Just purchased RV and it leaks!

[RVLifers]

Hi everyone! We are a newlywed couple who just purchased our first RV — a 2016 Itasca Spirit 22R. We purchased from a big RV dealer about 4 hours away from our home on May 11th.

The dealer told us that aside from a dent in the ladder on the back, they weren’t aware of any damage or issues. We thought we inspected it pretty closely and didn’t see any sign of leaks or water damage. I guess we just didn’t know what to look for!?

We slept in it for the first time this weekend, and last night it rained pretty heavily. To our dismay, there was water dripping in, right onto my pillow. It was dripping down around the power outlet above the main bed. We followed the drip as best as we could, and all we can tell is it is coming through the rear wall somehow.

This morning, we got on the roof, but can’t tell where the leak is originating.

It hasn’t even been 2 weeks since we bought it, but I do understand we purchased it “as is.” Is there any point in contacting the dealer to mention the problem, even though it’s not under any warranty?

And any advice on how to find and what to use to seal this leak?? We are newbies, would we be better off taking it in to get professionally fixed somewhere?

Thanks for any and all advice!

 

[rk911]

can't hurt. i'd bypass the sales critter and go right to the top. if no luck and the dealer is a franchise operation take your complaint to the franchiser. good luck.

 

[PaC-ClassB]

I would think you would have a 30 day warranty from the dealer and would go that route first. You mention a dented ladder and I assume there is no significant accident history/damage? Probably some routine caulking maintenance of the roof fixtures, windows, etc. is needed. Your manual should have information on that.

 

[Morich]

Some things are better dealt with at home if small as trips to repair can take months!!!
So on the bottom picture, which way is that outlet pointed , it looks like outside and near the top if turned correctly on the screen but what catches my eye is that water appears to be coming in near that outlet and running down( at least in the picture) but then the black wire running exposed seems a bit out of place. Do you know what it goes to and why it is out in the open? Possible some DIY work that needed fixed?
IF , big if, that is an outlet on the outside wall, I would not go to the dealer but look at taking the cover off outside and sealing it myself as a simple project to avoid tying up the RV for small stuff.

 

[Bones2003]

It looks like your photos are rotated by 90 degrees so I think I am looking at a photo of the inside of the cabinet above the bed at the rear of the coach. Is that correct? If so, it looks like the water is coming down right under that black cable which looks like the cable for your rear view camera. I would start by looking at anything on the back of the coach such as that camera, the running lights near the top of the coach, the ladder mounts, etc. Maybe someone could spray the area with a garden hose while someone inside the coach watches for water drips? You have to do this starting from the bottom and just do one small area at a time because it may take the water some time to actually show up inside.

Don't get discouraged, it can be fixed and you will have many happy memories of your travels in your new RV!

 

[ftodaro]

Owning an RV is one of those things that you have to step up on the maintenance issues. As its a fact of life. I would do my best to get on the roof and exterior and inspect the seams and the sealant on them. Take some pictures if you need to but your looking for voids and gaps in the sealant, It could be an easy repair that you can do that is much less time and cost than going back to the dealer. My point, This is the first of many issues, you will deal with. It takes time but you will get the hang of it. There is good info here and there are lots of video's on the internet to show you how to do general maintenance.