Belly Band Leak

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Keith
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Joined: 09/03/2015 - 12:58
Belly Band Leak

Just tore into our 200 19 foot scamp and found a belly band leak. Hooray!

The leak is right at the front corner above the bench between the bed area and the bathroom. I had previously bookmarked a tutorial by kamper bob on how to deal with this, but it appears his site is down, so I'm relying on you good folks. If I remember correctly he advised drilling out the areas that leak and filling them with epoxy. I have some loctitie marine epoxy in the syringe, but I'm not sure if that is the best solution. Then I have to remove the silicone caulk from the top of the belly band and replace it with something better.

I'd love some suggestions on what the best caulk to use on the top of the belly band is. Also, is it recommended to remove the belly band to get a good seal or can I leave it in place? I'd hate to take it off and mess it up somehow if I don't need to. The band is not loose. Any other advise would be very welcome at this point. 

 

 

bpfick
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Joined: 12/23/2015 - 09:20
We found a belly band leak in

We found a belly band leak in our 2002.  The prior owner had attempted to "fix" the floor without really discovering the source of the leak.  

We didn't really "drill" but a pick and kinda bored and probed the leak area.  The leak was black and obvious.  Once the area was cleaned and dried, we used gorilla glue.  Squeezing the nozzle of the glue bottle deep into the probe hole(s) and squeezed.  We also used a putty knife to smooth the area and the "run off" glue.  It sealed off the leak as the glue runs into the crevices and little passageways.  It expands and filled the area as good as could be expected.  No more leak.

Sprayed mold killer over the entire area.  Tested thoroughly with exterior water spray and a couple of convient heavy down pours of rain.  No leaks.

After mold spraying the bubble wrap insulation and marine liner, sprayed with 3M glue and smoothed the fabrics down.  It looked faultless.  

Really do NOT like silicone on the exterior, anywhere.  Nasty stuff.  I'd likely use a good RV sealant which is more urethane based. Maybe even the self leveling kind.   

 

Keith
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Here are some shots to show

Here are some shots to show what we went through. The leak didn't look big, but when we poked around a bunch of material came out. It was pretty obvious that there had been a leak there for many years. We filled the gap with JB weld leak putty and then laid fiberglass over the putty. The bunk cleat below the leak was gone so we had to fit a new one and glass that in. Now I feel pretty good about working with fiberglass. The floor should be easier to tackle!

 

Flyboyscamp
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Nice job, just sometimes

Nice job, just sometimes getting into something is half the battle. Good job on the repairs, repairs that will last!

<p>Doug Allen 2016 Ford F-150 2018 Lance 1575</p>

Keith
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Last seen: 3 years 2 days ago
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Joined: 09/03/2015 - 12:58
If you look at those photos

If you look at those photos you can see the hole in the floor we need to fix next. Actually, we will be replacing most of the raised floor on the street side since that rot extends under the shower and there is some other, less tragic, rot under the counter behind the bathroom. Should be a fun spring break!