Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have talked to a number of trailer and RV owners while planning my trailer. Many have complained that the roof vent is a major source of leaks. I recognize the need for ventilation but how do I avoid water seeping in through the edges of my fan cut out? Has anyone tried a side mounted vent?

...improperly installed, they can be BUT, I will offer the following advice to ensure it is installed properly...this info pertains to FantasticFan Vents as they are the only ones I have installed but the info should apply to all types of vents.....

1) the FF comes with a foam gasket...first, throw away the screws that came in the box and get some stainless steel replacements...predrill your screw holes and pump some sealant into these holes...place the foam gasket in place and install vent, when installed, come back and apply a bead of sealant around the base of vent...I do not like silicone but that is a personal dislike...I have been using WhiteLightning 3006 with good results...urethane based windshield sealant is another good choice............

2) throw the gasket away...follow above advice for screws/holes...place a HEAVY bead of sealant on the area the base is to sit on...maybe even two beads...it is important to get a good "squish" out completely around the base...this is the method I have used on a couple different vent installs and have had no leaks for over 5 years.......

I do realize you asked about a side vent but just thought I would throw out this advice to show they can be installed in a leak free manner......
madjack

p.s I also note you say "trailer and RV owners"...if these were owners of commercially built units, then that is the problem, you were talking to the wrong people.............mj

Where I live in California it reaches 110F in the summer here in the valley while just 3-4 miles as the crow files is a fog forest while another 7 or so brings us to a cold rain forest or the seaside. Yosemite, Monterey and Death Vally are all easy drives from here. So we need to be ready for most anything.

I'm also wondering if anyone has built a double pained 'sky light' roof for a tear? I have a Lexan windshield on the bike which is very lite and almost indestrtable although it does tent to scratch. It seem to me to be a likely candidate for a skylight. Any thoughts or experiences?

I did the same as Gage, and added a bead of silicone for good measure. Not a drop.

The butyl tape stays flexible for years, it's what they use to install windshields. It will not leak when installed properly. I actually laid my butyl over the screw holes on my vent. I used about 1/2 wide bead, by 3/16 inch thick. It compresses very easily when your screwing down the vent.

Didn't the old timers use side vents up high on the walls ??? Seems like it would be easier to put one in without leaking ... We used to install roof vents and moon roofs in Vans (Kustom) in the old days .... Regrettably , it always rains around here (MJ knows ! ) and we had many problems with leaking

Anybody experimented with side vents ??? Thinking GoldWing is on to something here...

PS. Accidentally left my TD roof vent open one day , quick storm blew in , and when I looked inside the TD (well waterproofed) , it was like an Aquarium .... AARGH !!! Amazing the amount of water that came in from that roof vent ... Guessing this Never happened to anybody else ...

Having worked for an RV builder, I think you must understand that often the problem with leaky trailers is the owners themselves. I'll may get blasted for this, but many RV owners fail to do the recommended maintainence. I know there are shoddy builders out there, but the nature of building techniques for RVs demands that caulking be used and caulked areas must be routinely (read annually or more often) inspected and then cleaned and recaulked as needed. Many owners think they can use the trailer all summer, let it set out in the weather all winter and then hop in and go next spring with nary a thought about maintainence. The warnings you read here about taking care of wheel wearings should apply to the top of a trailer as well. Inspect and maintain.

Best,
Tom

Put me in the camp of using butyl tape AND sealant. I did not use the enclosed foam gasket. Like MJ said, go get some SS screws and use them instead of the included screws. Also seal each screw hole with a little sealant before you drive it in.
Not a single leak so far and it has rained almost every time we have camped. (knock on wood)

Side vents have to be sealed too. There is no way to make a hole and not have water eventually get in.. The trick is to water proof the wood edges..Then use butyl tape and a removable sealant... Fixed my leak but didn't have a problem with the leak because the wood was sealed first...

OK, you have me intrigued. Where can you get butyl tape? I'm almost to that phase and I was just going to use a couple of beads of caulk. The butyl tape sounds like a much better plan.

Is that something you can get at the big box stores, or do you have to get it from a glass shop? I've never heard of it. Of course, volumes could be written about what I've never heard of.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Brian

Any RV shop will have Butyl tape. Here you can buy it at pretty much any decent hardware/building supply store on a big roll. They use it to seal between the ridges on R panel metal siding where they overlap.

Another handy thing to keep around is a roll of that tape that's about 6" wide that's aluminized on one side and has a rubberized adhesive on the other. That's what a lot of RV/trailer places will fix a leak on a trailer roof with anyway. You can pick it up at Lowes in the roofing section as a flashing seal. Same stuff, same company. If you get a leak you can stick that stuff down and it will fix you right up and not come off anytime soon.

Nosty wrote:OK, you have me intrigued. Where can you get butyl tape? I'm almost to that phase and I was just going to use a couple of beads of caulk. The butyl tape sounds like a much better plan.

Is that something you can get at the big box stores, or do you have to get it from a glass shop? I've never heard of it. Of course, volumes could be written about what I've never heard of.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Brian

I got some at an RV supply store, but you should be able to get it online. It is really good stuff. It kind of feels like dense putty, and stays soft. Very easy to use.

I would still do a bead of good caulk around the edge for redundancy.

CD

...around here, butyl tape is available at most all hardware and building supply stores...a tip, install while warm, since when cold it does not "squish" as well(inside house temps are OK)...I use it for most of my trim...I do still pre-drill all of my holes and squirt some caulk into the hole before installation of whatever.........
madjack

Thanks guys. You learn something new every day. Especially on this site. I'm all for doing anything that'll prevent a leak. I've got an RV supply just up the road. I'll check them out on Monday.

Thanks again,
Brian

Thanks to everyone for the ideas on this subject. I'm still in the planning stages with my trailer but I hope to be posting some concept drawings soon. Thanks again!