Hi all, on 6/16 I posted about my leaky Scamp with that subject line--and so many of you responded!! In that post I shared that the water was coming in at the bottom under the back window and leaking onto the carpet under the bed/table area. It's never wet on the fur--just seeps out from the bottom. I have spent the summer trying to tighten things up and I keep thinking I'm getting close, but still need some help. Here's what I've done: Talked to Scamp Service and replaced the side and back windows on my 2004... still leaked. I had someone do a really tight fix on the top of the Scamp where a repair had been made...still leaked. I pulled up the carpet under the bed and loosed the bottom of the fur so I could see where the water was gathering and leaking. Did a recent leak test with the hose and found that the water was leaking in most likely through a slight crack in the caulking on top of the belly band so removed old caulk, cleaned, and put on DAP Alex Plus all purpose acrylic latex caulk plus silicone. Had the Scamp washed and waxed and no leak so I was hopeful, but now with a night of light rain and some snow, it leaked again.
A friend thinks that maybe the belly band needs to be taken off and totally re-done, but I'm a 72 year old with NO SKILLS!!! I paid $6,900 for my 2004 in 2014 and now with this leak I've put in a few thousand dollars easily. So I have LOTS of questions!!! 1. Did we use the wrong caulking material for the repair? Do you have other suggestions? 2. How do you decide when you should quit repairing and putting in $ and do something else? 3. What do you think about the idea of taking off the belly band and doing whatever needs to be done inside and replacing? I love my Scamp and if I should stick with it, does anyone know people in CO/WY who could do repairs? I know I'm all over the place, but I would greatly appreciate your help!! Thanks so much!!!
Hey Barb,
Did not know you used the DAP caulk. Silicone caulks used in housing won't adhere properly to fiberglass, so yes, you have the wrong caulk. Only use a Marine sealant like 3M 5200 on fiberglass trailers.
In the meantime, do we have a member in the Boulder, CO area that can help Barb out with getting this pesky leak fixed????
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
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Thanks for this--it's what my landlord had and wanted to try--I should have asked first, but it was a last minute fix. I went out this AM and could tell that the caulk had little bubbles or something under it so figured it wasn't the right stuff!!
Maybe someone knows a place in Denver/Ft. Collins/Boulder that actually works on Scamps. I go to a Boulder RV place, but they don't know Scamps. THANKS!!!
Barb,
I've had luck in the past with the mobile RV mechanics in the Phoenix area. You might want to Google some in your area and give them a call and explain what is going on.
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
There is someone who will come up--good idea. I also just talked to a guy at FiberglassWorkz and he's worked on Scamps. I also called Scamp and talked to service. She said a leak at the belly band would be pretty rare--interesting!! The guy at the Fiberglass place said he could do an evaluation to try and find the leak.
Keep working with Scamp and it also sounds like the FiberglassWorkz business is a good one, he's experienced on Scamps and he's a fiberglass business. RV dealers are not the best bet as you found out, 'RV' doesn't necessarily translate into fiberglass knowledge. Do you know if your camper has any structural damage history or repairs? Cracks? I'm assuming you have looked closely. Marine businesses may be helpful with their history on boat leaks and repairs in fiberglass. Unfortunately you may be searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. As you rule things out, possibly the unlikely belly band may become more likely. I'd include re-doing the entire band with the proper sealant. How do all of your acess ports, connections, etc look? (anything cut/mounted on the exterior) Could something lower be allowing water to run in, down a wire, tube or piping and then run off inside?
Carl
I"m trying to remain calm, stick with the Scamp, and figure out what the heck is going on. Thanks for the recommendation about the fiberglass guy. To be honest, I've had the Scamp since 2014 and not had any problems until this summer--and no, I don't really look it over!! So taking up come of the carpet under the bed and seeing the wood floor that's gotten wet now more than a few times all just makes me nervous!! So I'll let someone with better eyes than mine and some tools and knowledge look it over!! As far as I know it's never been in a wreck--I have had it on some rough roads. And of course it bounces all over going down any roads. I used to think it was kind of funny that I would find random bolts, nuts and screws after a drive, but now that has me worried!! I have a small baggie full of them!!! I can never find where they came from! I so appreciate all of you on this site--it gives me hope...except for the "needle in the haystack" idea!!! Yikes!!