Skylight leak on '04 Journey

[Mr_Bill]

I have a weeping leak on the sidewall side of the skylight over the shower in my ’04 Journey. The plastic is not cracked. Has anyone had this type of leak? I am wondering if the water is getting in by running down the plastic and through the frame joint with the roof. If this is the case I will need to take the skylight apart and reseal the “sandwich” of the plastic, the fiberglass roof, and the frame. If not, I can redo the sealing around the frame using Eternabond or calk. I haven’t been able to find any diagram of how the skylight is mounted in the roof.

[KIX]

The skylight is in two pieces. An inner one and the outer skylight. The outer skylight is mounted with screws around the perimeter. You'll have to scrape or pick off the caulking to expose the screw heads.
Through my experience I can suggest that the skylight is cracked......the cracks are just very difficult to see. The ones on ours were vertical at the corners. A polyurethane caulking over a sanded surface will seal the cracks but only temporarily. A replacement outer skylight is available via Lichtsinn in Forest City, IA. If you get the replacement skylight the install o f the new one is easy. After removal of the old outer skylight and clean up run a liberal bead of caulking in the channel around the perimeter of the new outer skylight. Then turn it right-side-up and place it over the skylight hole. Install the screws using caulking in the screw hole before installing the screw as well as over the screw heads.
The hardest part is you're going to be on your knees on the roof for about 1.5 hours.

[John Hilley]

It is important to get it fixed as soon as possible. i had the same problem and it led to delamination.

[skigramp]

I just removed all of the old caulking where the front cap meets the roof ... a local RV repairman gave me a hint ... ether starting fluid is a convenient and good solvent to help with the removal of old caulking ...

I used an old extremely dull wood chisel that I had to begin the scaping ... and then used the starter fluid to get rid of all the little pieces ... it wiped off easily with an old sock ... and the surface was as clean as a whistle ...

[wagonmaster2]

Mr Bill -

On my 2004 Meridian I thought I had a leak down the outside wall above the shower and sealed the outer dome on the roof two different times. Still the wall would be wet. Finally I realized the wall only was wet after showering during camping in cold weather and not necessarily after a rain storm. There is no insulation where the walls meet the roof so the wall sweats just like a glass of ice tea if the inside humidity is very high.

Bought a dehumidifier to run in the bath area and haven't had any wet walls so far. Some say to run the exhaust fans while showering but that will freeze you till you can get dry.

You might try something like this to see if high humidity is the problem. Or maybe you've already confirmed that the moisture is caused by outside rain.

Wagonmaster2

[RovinOn]

I just went through the same thing with my 05 Southwind.
When I looked the first time I didn't see the crack in my skylight but the second time on the roof I did. I went up with a tube of caulk to make a temporary repair until I got home to fix it right. When I touched the skylight it shattered! I had to make some emergency repairs to seal up the hole to get home and finish my vacation.
When I got home I had my local RV shop replace both skylights and reseal the roof, They went over all joints and roof cuts, such as the AC units and plumbing vents. They did a real nice job and I've had no problems since!
Do yourself a favor and just replace the skylights,,, sooner or later they will shatter!

Regards,
RovinOn
05 Southwind 37C

[dirko]

Hi Ho: Leaking skylights from cracks at the screws are very common in WI Rv's. Replacing the skylight is not difficult, but keeping the new skylight from cracking is still a problem. I discovered that the screw holes are not exactly lined up and push against the outer skylight cover. My solution was to enlarge the holes so that there is clearance around each screw. My new skylight is now 4 years old and has no problems.

Also, don't bother with WI for the correct sealant. They told me silicon. While this works and seals things ok, it is not self-leveling and is not the stuff to use over the skylight. Any good self-leveling sealant (from an RV supplier) is better.

Dirk

[Harry B]

Winnebago uses Nuflex 311 a self leveling Silicone caulk on the roof. As much as I dislike silicone, I have to admit that that this sealant seems to be holding up pretty good on the roof. When it is time to replace this silicone, I would use Ethernabond instead. It does a great job specially on top of the roof, where is is not visible from below.

[Mr_Bill]

I took the coach into the shop, Cullum & Maxey, today to have them look at it. I don't have time this week to fix it myself and it is susppose to rain again on Thursday. Hate water leaks and don't want any problems. I'll post back when I get their feedback on the problem.

[leedowney]

Originally Posted by John Hilley

It is important to get it fixed as soon as possible. i had the same problem and it led to delamination.

Same here. You can replace the skylight for around $110.