Leaking Trailer

hedgeapplelin · 06-03-2007, 09:21 PM

Hi Sunline Folks,

We just got home from our maiden voyage with our new Que which we bought in March (by the way we located our spare tire - thanks to all!)

Our took I-81 south to Aiken South Carolina, stayed at the Aiken State Park in Windsor, and then we headed to Edisto Beach. We camped out in the Live Oak campsite (the park is very nice, the island is quiet and totally uncommercial, but watch out for the bugs at the marsh site!)

The weather was great the entire week but then it rained the whole way home (we took I95 to I26 to Columbia then headed back north on I81) to Adamstown Maryland. The Que handled great - we use a sway bar & no problems with the big trucks or wet roads.

BUT - when we stopped over in Statesville, NC for one night we noticed some water on the floor in the lounge area and also on the floor of the passenger side storage compartment. We thought that we hadn't completely locked the storage door and some water seeped in on the road during a heavy downpour but when we arrived home we still had wet floors in the main trailer & also in the storage area - wet enough to soak our area rugs to the point that they're still dripping water.

The trailer ceiling is dry, the overhead compartments are dry, no leakage evident form the water pipes. The seat cushions were dry.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with their Que? Since Sunline isn't in business, I can't contact them. Is this typical when you trailer in heavy rain? Can my local trailer shop help me?

Any suggestions are appreciated - cause we love our little trailer!
hedgeapplelin

**PTHutch** · 06-04-2007, 05:24 AM

Hi hedgeapplelin

No it’s not typical when driving through heavy rains. Your trailer should not leak. Unfortunately, water leaks are difficult to find.

If you think it may be a seal on an exterior storage door, a simple test you can perform yourself is, put a high intensity light in the storage compartment at night and check if you can see any light from the exterior. If you can see light from the exterior, there’s an area that water can be getting in and should be sealed.

Check all roof seams and seals around all windows to see if there are any gaps. Water could be leaking in through a roof seem, down the inside of the wall.

The other test you can have done at a dealer is a Sealtech test. This will show if there are any leaks in your trailer that could allow water to seep in. The test should cost less the $100. You can find the dealers that can perform the test from their web sit.

Good luck.
Hutch

kanyonkitty · 06-04-2007, 10:36 AM

I'd also be contacting your dealer if you purchased the Que brand new. I know Sunline is gone, but many of us have dealers that are willing to honor the warranty. It's worth a phone call.

Kitty

**Tweety** · 06-04-2007, 11:42 AM

You should absolutely call your dealer. We had torrential rain yesterday and half the night and QUETSE is dry. I felt inside the cabinets, opened the storage doors and felt around, the ceiling is dry...your trailer should be dry. A reputable dealer will WANT to help you. Most people don't stick with a 17 1/2 foot trailer, but will eventually buy something larger. Your dealer will want you to come back for your next purchase. That is his motivation to help you even though Sunline is out of business.

hedgeapplelin · 06-04-2007, 08:24 PM

Thanks for your help - we need all we can get & you folks are the best!

Unfortunately we bought from a reseller who purchased the Que from Pennsylvania when Sunline was liquidating their stock, so we don't have a dealer to go back to. The trailer was unused. We bought it on-line thru Ebay. The seller had tested everything - very nice people.

I wonder if the water isn't coming into the trailer thru the gas tank area - most of the water was located exactly in the the middle of the lounge area with a little bit in the storage area. We have a runner rug down the middle & it was soaked thru. Would mud flaps help?

No other problems except for a possible electrical one. Our one inside halogen light right above the entry door ( we have a RE) isn't working even after a bulb change.

We're located in Frederick Maryland and so far we've gotten good service from Triangle Trailer; they did our inspection. Maybe we should have them take a closer look. Do you all think it's worth the expense?

We love our little trailer - during our trip I guess we had at least 3 people inquire about our Que - one person wanted to buy it!
Thanks, Hedgeapplelin

**Tweety** · 06-05-2007, 04:20 AM

Were your propane tanks wet? If so, I'd perform the flashlight test in that compartment. You'll have to remove the tanks to do that, which you will want to do anyway to see if that area is intact and dry. The cuprit also could be the front window letting in rain, which drips down the inside of the wall. If you looked around at new trailers, alot of manufacturers have eliminated the front window to prevent this common problem. Check that seal. I'd also crawl underneath and see if anything looks amiss. If you don't find anything you need to take it to a dealer for the Sealtech test. Mud flaps aren't going to stop the amount of water you describe, and water is very damaging to your trailer

That light might be the one on the switch by the door. I thought ours didn't work too, until DH flicked the switch and grinned

**Tweety** · 06-05-2007, 02:01 PM

Just another thought. I was just out in QUEtSE and noticed that there is a roof vent right above where you describe the majority of the water being. Could your vent cover be cracked?

ELPilotto · 09-10-2007, 06:59 PM

We had a similar problem on our maiden voyage last year. Problem was easy enough to figure out; yours truly

left the front vent WIDE open on the way to campsite.

tinybluetj · 09-11-2007, 03:41 PM

We had this issue. Look here:

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/ph...pic.php?t=1045

never did find anything!

coopersnest · 10-31-2007, 12:26 PM

Hedgeapplein,

This happened to me twice and then I found that the water line under the bed had loosened. Hope this helps.
Barbara

CaptKen · 11-25-2007, 01:44 PM

Major Leak Problems with my new Que!

Just got back today from my 2nd trip with the Que. The difference between this trip and the 1st was that I drove 85 miles home in the rain.

About halfway home I stopped to eat and went inside trailer to find water on floor in lounge area and heavy in passenger side compartment. Toilet was empty, vents, compartments and windows were closed tightly. I dried everything with a towel, looked for anything obvious and drove rest of way home.

Once home, more water evident. Wife helped me look under benches in each storage compartment and water in both. Water was also evident under sink. All upper cabinets and ceiling was dry.

We found water (and mud) on top of wheel well under sink which tells me muddy water was somehow coming in from outside.

Since owning this trailer, it has been rained on in the driveway several times with no apparent leak, so this is somehow related to driving in the rain.

Do you folks think a sealtech test at a dealer would locate the leak. I am extremely disappointed by this as I really love the trailer design. I am also worried the water that already ran all over and under the lower cabinet partition walls will "wick" up inside the wood and cause blistering of my brand new trailer. Wish I had a structural warranty from Sunline and some factory support.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!