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Old 02-17-2022, 12:30 PM   #1
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How to seal this strange space and what is it called ?

Guten Morgen,

Well, I have pretty much ripped my poor skoolie apart now trying to find the leak.

It's a 2000 Chevy 3500 Midbus and it came with solar panels, inverter, and two batteries ( I broke something since I now can't get the solar to charge).

The bus was already semi-converted with floors, walls, paneling, extra door etc.

However, the white wood panels showed some moisture stains but until a heavy rain we had no problems.

Naturally I thought the windows were the culprit, used gorilla tape, spray sealer, butyl tape but nothing worked.

I then took the paneling off and found that the part where the roof ends (a sharp edge right across from the outside gutters).

Under the metal there was what seemed like fiberglass and some of it was wet.
I just hope that the outside gutters are a rusted in some places which caused the moisture to accumulate in between the roof and wall, causing the moist fiberglass.

My plan was to seal the gutters and then deal with this roof/wall problem by maybe using either backer rods and shoving them in that space before sealing it or high density weather strips.

Does anybody have a clue what this part is called and how to go from here?

I included pictures, hopefully they post.

Ps: I also took pictures of the undercarriage but since neither I nor any of my friends know anything about cars or how much rust is too much I will post a new thread once I have this mystery leaking figured out.

Danke vielmals !!!
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Old 02-17-2022, 12:35 PM   #2
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A few more pictures.
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Old 02-17-2022, 12:43 PM   #3
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A few more pictures.
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Old 02-17-2022, 01:17 PM   #4
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From the photos it looks like that is a place that condensation would pool.
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Old 02-17-2022, 02:27 PM   #5
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"Fear not," sayeth the old man, "for it is NOT rocket science."

I'm interested to see what the more experienced members have to say but if that were my bus (assuming you don't tell us you have to start living in it tomorrow) I'd strip out every last piece of wood the previous owner put in it and start again.
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Old 02-17-2022, 08:38 PM   #6
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Thanks for the input. I pretty much tore half of the wood off already but what worries me is that the fiberglass is damp and somebody told me I needs to remove all the metal roof panels, remove the fiberglass, and start over.

Well, that's not gonna happen since I'm hopelessly clumsy and wouldn't even know where to start .

For now I'm just going to get seam sealer, go over all the rivets inside and outside, maybe I get lucky.

Danke
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Old 02-17-2022, 09:43 PM   #7
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Closed Cell Backer Rod

I think you may have concluded the backer rod option in your first post.

We had a similar space between our Aluminum window frames and the steel bus framing, right above our windows, behind the drip rail. No water enters from rain, but the air blow right up and over.

We used inch & a half diameter closed cell backer rod.
(before, with black goo)


(after, with ccbr & grey butyl)


A scrap section demonstrates the size of the void.

You can also see the daylight peeking over the uncorrected window in the background. The window shorts the space. The aluminum lip merely blocks the sight.

The gaps are unavoidable, as the horizontal & vertical planes do not align.




After completing thirty windows, there's no more moisture and the space is surprisingly quieter.


Convection is a correctable problem in all buildings. Convection, Conduction, Radiation = Condensation.

That moisture pattern on the glass is a ringer for condensate.
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Old 02-17-2022, 10:30 PM   #8
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That's going to keep a lot of dust out too DeMac great idea!
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Old 02-17-2022, 10:33 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julischka View Post
Thanks for the input. I pretty much tore half of the wood off already but what worries me is that the fiberglass is damp and somebody told me I needs to remove all the metal roof panels, remove the fiberglass, and start over.

Well, that's not gonna happen since I'm hopelessly clumsy and wouldn't even know where to start .

For now I'm just going to get seam sealer, go over all the rivets inside and outside, maybe I get lucky.

Danke

Some dry heat from a electric space heater along with some fans can help dry things up.



Are you using a propane heater?
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Old 02-17-2022, 11:30 PM   #10
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Crowns have a similar gap at the outside edge of the inside aluminum panels lining the ceiling. It cannot be seen normally as it is covered by lengths of extruded aluminum that run above the windows. If one removes a light fixture or speaker from the extruded aluminum you can see the insulation between the outside of the roof and the inside.

