Leaks at running lights

[gbaglo]

See post #33
Suggested cause is placement.

[Slickheadhunter]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

See post #33
Suggested cause is placement.

Placement may be the cause to some degree, but it's obviously prone to warping. So I will contact them and see if they could either use the small round ones or not use them at all.

[Slickheadhunter]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

I would give Reace a call as he is very accommodating on most things and I'm sure he still has the round small ones.

Cheers
Doug

Thanks Doug!

[padlin]

Originally Posted by catch_demfish

It was the long running lights. All 3 lights had the thickness of a pocket knife gap between the camper and the light fixture.

Just a reminder for those of us just getting ready for the camping season, check the sealant on the upper rear lights for splitting. My just under 1 year old trailer has the issue. Tammy tells me they use Proflex on the uppers of the lights and windows.

[windblade]

Thank you to all that pointed out and commented on this issue. I have been plagued by a mysterious leak in our 2015 21' Escape trailer whenever it rains and it was driving me crazy - way too much water for it to be a condensation issue, but I couldn't find any problems in the general location of the leak. I didn't think to check those upper running lights, but sure enough, large gaps exist in all 3. I have emailed Escape Trailers, but no response so far. I am in a quandary over how to proceed. Folks have recommended Proflex, but I see on the tech data for proflex that this product is not compatible with some types of plastics and I'm not sure what kind of plastic is used on my running lights. At least the mystery leak is no longer a mystery, and that is good progress for sure.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by windblade

Folks have recommended Proflex, but I see on the tech data for proflex that this product is not compatible with some types of plastics and I'm not sure what kind of plastic is used on my running lights. At least the mystery leak is no longer a mystery, and that is good progress for sure.

Sikaflex 221 has also been recommended. That's what I'm going to use. Here's the datasheet.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by windblade

Thank you to all that pointed out and commented on this issue. I have been plagued by a mysterious leak in our 2015 21' Escape trailer whenever it rains and it was driving me crazy - way too much water for it to be a condensation issue, but I couldn't find any problems in the general location of the leak. I didn't think to check those upper running lights, but sure enough, large gaps exist in all 3. I have emailed Escape Trailers, but no response so far. I am in a quandary over how to proceed. Folks have recommended Proflex, but I see on the tech data for proflex that this product is not compatible with some types of plastics and I'm not sure what kind of plastic is used on my running lights. At least the mystery leak is no longer a mystery, and that is good progress for sure.

Hi: windblade... I used ProFlex as it will stick to itself. The plastic lens' warp in the sun and require a thick band of ProFlex to seal them the second time. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[techfan]

Having replaced two lights now I can attest to several issues regarding upper lights:

One, I firmly believe in the Proflex as I have previously stated, it is what ETI uses, AND it is one of the few caulks that adheres to itself, thus eliminating the removal of old caulk. It does need to be cleaned with alcohol and I mask off the light before reapplying so I get a smooth line.

Two, after replacing one light and having an even bigger failure of that light, I discovered that the bottom lights are not totally enclosed with caulk (at least on mine) . They have a "weep" area that is not covered with caulk and I have never had a problem with the lower lights. When I fixed my second light I sealed it well all the way around. I now believe this was a mistake as it failed also. The small gap in the bottom caulk allows for some air expansion AND if water does get in the top, it has a place to go, rather than filling up behind the light and finding its way into the wiring hole leading to water on the inside of the trailer. My problems have always been with the right side light and I discovered that there was a small gap in the caulk on the left light (I don't know if it was intentional) which I now think may account for why it has NOT failed.

Just my recommendations based on having replaced my light twice now.

[Bobbito]

I'm interested to hear more about Donna's Sikaflex 221. I looked up some info on it and comparisons with Geocel Proflex RV and thought Sikaflex may be quite a bit better. If so, why do all the local RV stores suggest Proflex, as did the RV repair shop where I got my Nash fixed when it leaked. Here is a link that compares some of the spec's.
RV Product Comparison - When you want the seal to last
It lists 2 Geocel Proflex products, with quite different shrink rates. The Proflex is supposed to have a 36% shrink rate vs Sikflex's 5% shrink rate. This link didn't compare other important parameters like adhesion, elongation, etc. Has anyone else found good data on this?
Bob K

[windblade]

Researching on the Internet I came across a product called "Boat Life Lifeseal". It is intended for attaching plastic lights, etc. to fiberglass boats. It is a hybrid silicone/polyurethane product developed for exactly this purpose. Boat owners found pure polyurethane to have too strong a bond impacting future removeability and found pure silicone to not have sufficient adhesion properties. And some of the elastomeric formulations were eating into the plastic. Seems promising, but it is expensive at $21 US per cartridge, available on Amazon. Do not confuse with their Lifecaulk product, which is an entirely different formulation.

[windblade]

Thanks, Techfan. I like the idea of leaving a weep hole in the bottom of the seal.

