Leakin bath vent

[Charliej]

Experiencing another minor problem with our new 2023NE. I have water dripping from the power vent in the bathroom. I have taken the outside, cover off and installed new gasket material, the old one was caddy Wompus. I thought a new gasket might solve the problem. But, during the last rain, I had water dripping from the trim ring inside the bath. I removed the trim ring on the inside, and it was full of water. It looks to me like the only way that could happen would be if water were seeping through the caulking that is supposed to seal between the vent base and the trailer top. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, any recommendations to reseal it? Any suggestions on how to remove the old caulking and what type of new caulking to use?

[iamunique127]

I haven't had that particular issue and don't know for sure how the bath fan is mounted but one caulk-type sealant that is commonly used is ProFlex RV. The fan may have butyl tape underneath, between the fan and the trailer fibreglass.Take it off and see how the original was installed. If there is sticky grey stuff it is butyl tape. Butyl tape compresses and seals well. The vent edges can then be sealed with ProFlex RV as can any screw holes.

Look at some of the other things on the roof of the trailer and you'll see how ETI put on the ProFlex.

As for cleaning off the old caulking, which is probably ProFlex, scrape what you can with a plastic scraper, not metal, then remove the rest of the residue with acetone. It can be a tedious job but it's not difficult.

[Tonny LR]

Originally Posted by iamunique127

I haven't had that particular issue and don't know for sure how the bath fan is mounted but one caulk-type sealant that is commonly used is ProFlex RV. The fan may have butyl tape underneath, between the fan and the trailer fibreglass.Take it off and see how the original was installed. If there is sticky grey stuff it is butyl tape. Butyl tape compresses and seals well. The vent edges can then be sealed with ProFlex RV as can any screw holes.

Look at some of the other things on the roof of the trailer and you'll see how ETI put on the ProFlex.

As for cleaning off the old caulking, which is probably ProFlex, scrape what you can with a plastic scraper, not metal, then remove the rest of the residue with acetone. It can be a tedious job but it's not difficult.

using a heat gum to warm and soften the ProFlex, I found it easier to remove it.
I hope it will help.
Tonny LR

[Charliej]

So it sounds to me like the way to do this properly is to completely remove the fan and start over. Oh boy, just what I’m looking forward to doing on a brand new trailer. Thanks for the replies and I will report back when I accomplish this. Thanks again and wish me luck.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Charliej

So it sounds to me like the way to do this properly is to completely remove the fan and start over. Oh boy, just what I’m looking forward to doing on a brand new trailer. Thanks for the replies and I will report back when I accomplish this. Thanks again and wish me luck.

I understand your impulse to get this repair done, but you might consider seeing if you can get this done under some kind of a warranty arrangement.

John

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by JohnK

I understand your impulse to get this repair done, but you might consider seeing if you can get this done under some kind of a warranty arrangement.

John

Agreed. I'd contact ETI before doing the repair myself, too, if the trailer is new.

[mfschu]

I recall we had a small amount of water dripping in from the bath vent when we first used our trailer. I believe the water was getting in around the screws that hold the cap to the metal bracket. I think I used o-rings around the screws or chalk to correct.

[Fender]

Originally Posted by Charliej

Experiencing another minor problem with our new 2023NE. I have water dripping from the power vent in the bathroom. I have taken the outside, cover off and installed new gasket material, the old one was caddy Wompus. I thought a new gasket might solve the problem. But, during the last rain, I had water dripping from the trim ring inside the bath. I removed the trim ring on the inside, and it was full of water. It looks to me like the only way that could happen would be if water were seeping through the caulking that is supposed to seal between the vent base and the trailer top. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, any recommendations to reseal it? Any suggestions on how to remove the old caulking and what type of new caulking to use?

There is a drain hole in the bathroom vent to allow water to run off. I asked about these drain holes a couple of years ago and got this response. Might be worth checking out.


"Yes, that is a drain hole that drains the annular ring of the exterior flange of the bathroom fan. If you remove the fan cap, the purpose of the drain hole will be very obvious.
One of the problems that we experienced with ETIs installation was the excessive use of caulk to seal the fan mounting screws. The excessive caulk created dams that held water (from a very heavy downpour) in the exterior flange so the water couldn't make it out the drain hole. The foam gasket that seals the fan soaked up the water, which then dripped inside the bathroom. The solution was to painstakingly remove some of the excess caulk so water could flow around the exterior annulus and out the drain hole.

Kathy"

[Charliej]

Resolution.

After carefully looking at the bathroom vent I did indeed see the drain hole in the fan. I understand how that is supposed to function. The fan was mounted and appeared to have be properly sealed to the trailer...... except....... in their effort to not seal up the drain hole on the fan, they left about a 1/16 inch gap in the sealant under the drain hole. Very very small, but enough to allow water in. When I removed the interior trim ring it was full of water. Any movement of the trailer spilled water onto the medicine cabinet mirror and toilet lid. I cleaned that up and sealed the minute hole in the roof under the drain hole and no more leaks. I would note, that it appears Escape did not use any butyl tape under the vent flange. That would have prevented this issue.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'm very reluctant to try and use any place for warranty work, especially if I can resolve it myself. I firmly believe the old adage "If you want something done right, do it yourself". As long as I'm capable. So far the only two issues with my brand new 21NE have been this fan issue and the water pump failing to shut off. Both now resolved do to the help of this forum.

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by Charliej

Resolution.


I firmly believe the old adage "If you want something done right, do it yourself". As long as I'm capable.

No truer words....

[Kosta]

Originally Posted by Charliej

So it sounds to me like the way to do this properly is to completely remove the fan and start over. Oh boy, just what I’m looking forward to doing on a brand new trailer. Thanks for the replies and I will report back when I accomplish this. Thanks again and wish me luck.

Hey Charlie, so sorry for any issues you have run into if you'd kindly reach out to our Aftersales team, they will be happy to help you out! https://escapetrailer.com/after-sales-support/ this link will direct you to our aftersales form and one of our team members will be sure to reach out to you ASAP regarding your issue!

[Charliej]

Originally Posted by Kosta

Hey Charlie, so sorry for any issues you have run into if you'd kindly reach out to our Aftersales team, they will be happy to help you out! https://escapetrailer.com/after-sales-support/ this link will direct you to our aftersales form and one of our team members will be sure to reach out to you ASAP regarding your issue!

Kosta, thank you for reaching out. I believe I have resolved the issue at hand. Should I need assistance in the future I will contact after sales if necessary. Thanks again for being responsive. This is great service and greatly appreciated.

CharlieJ

[Bcescapist]

Had our trailer out in heavy rain this week for the first time and think we’re having the same problem. Arrived at the campground with a lot of water in the bathroom. I could see it dripping from the handle on the vent. When I touched the ring to dry it off, water ran out from the outside of the ring. Even after 2 dry days it’s still dripping. Called Escape and will take it to the factory next week for them to hopefully fix. Thanks to you for the post so we have a good idea of the problem.

[Charliej]

Glad it helped. You are lucky to be close to the factory. Easy 5 minute fix. I should have taken a picture.