Damned Leaks!

[DavidInWilmNC]

So here I am trying to get my MC-8 ready for a trip in early-mid Feb.  I come home from work to turn on the heat pump to warm up the bus so I can finish some projects.  What do I find?  Three separate leaks!  One is from a location that's leaked long before I owned the bus, judging by the rotten floor underneath.  It was where the two large windows (numbers 3&4 from the front) meet.  I know those window leaked 'cause I saw 'em leaking before I removed them and skinned over them.  Now, there's a leak there again!  I have no clue as to where it is... maybe a clearance light or screw holding on the drip rail, who knows.

The other two leaks are just as aggravating.  They're under the triangle windows up front.  They don't appear to leak much, but there is quite a bit of water dripping from the area above the front tires (air beam area).  I've replaced the outside gasket on one of these windows, and it's the one that's leaking the worst.  They were held in by screws only; I'm wondering if I should use some polyurethane sealer under the frames and reinstall them.  At least I seem to have the leaks over the dash fixed.  I replaced all the clearance lights, as the rubber bases had gotten hard and sealed them to the cap with sealer.

It seems like no matter how far along I get, a leak pops up, or I discover an existing one, and stops progress.  Sometimes, I wish I'd been satisfied with my old Apache hard-side popup camper.  Anyway, if anybody's got some experiences to share  with stopping leaks, I'd LOVE to hear 'em.

David

[Dreamscape]

I too have had problems in the past with leaks on our Eagle.

Where I thorght the water was coming in WAS NOT IT. When I did my roof with sealant from Home Depot, I put on extra coats of sealant around all vents and a/c units. I also sealed around every window gasket. It took several months of hard work, but I think I finally fixed them.

Don't give up, it is part of the project.

Water does funny things, it can wick from about anywhere and end up anywhere.

Good Luck.

Happy Trails,

Paul

Dreamscape

[NJT5047]

Cool Seal seals the hell out of the top of the coach....hope you like white.  Various rivets will leak, and as has been stated, the water will wick all over the place. 
You may have some gutter screws missing or broken off.  Pull the gutters off and rebed the things in foam tape or butyl flex tape and reattach.  That will stop the "above" the windows  leaking. 
Look around on top of the bus for repaired areas that may have pop rivets instead of Cherry rivets.  Water will go thru pop rivets.   I'd be looking at those gutters and sidelights. 
I know leaks area  pain.  I don't have any leaks in the living area, but the dash leaks.  I've sealed the clearance lights, but still leaks.  Believe the windshield/moulding/mask is at fault.  And it may just stay that way.  I two months the bus is going back into service.   Gotta go.  So no time to tear out the front cap and window frame.  Don't leak much.  Lay a small towell in the center of the dash and that problem's solved for several days. 
I Cool Sealed mine on top in the area of the rivets...or is that Kool Seal?  Used white.   I keep my bus inside...but I understand that the Kool Seal will chalk up after a while and streak the H outta your coach.   Keep it clean! 
Good luck with your leaks.  Get a hose and find out where the leak is....or just cover all seams with Cool Seal.
RV Roof Kote makes a durable finish that would seal a screen door, for working rivets that you cannot gain access to. 
Always drill out a bad rivet and install a Cherry rivet bedded in butyl sealer or Par Bond. 
JR

[NJT 5573]

If all else fails, park the nose up hill so the water can't get under the overlapped aluminum sheets.

[DavidInWilmNC]

Yeah, I'll check the screws holding the gutter in place.  I pulled off the gutter last summer when I skinned the sides and stuck it down with butyl tape and caulked the top edge.  I'll prob. remove the screws and put sealer under each screw... again!  The roof itself is fine; I really don't think the leak is up there.  I painted it last fall and all the lap seems are still painted closed.  It's just so frustrating to not be able to continue because of these damned leaks!

David