Went to the coach to winterize it and noticed that the shower skylight had been leaking. We had a heavy rain about 3 am the day before. Appears to have just leaked into the shower; haven't removed it yet. Seems like not too hard a job to remove it and recaulk. Anyone have recommendations on what caulk to use? Also could it be leaking at the plexiglass cover? Maybe a good time to paint that ugly brown frame.
Jerry,
Yes, need to identify the source of the leak. If in the plastic/lexan part, no harm if it drips into the shower. But, if it is a screw around the aluminum frame, that can cause a lot of roof damage if left to leak.
You should be able to tell by a quick trip to the roof.
Be sure to check the plastic ladder end caps that secure the ladder steps/rungs, as they can age and crack and allow for a "gravity sped descent".
I just re-sealed the whole skylight area including the base and the lexan top. Wasn't sure just where the leak originated but it was dripping from the bottom of the square trim piece that surrounds the skylight during a heavy rain. Sorry I didn't capture the process in pics. Here is the seal tape that I got from camping world. # 80296
Would tell you to be sure to use CLEAR sealant around the top of lexan. When the top is installed some sealant could ooze out into the viewable area. Dark sealant will show up even though the skylight is dark tinted. Don't ask how I know this.
Make sure you look at the underside corners if you have the aluminum retainer. My skylight had broken corners due to BB size welds sticking down onto the plexiglass. The beads were easy enough to remove with a file and a rotary rasp.
Based on my experience, the caulk should be the self leveling urethane for use on the aluminum frame where it meets the roof and a clear sealant like Geoflex RV sealant, All RV Aftermarket Products : Pro Flex RV Flexible Sealant (http://www.geocelusa.com/product/all-rv-aftermarket/pro-flex-rva-flexible-sealant-detail.html), on the Plexiglas to aluminum joint. Use the c;ear caulk sparingly,
Be aware that the aluminum skylight frame is flat and the roof is curved, so you need enough sealant to accomodate the gap.
Good luck,
Ya, what he said.
Double thickness of stuff. No leaks yet and PNW has been HAMMERED with rain the last week or so.
In my experience the skylight leaked from the sealant that attached the dome portion to the frame in the corner. The solution is complete disassembly and cleaning of of the dome portion and the aluminum frame below. The dome was easy to clean but hte aluminum frame took a wire wheel to really get all the old sealant off. I used Loctite PL-S40, available at Home Depot, to reassemble and all has been fine since. If I didn't have that I'd use the 3m 4200 stuff. As a further preventative measure I added a line of eternabond between the dome and the "under" frame and then install the screwed on frame around it. This will absolutely prevent all possibility of leaks for as long as the coach rolls under its own power unless everything cracks.
The lower translucent plastic piece was so brittle that simply touching it caused cracks which contributed to the leaks. I replaced it but did not at the time decide to replace the dome portion. Other people have found correct sized domes at Lowes/Depot. It's pretty much a typical household skylight.
I see others saying no big deal but how mine was leaking if I didn't catch it quickly there would certainly be some rot involved!
I replaced my translucent lower panel with a transparent lexan piece from Lowes. I really actually like it much better that way. Don't park near any skyscrapers ;)
To be clear my skylight didn't leak where the frame met the roof. Absolutely no chance of that, that is sealed very well in my case. Your skylight may be different than mine but I doubt it.
Ditto, Mark.
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I had a little bit of time today to work on it. Removed the plastic trim under the skylight. It was a little bit wet behind the trim. I don't believe any water got into the metal framing. The two corners near the wall were wet and the plywood ceiling panel wet at that location, but the wood is sound, no rot, so it hasn't been leaking very long. Removed the frame that holds the bubble and all that came off rather easily. It looks like it was sealed at the factory with clear silicone caulk. It pealed right off the plastic. No evidence that the bubble part was leaking. The caulk between the roof and metal frame does not look very good, so that is probably where the leak is. No rain forecast for the next few days, so I will try to remove the frame from the roof and redo that. Surprised that the opening above the shower is not as big as the skylight.
The wood Foretravel uses in the ceiling seems particularly rot resistant. Which is helpful!