Water Pooling on Roof

mikerezny · Apr 27, 2017

Hi,
we have had our Penguin for six months and it has to be parked in the driveway.

One major concern I have had ever since we bought it was the water pooling on the roof after any rain. The Camper roof has a raised edge all the way around, so even tipping it slightly doesn't solve the problem.

We have a cover, but that is not waterproof and the water still pools on the roof under the cover.

And worst of all, the pooling is around the sealant between the roof edge and the roof proper. Not good at all, I suspect. I see it regularly and sometimes wipe it off, but although it worries me, I haven't found a solution until today.

I thought it was worth sharing. Apologies if it is a well-known solution or it has been discussed before.

The way I store the van, the water mostly pools in one corner. Today, I got a piece of cotton towel put one end in the area where the water pools, held it in place with a weight, hung the rest over the edge.

The cloth wicks up the water and siphons it over the edge.

Here is a picture of this complex solution. Pity it took me six months to think of it.

cheers
Mike

Dobbie · Apr 27, 2017

Positively wicking! I knew it was good for something apart from wetting the canvas.

I like it!

@mikerezny you're just as slow as the rest of us but get there in the end.....well done.

Would a thickish rope work just as well?

mikerezny · Apr 27, 2017

Dobbie said:
Positively wicking! I knew it was good for something apart from wetting the canvas.

I like it!

@mikerezny you're just as slow as the rest of us but get there in the end.....well done.

Would a thickish rope work just as well?

Hi @Dobbie,
I have no idea. I suspect it would need to be natural fibre to wick properly.

cheers
Mike

Bellbirdweb · Apr 27, 2017

mikerezny said:
Hi,
we have had our Penguin for six months and it has to be parked in the driveway.

One major concern I have had ever since we bought it was the water pooling on the roof after any rain. The Camper roof has a raised edge all the way around, so even tipping it slightly doesn't solve the problem.

We have a cover, but that is not waterproof and the water still pools on the roof under the cover.

And worst of all, the pooling is around the sealant between the roof edge and the roof proper. Not good at all, I suspect. I see it regularly and sometimes wipe it off, but although it worries me, I haven't found a solution until today.

I thought it was worth sharing. Apologies if it is a well-known solution or it has been discussed before.

The way I store the van, the water mostly pools in one corner. Today, I got a piece of cotton towel put one end in the area where the water pools, held it in place with a weight, hung the rest over the edge.

The cloth wicks up the water and siphons it over the edge.

Here is a picture of this complex solution. Pity it took me six months to think of it.

cheers
MikeView attachment 49029

Or get a waterproof cover ??

Drover · Apr 28, 2017

I think most vans do get from pools to small lakes on their roofs, Big Mal gets a couple of small lakes on top but is parked with the front up high, looks like it's about to launch.
Wicking the water, great idea just have to change/move cloth or it might stain, wouldn't use natural rope like hemp, manilla etc it will leave a stain but that white cotton plaited stuff for boats would work really well like a lantern wick.

Boots in Action · Apr 30, 2017

mikerezny said:
Hi,
we have had our Penguin for six months and it has to be parked in the driveway.

One major concern I have had ever since we bought it was the water pooling on the roof after any rain. The Camper roof has a raised edge all the way around, so even tipping it slightly doesn't solve the problem.

We have a cover, but that is not waterproof and the water still pools on the roof under the cover.

And worst of all, the pooling is around the sealant between the roof edge and the roof proper. Not good at all, I suspect. I see it regularly and sometimes wipe it off, but although it worries me, I haven't found a solution until today.

I thought it was worth sharing. Apologies if it is a well-known solution or it has been discussed before.

The way I store the van, the water mostly pools in one corner. Today, I got a piece of cotton towel put one end in the area where the water pools, held it in place with a weight, hung the rest over the edge.

The cloth wicks up the water and siphons it over the edge.

