Wall Leak

[cpaul.moss]

I have a repair question I’m hoping for some advice on. I have discovered a small leak in my wall to the right of the door. It matches up perfectly with the main awning arm on the outside so I believe it must be getting in behind a screw or something. A moisture meter shows high content to about 6’ up the wall and then is dry the rest of the way to the roof so I don’t think it’s the roof leaking. Also the floor has about a basketball size soft spot right where the wall is wet. I have a plan to remove a section of vinyl and replace the subfloor but I have no clue on removing the wall sec to confirm where the leak is, fix it, and replace insulation. There are 2 wall seams which I’ve marked in the photos. Can anyone advise on how to remove the wall board without damage so I can put it back on when I’m done? Thanks for any help!!!

[Second Chance]

Those walls are laminated - fiberglass on the outside, foam core, and Luan (with the wallpaper covering) on the inside - everything around a square tube aluminum frame. The sidewalls are in large sections and are usually only removed/replaced at the factory. You don't say what year or model your coach is (you can create a signature with that info)... any chance it's still in warranty? The GD structural warranty is three years.

Rob

[Riverbug]

Rob is correct, I think you'd have a tough time tackling it on your own. Verify warranty options first.

Are you thinking of replacing wall, floor, insulation because of a known mold issue, or just to be sure about it? The insulation is stryo based so not going to saturate like fiberglass bats if that's your concern. I'd say, fix the leak(s) and dry it out well and see if you notice any problems with mold/smell. Double check the roof where the trim meets the roof membrane to make sure that is solidly sealed, then remove each of the screws for the trim along the top, and work your way down to every screw you can get to for the awning, door trim, etc. Use an adhesive caulk (my recommendation, but most suggest silicone - don't ask me) in the screw holes and reinstall. If it hasn't gone on too long, you may be good with just correcting the leak without replacing everything. Good luck!

[Always Learning]

You state “ It matches up perfectly with the main awning arm on the outside so I believe it must be getting in behind a screw or something.” The awning screws would be the first place to look and are an easy place for water to get in. The awnings on my 2020 were falling off and when I worked on it I found a couple of screws that had rust on them and the trailer had never been in any major rain. The way GD puts the awnings on is with a piece of waterproof foam backing between the awning rail and the trailer wall at the screws. Quick and easy for production but not the greatest seal. I use butyl tape to seal screws.

Remove the awning rail attachment screws one at a time and see if they are rusted. The screws should look new if no water intrusion. Could be where the water is getting in.

[cpaul.moss]

Those walls are laminated - fiberglass on the outside, foam core, and Luan (with the wallpaper covering) on the inside - everything around a square tube aluminum frame. The sidewalls are in large sections and are usually only removed/replaced at the factory. You don't say what year or model your coach is (you can create a signature with that info)... any chance it's still in warranty? The GD structural warranty is three years.

Rob

Sorry about that! I have a 2017 Reflection 367BHS. I definitely don’t intend to remove the entire wall, I was just thinking of maybe removing the interior Luan to see what’s going on inside.

[cpaul.moss]

Rob is correct, I think you'd have a tough time tackling it on your own. Verify warranty options first.

Are you thinking of replacing wall, floor, insulation because of a known mold issue, or just to be sure about it? The insulation is stryo based so not going to saturate like fiberglass bats if that's your concern. I'd say, fix the leak(s) and dry it out well and see if you notice any problems with mold/smell. Double check the roof where the trim meets the roof membrane to make sure that is solidly sealed, then remove each of the screws for the trim along the top, and work your way down to every screw you can get to for the awning, door trim, etc. Use an adhesive caulk (my recommendation, but most suggest silicone - don't ask me) in the screw holes and reinstall. If it hasn't gone on too long, you may be good with just correcting the leak without replacing everything. Good luck!

No smell issue at all. I just wanted to be sure there is no mold behind the interior panel. Also I wasn’t sure about removing the awning arm screw because I thought there could be nuts inside the wall that would fall. Sounds like I just need to remove them one at a time, caulk and go from there.

[Always Learning]

No smell issue at all. I just wanted to be sure there is no mold behind the interior panel. Also I wasn’t sure about removing the awning arm screw because I thought there could be nuts inside the wall that would fall. Sounds like I just need to remove them one at a time, caulk and go from there.

My awning screws were lag bolts. Some screwed into a solid backing and others only went into the outside wall layer and provided little support. You may need to replace the lag screws with the next size larger. I found Home Depot stainless steel lag bold had the most aggressive threads and held the best.

[Second Chance]

Sorry about that! I have a 2017 Reflection 367BHS. I definitely don’t intend to remove the entire wall, I was just thinking of maybe removing the interior Luan to see what’s going on inside.

The Luan is high-pressure press bonded to the styrofoam insulation and aluminum frame. I think it would make a mess trying to remove any of it.

You can create a signature block with your RV and tow vehicle information (see mine below). That way you won't have to repeat that information whenever you post or ask a question - and others won't have to ask. You can create a signature by going to:

Forum Actions (on menu bar) -> Edit Profile -> Edit Signature (under My Settings on the left)

Rob

[cpaul.moss]

The Luan is high-pressure press bonded to the styrofoam insulation and aluminum frame. I think it would make a mess trying to remove any of it.

You can create a signature block with your RV and tow vehicle information (see mine below). That way you won't have to repeat that information whenever you post or ask a question - and others won't have to ask. You can create a signature by going to:

Forum Actions (on menu bar) -> Edit Profile -> Edit Signature (under My Settings on the left)

Rob

Thanks Rob! I’ll work to re seal everything outside and leave the wall alone. Do you have any advice on helping speed up the drying process for the wall? My moisture meter still reads around 30% and the camper has been in the RV garage since May with AC running.

[Second Chance]

Thanks Rob! I’ll work to re seal everything outside and leave the wall alone. Do you have any advice on helping speed up the drying process for the wall? My moisture meter still reads around 30% and the camper has been in the RV garage since May with AC running.

When I've had a problem with moisture, I've put all the fans I can find on it - including a portable fan-forced heater to raise the temp. Now we have a large dehumidifier that can pull almost two gallons of water out of the air inside the RV in a 24-hour period during cool, rainy weather. Setting something like that next to the affected area with the intake pointed toward the wall might work well. If the inside humidity is high, all the time in the world won't do much.

Rob

EDIT: And I see you're in Alabama... 'nuff said!