ends. GRRRRRRRRR!

I fought the same problem with our Imagine and never did get the gutter to stop leaking at the butt splice no matter what I tried. Now with our Solitude, not wanting to chance water getting in behind the side panel and maybe causing delamination to start, I came up with another plan that I hadn't tried on the Imagine.

I've have a roll of Quick Roof Extreme Butyl tape that says it permanently bonds to almost anything. I got it to have just in case of roof damage. Anyway thought I would try it on the gutter butts. They did a poor job smearing a bunch of silicone on the misaligned joint, so I first removed all of that and cleaned out the gutter. Then took a 4 inch long x 1 inch wide piece of the tape, removed the backing paper and doubled over the tape non-sticky side carefully U wrapped around a flat blade long screw driver to help lay it down in bottom of the track. This stuff is super sticky and was kind of a pain to get in the very bottom of the track across and 2 inches either side of the butt ends. Then used the screw driver to slide across the tape to stick it to the gutter. We will see how that works!

[boyscout]

Dang, when running the front AC unit had water running down and in behind the forward front awning arm. Got my "Little Giant" ladder up as high as it will go and found they had butt ended gutter pieces right behind the awning arm and badly misaligned the two ends. GRRRRRRRRR!

I fought the same problem with our Imagine and never did get the gutter to stop leaking at the butt splice no matter what I tried. Now with our Solitude, not wanting to chance water getting in behind the side panel and maybe causing delamination to start, I came up with another plan that I hadn't tried on the Imagine.

I've have a roll of Quick Roof Extreme Butyl tape that says it permanently bonds to almost anything. I got it to have just in case of roof damage. Anyway thought I would try it on the gutter butts. They did a poor job smearing a bunch of silicone on the misaligned joint, so I first removed all of that and cleaned out the gutter. Then took a 4 inch long x 1 inch wide piece of the tape, removed the backing paper and doubled over the tape non-sticky side carefully U wrapped around a flat blade long screw driver to help lay it down in bottom of the track. This stuff is super sticky and was kind of a pain to get in the very bottom of the track across and 2 inches either side of the butt ends. Then used the screw driver to slide across the tape to stick it to the gutter. We will see how that works!

Not helpful to you, but on our 310GK the drain spout at curbside front drains directly onto the awning's hub (containing the motor, I believe) and the water then flows down the wall and inside the awning arm. Careless design, and both the dealer and Grand Design have said in essence, "Too bad, so sad, good luck fixing it."

[Steven@147]

Not helpful to you, but on our 310GK the drain spout at curbside front drains directly onto the awning's hub (containing the motor, I believe) and the water then flows down the wall and inside the awning arm. Careless design, and both the dealer and Grand Design have said in essence, "Too bad, so sad, good luck fixing it."

On ours the drain spout is way forward of the awning end and arm. But on other models like yours I have heard of owners sliding a piece of rubber hose on the spout to extend it out away from the awning hub or the storage compartment door. I read that somewhere on the forum.

[boyscout]

On ours the drain spout is way past the awning. But on other models like yours I have heard of owners sliding a piece of rubber hose on the spout to extend it out away from the awning hub. I read that somewhere on the forum.

Thanks. By "past the awning" do you mean "ahead of the awning" or out sideways past the awning? GD and dealer both said they didn't know of any spout long enough to extend out past the awning.

I found a piece of plastic conduit, split, heated over the stove and reformed so that it slides over the tip of the existing spout and directs runoff out past the awning. However I've been reluctant to glue it in place out of concern that the then-six-inch-or-so spout will get ripped off during travel by strong wind or a branch. So it gets used as often as I'm willing to get out the ladder and climb up to slide it into place.

[Steven@147]

Thanks. By "past the awning" do you mean "ahead of the awning" or out sideways past the awning? GD and dealer both said they didn't know of any spout long enough to extend out past the awning.

I found a piece of plastic conduit, split, heated over the stove and reformed so that it slides over the tip of the existing spout and directs runoff out past the awning. However I've been reluctant to glue it in place out of concern that the then-six-inch-or-so spout will get ripped off during travel by strong wind or a branch. So it gets used as often as I'm willing to get out the ladder and climb up to slide it into place.

Sorry I should have said ahead or forward of the awning. A foot or so long, whatever you needed. One owner said he did it to keep the gutter spout from dripping on him when he gets into the storage compartment. But yeah it would be a pain to get out a ladder every time you want to stick it on there. I would be more inclined to use a torch, very carefully heat up some small tubing like landscape water tube (its pretty small) and bend it to the contour of the front side trim piece, then secure it to the side trim somehow and leave it on permanently. Could even paint it to match so it would be so noticeable. But yes they should not have designed it that way.

[Steven@147]

Update! Hey Hey I think we have a winner! Been running the front AC for the last 45 minutes or so and its peeing nicely out the end spout and not down the awning arm. Cautiously optimistic!

[Airrace]

Mark, Is this what your gutter looks like? I thought it was a poor design also.

[boyscout]

Mark, Is this what your gutter looks like? I thought it was a poor design also.

Yup, that's it. Somebody had a brain fart when they designed that.

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[Txfivver]

Wow what a timely thread. I just ran into this last weekend while camping in mine. The gutter has a butt joint right over the entry door and the front ac was draining right thru the joint and down the side of the trailer by the door, good times I called a local mobile RV repair service and they came out and resealed the joint and actually added the lap sealer on the front cap joint that GD missed as well. Well worth the $60 charge to me as I hate getting on the roof!!

[Steven@147]

Just to update my repair back on 4/30, After putting that small piece of roof tape in the gutter I haven't had another problem with the gutter leaking at the butt joint. Wish I had done that on my Imagine way back when.