Here is a picture of this complex solution. Pity it took me six months to think of it.

cheers
MikeView attachment 49029

Here we go again @mikerezny with the 2016 penguin. You may be interested in what happened to my 2013 Penguin which I also have to leave out in the open. Penguin was 2 years old when I bought it but had been sitting in the van sale yard for the last 8 months without cover. On first shake down trip, it rained a bit and I noticed small amount of water starting to drip inside, coming from the roof area above. When home, checked roof seal area thoroughly and found that at the corners (all four!), the sealant had shrunk away from the joint between roof and side support leaving a hairline crack visible. Obviously when water pooled at that corner, water was able to seep through fine crack and get inside. Tackled this problem by carefully digging out the failing sealant with fine screwdriver at each corner and each side for about 150mm. Cleaned very thoroughly with metho and applied Polyurethane adhesive sealant white colour into exposed joint, about $8.00 at Bunnings. No more water ingress since, even when pooling at any end. So just keep an eye on the seam seal on roof line as I think that the sealant break down due to weather and slight roof movement may occur at some time and let water in, regardless of your ingenious "wicking". Now have waterproof aluminium shielded cover for van - cost $115.00 on ebay to provide good protection from sun and rain when at home. But I still keep an eye on roofing seal. This for your information. Cheers

Drover · Apr 30, 2017

Boots in Action said:
Here we go again @mikerezny with the 2016 penguin ***********yatta, yatta, yatta ************. This for your information. Cheers

What about everyone else then ???????????

Boots in Action · Apr 30, 2017

Drover said:
What about everyone else then ???????????

Well @Drover , you are a very hard man to please! One of the advantages of an "OPEN" forum is that EVERYONE can be involved as they see fit. If it applies to you and you can get some value out of it, go for it. If not of value, then dismiss it. As @mikerezny had a possible "potential" problem and he has a Penguin like me, so I tried to help HIM. Any other followers can also read the same thread! It is no secret!!

I am new to this forum and do not know the number of followers who have the smaller vans, as I think, as the title suggests, it was started by enthusiastic members who owned Expandas and who are probably in the majority. You lucky Expanda owners may not have the same problems and so this thread may not be of any value to you. Of course, ANYONE can comment on all of my ideas, be they "like" or "dislike". That is up to each individual. I am always trying to pass on my knowledge, a lot of which is based on actual experience, just like you. If my threads are a little too formal for you, that is regretted. Perhaps I am totally misunderstanding the situation? Please put me right if necessary.

At this rate, your reputation for transgressions is at risk, because I may end up being more infamous for my transgressions than you!!!
Kindest regards.

mikerezny · May 1, 2017

Boots in Action said:
Here we go again @mikerezny with the 2016 penguin. You may be interested in what happened to my 2013 Penguin which I also have to leave out in the open. Penguin was 2 years old when I bought it but had been sitting in the van sale yard for the last 8 months without cover. On first shake down trip, it rained a bit and I noticed small amount of water starting to drip inside, coming from the roof area above. When home, checked roof seal area thoroughly and found that at the corners (all four!), the sealant had shrunk away from the joint between roof and side support leaving a hairline crack visible. Obviously when water pooled at that corner, water was able to seep through fine crack and get inside. Tackled this problem by carefully digging out the failing sealant with fine screwdriver at each corner and each side for about 150mm. Cleaned very thoroughly with metho and applied Polyurethane adhesive sealant white colour into exposed joint, about $8.00 at Bunnings. No more water ingress since, even when pooling at any end. So just keep an eye on the seam seal on roof line as I think that the sealant break down due to weather and slight roof movement may occur at some time and let water in, regardless of your ingenious "wicking". Now have waterproof aluminium shielded cover for van - cost $115.00 on ebay to provide good protection from sun and rain when at home. But I still keep an eye on roofing seal. This for your information. Cheers

Hi @Boots in Action ,
thank you for sharing your experience with the roof sealant. I will have to monitor it regularly.

I am also interested in the cover you bought. Would you be kind enough to provide the link to the item you bought on eBay?

cheers
Mike

Drover · May 1, 2017

Gee your a hard bugga to stir @Boots in Action , I was referring to the lines where you addressed @mikerezny and ended with "for your information", not passing comment on the rest of your post.....................the pooling of water on the roof isn't just a small van problem it's everywhere and I think your fix up is about all you can do, possibly needs to be redone every few years..................your not a newbie anymore either..................

Boots in Action · May 1, 2017

Drover said:
Gee your a hard bugga to stir @Boots in Action , I was referring to the lines where you addressed @mikerezny and ended with "for your information", not passing comment on the rest of your post.....................the pooling of water on the roof isn't just a small van problem it's everywhere and I think your fix up is about all you can do, possibly needs to be redone every few years..................your not a newbie anymore either..................

You have let me "off the hook" again @Drover . Thank you for your leniency. I was not aware that the roof sealing/pooling was such a widespread problem - see, still learning! I only used "for your info" as a quiet warning to @mikerezny so he would not get too worried. I look forward to more head to head discussions with you on all matters. I too love a challenge. Regards. Are we getting off subject here??