You say that your bus has solar panels. Did the individual(s) who installed them on the roof do it correctly? If the mounting screws? that secured the panels got sealed up during installation maybe look elsewhere. Are there any hatches on the roof? Are they original factory work? Crown buses have arched roofs so there isn't any flat places on them. RV vents that I have seen are flat. That could be a source of a leak.
Air conditioner hatches are also flat as are air conditioners (on the bottom). Antennas are another possible leak source. Both of my Crowns came with VHF 2-way radio antennas on the roof. Look there also. (by the way part of the VHF spectrum was re-allocated by the FCC some years back, and channel bandwidth was reduced. This means some older 2-way radios cannot be used anymore.
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Old 02-18-2022, 09:02 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julischka View Post
I'm hopelessly clumsy and wouldn't even know where to start .


Danke
That's why I included the silly quote in my reply. You'll be able to do the work and I see the members that I figured would provide input are responding.

The fiberglass insulation in my walls was dripping wet because my windows leak a lot. I expect your windows are also leaking just as it's being described to you. Your windows have to come out. To get them out you'll have to remove some fasteners. I assume at least some of those fasteners will be behind all that wood.

Unless your roof is leaking you probably won't have to drop your ceiling panels but that's not something you have to decide until you've made progress on your windows.

You can do this . . . One small step at a time.
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Old 02-18-2022, 09:22 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DeMac View Post
I think you may have concluded the backer rod option in your first post.

We had a similar space between our Aluminum window frames and the steel bus framing, right above our windows, behind the drip rail. No water enters from rain, but the air blow right up and over.

We used inch & a half diameter closed cell backer rod.
(before, with black goo)


(after, with ccbr & grey butyl)


A scrap section demonstrates the size of the void.

You can also see the daylight peeking over the uncorrected window in the background. The window shorts the space. The aluminum lip merely blocks the sight.

The gaps are unavoidable, as the horizontal & vertical planes do not align.




After completing thirty windows, there's no more moisture and the space is surprisingly quieter.


Convection is a correctable problem in all buildings. Convection, Conduction, Radiation = Condensation.

That moisture pattern on the glass is a ringer for condensate.
Bro you're seriously one smart and helpful dude!
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Old 02-18-2022, 04:01 PM   #13
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Remove & Reseal

Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Bro you're seriously one smart and helpful dude!
Thank you, Sir. Takes one to know one.



I strongly agree with everyone advising remove/reinstall the windows to be leakfree. The process is simple. You will agree with us before your halfway through.

The factory seals are made of cheap rubber & asphalt. Installs fast, never really seals. The petroleum also accelerates the rubber's natural deterioration. Likely, expired before retired.

My wife, TC has no experience using tools and she's old like me. She removed every window. Even those which do not open. Scrapped the goo & crud. Cleaned every surface. Pressed in new clay butyl tape. Added the aformentioned 1-1/2" diameter, close cell backer rod. Pressed clean windows into a fresh bed of clay. Sikaflexed the outer lip. She even applied tint and/or film to all the glass. Drivers glass & windshield, too. Then made curtains.









We found all of the parts and instructions right here skoolie.net No experience necessary. A skoolie IS thousands diy projects. You can do this one.
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Old 02-23-2022, 03:16 PM   #14
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I managed to seal half of my windows before winter hit, and thanks to y'all's great advice I used gray polyurethane caulk instead of silicon. the rest of the windows are covered with plastic until spring.



The backer rod makes a neat easy fix! And would gray butyl tape be as sturdy as polyurethane, but easier to work with?
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Old 02-23-2022, 04:31 PM   #15
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On inside,I'm sure I'll hear alot of static on this , I use truck bed liner. Just make sure you have good adhesion. Once fiberglass is wet,it wont dry out,and loses alot of its r value. 3-m 5200 I think is sealer/adhesive I use outside. If doing seams on roof,put blue tape down on either side. Smooth caulk out,pull tape off and it looks like professional did it. Also remember,where its wet,it could have come from anywhere,run down ribs. Good luck
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