[windblade]

Thanks, Alf. I will look for the "stick to itself" property in making my selection. With the continual warping, it looks like caulking could be a frequent task, in which case completely removing the old caulk would be a major pain.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by windblade

Thanks, Techfan. I like the idea of leaving a weep hole in the bottom of the seal.

I also drilled a tiny hole in the bottom of each light lens, to allow any moisture as well as any water that was to enter the light to drain out....

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I also drilled a tiny hole in the bottom of each light lens, to allow any moisture as well as any water that was to enter the light to drain out....

Followed Jim's lead and did the same , drilling hole at bottom of lense . Mine also got water in it and it corroded the whole light fixture . My led was ok and was able to put back in new fixtures which Reace took care of . . Pat

[Rossue]

We have a leak that drains a fair amount of water out of the weep hole above the sewer drain. We store the trailer pointing downward somewhat and when we hook up and pull it to slightly uphill it starts to drain.

Just checked and all three of our top lights have the gap. I guess we'll only know if it is the source of the leak after its fixed.

For those who have fixed have you seen continued warping as to have to redo the gasket yet again or does it stop after a certain point?

[techfan]

Originally Posted by Rossue

We have a leak that drains a fair amount of water out of the weep hole above the sewer drain. We store the trailer pointing downward somewhat and when we hook up and pull it to slightly uphill it starts to drain.

Just checked and all three of our top lights have the gap. I guess we'll only know if it is the source of the leak after its fixed.

For those who have fixed have you seen continued warping as to have to redo the gasket yet again or does it stop after a certain point?

The gap may return, but that is why I use Proflex. Simple to add more. The KEY to solving the leak is to have a place for the water that gets in at the top to go. The gap always seems to form at the top. If the bottom is closed, the water fills up until it gets to the hole that the wiring comes out of and then it goes inside and runs down between the vinyl wall lining and the fiberglass until it finds the low spots below the floor. MAKE SURE you have a hole in the caulking (not just the light) for the water to escape.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Rossue

We have a leak that drains a fair amount of water out of the weep hole above the sewer drain. We store the trailer pointing downward somewhat and when we hook up and pull it to slightly uphill it starts to drain.

Just checked and all three of our top lights have the gap. I guess we'll only know if it is the source of the leak after its fixed.

For those who have fixed have you seen continued warping as to have to redo the gasket yet again or does it stop after a certain point?

Hi Rossue just to make sure are you talking the lights at rear of trailer ? My problem was the porch light by door . I only have 2 brake lights and they seem fine .I added reflector strips to bumper instead . Still will get in touch about wheel bearings just not yet . Pat

[Rossue]

Hi Pat- yes, the rear three tail lights up near roof on the 21. 19' Escapes are different and don't have the same configuration.

This warping issue bothers me though. Seems like this is a design defect.

[JohnB]

Interesting thread.
We had an issue with water coming in the rear of our trailer and getting the bedding wet this past Dec on a return trip from Arizona.
Unfortunately when I got home I was recovering from a very wicked flu I picked up while traveling home through Calif along with nursing 3 cracked ribs sustained while biking in Arizona. Needless to say I was not interested in looking for the source of the leak when we returned home. We did drive through some very torrential rains through northern Calif, Oregon and Washington State on the return trip which certainly did not help the problem - other than to identify we had a problem.

The one possible source of water that I could think of was the additional high rear brake/running lights we had installed.
I had not seen this original thread but so glad I saw the updates today.

Tomorrow I will be out to inspect those lights and I am pretty sure that will be the source of the water ingress that we experienced.

Now do I repair them or take the trailer back to Escape which is easy for us to do. Probably take me as long to repair as to drive out to Chilliwack and back. But it will probably be raining here again in Vancouver tomorrow!!

We also had a water ingress issue on the trip south. Once again we had traveled through torrential rains in norther Washington State. This water was coming in the front of the trailer, drivers side and pooling on the floor under the front table and in the seat cubby where all the electrical wires and panel is located. The only potential places I could identify as ingress locations was the side clearance light or the hole in the bottom of the trailer where all the electrical wires enter. I thought perhaps the driving rain and road spray could have possibly been forced up through that opening.

I did pull off the tape covering the drain hole on the underside of the front trailer drivers side. There must have been at least a liter or more of water that came out. I left the tape off the hole, not sure why the holes are taped up?? We did not notice any water issues in the front on the return trip home.

Any others have experience with water entering the front of their trailers?

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Rossue

For those who have fixed have you seen continued warping as to have to redo the gasket yet again or does it stop after a certain point?

Not very long term, but I did ours late last summer, still looked good a couple weeks ago.

Made the mistake of removing one of the lights to plug the hole for the wire, what a hassle, darn stuff sticks too well, like cleaning off silicone. Ended up just taping off where I wanted the Proflex and putting a good bead over the old.