Boots in Action · May 1, 2017

mikerezny said:
Hi @Boots in Action ,
thank you for sharing your experience with the roof sealant. I will have to monitor it regularly.

I am also interested in the cover you bought. Would you be kind enough to provide the link to the item you bought on eBay?

cheers
Mike

Hi @mikerezny
Shall do asap. Will do even better. I will send you a picture of cover on our van later today and other details.

Boots in Action · May 1, 2017

Boots in Action said:
Hi @mikerezny
Shall do asap. Will do even better. I will send you a picture of cover on our van later today and other details.

Hello @mikerezny , here are some pictures of what I have bought for my Penguin. It shields it from the sun, has soft inner lining to prevent scratching and is claimed to be waterproof. So far it is for me. The link for this product on Ebay is product number 111176489323 for 14 to 16 foot cover by a company called Kaiserboating. Supposedly a Reise product. Unfortunately, I see that the sale is over and our size cover has increased to $169.95, although a 16 to 18 foot is the same price we paid - $115.57. Must have sold out on our size at sale price. Still, there are plenty of others to choose from or you can wait for another sale??View attachment 49129 . We bought on price and great description of product. We were not disappointed and can recommend. Good luck.

RickB · May 23, 2018

Checked my roof today and found this.
Should I just fill the whole or try and remove / replace the whole seam?

Duncanblake36 · May 23, 2018

Mine is packed on the nature strip. When I park it I wind the jockey wheel right down so it as low as possible. It makes the water run off fine. The van did leak at the start but silicon at the top of the van fixed that. Now it’s water proof. It’s perfect.

Boots in Action · May 23, 2018

RickB said:
Checked my roof today and found this.
Should I just fill the whole or try and remove / replace the whole seam?

View attachment 60636

Hello @RickB , this sort of problem is pretty common according to @Drover. I had a similar problem but not as bad. Best to read earlier posts on this subject to see what others have done or suggested. IMHO, I would cut it all out on that side at least, clean very thoroughly and inject with polyurethane sealant which I think is better than just ordinary silicon. You can get it from Bunnings and it also comes in white. You can smooth it off with a knife dipped in detergent water or just use your finger (also dipped in detergent water) to make a very tidy job. If you do it right, it should be okay for a couple of years, but you always need to keep an eye on it. Water getting into roof area is a disaster, causing lots of wood rot and other damage which is very expensive to fix. Good luck!!

mikerezny · May 23, 2018

Hi @RickB,
if you look in Bunnings and also on the Sika website, you will find there are many types of sealants each for a different set of purposes.

Some sealants will happily adhere to some other existing sealants. In this case it would be ok to patch the little hole. I would recommend doing this asap even if you decide to eventually redo the entire seam.

You should use only a sealant that is UV stabilised since this area is out in the sun.

There are discussion threads on this forum about suitable sealants for sealing roofs. Best to do a search on "sika" or "sealant"

Sika also have a 1300 number to ring to get advice about choosing the correct sealant.
Here is a link to an earlier related post and thread:
http://expandasdownunder.com/threads/leaking-shower-toilet-skylight.10792/post-184060

cheers
Mike

Tonykarter15 · May 29, 2018

My 2015 expanda leaked a little over Christmas. Upon investigation, found all Jayco did was put a thin bead on the joint. Spent Sunday afternoon with Polyurethane Sealant redoing joints myself after cutting back what was already there. I think with roof waterproofing, the sure way to ensure it is fixed permanently is to do it yourself.

Boots in Action · May 29, 2018

Tonykarter15 said:
My 2015 expanda leaked a little over Christmas. Upon investigation, found all Jayco did was put a thin bead on the joint. Spent Sunday afternoon with Polyurethane Sealant redoing joints myself after cutting back what was already there. I think with roof waterproofing, the sure way to ensure it is fixed permanently is to do it yourself.

Yes @Tonykarter15 , could not agree with you more. I did exactly what you did for complete peace of mind. It is a very hostile environment up there in the sun and all the weather, so suggest you check it regularly. Cheers

Tonykarter15 · May 29, 2018

Boots in Action said:
Yes @Tonykarter15 , could not agree with you more. I did exactly what you did for complete peace of mind. It is a very hostile environment up there in the sun and all the weather, so suggest you check it regularly. Cheers

especially after you see the average sealing done by the factory.

Water Pooling on Roof

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