Leak Into Driver's Footwell

[erniemotz]

We have a 2008 Monaco LaPalma which we bought new and has had, from day one, a very frustrating water leak somewhere that results in the carpet in the far left corner of the driver's footwell becoming wet. If left alone it results in all the carpeting in the driver's area becoming soaking wet.

We thought it was the driver's side sliding window but after caulking everything possible around and above the window we still have the problem. When camped in a rainstorm the inside track of the sliding window becomes very wet, but the outside drains are working properly. We just had the motorhome to the Monaco Factory Service Center in Oregon and they did some sealing around the driver's window and the front windshield, but we still have the same problem.

We covered the entire driver's side sliding window with plastic wrap and duct tape so that the rainwater ran right past the window. The inside track stayed dry, but we still ended up with the wet carpet problem. At our wit's end. Can anyone help?

[wolfe10]

You are on the right track. Continue to use tape (even the blue easy to remove tape) to mask off possible entry locations.

And, if you have access to shore water (hose) start low and SLOWLY work up until you see water intrusion. That way you are more likely to locate the source of the water leak. The actual point of entry can sometimes be a LONG way from where you see it coming out.

Brett

[Frankturman]

I would also check the front window in that area. Front windows are not immune from leaks but a little silicone will normally stop any water intrusion.

Frank

[Smosher]

I would also check the lights above the windshield and the other lights above the driver side window it is possible a leak could occur in that area. I would check the light where it attaches and also the lens cover. Hope you can find it it is no fun wading in water in the winter.

Steve Mosher

2009 Camelot Monaco

[Roodriver]

Probably the most infuriating problem known to RVers. Start at the top and work down. Get down on your hands and knees and check ALL roof caulking for cracks or holes. Then systematically move down the side of the coach. Our old Georgie Boy had a leak in the windshield which made it's presents known by puddling on the floor. Took forever to find. Also, my understanding is that side window caulking/siliconeing is ineffective and that for side window cracks the entire window needs to be removed and reseated. Good luck.

Ward

[erniemotz]

Thanks everyone for your input and support. I've crawled around the windshield, side window and top marker lights. I found a few suspect spots and have applied some caulking. Tomorrow I'll add water to the equation and keep my fingers crossed. I'll let you know.

Ernie & Judy Motz

Winnipeg, MB Canada

2008 Monaco LaPalma XL

Escaping winter to the South is awfully nice!

[wolfe10]

Ernie,

When you use a hose to test it, start at the bottom and SLOWLY work your way up. That makes it easier to isolate the true source.

Said another way, even if the water appears on the floor below a window, start at the bottom of the window and work your way to the top of the window. Then move up to a mirror, windshield, clearance light etc. You would be surprised how many leaks enter up high and only APPEAR to be coming from a lower source. The water travels down the inside of the wall.

Brett

[elkhartjim]

Water leaks are weird. I had a puddle occasionally on the floor behind the passenger seat. It turned out it was coming from the rear a/c unit. I tightened the four bolts a few turns and it hasn't leaked in several hard rains. BTW, when I removed the inside panel, the bolts were less than hand tight. Don't over tightened.

[erniemotz]

I have applied a lot of water to the front of the motorhome including washing and hosing down the roof and front windshield as well as leaving the hose on the roof and just letting the water run down over the front end of the bus. NO leaks if you can believe it. I don't feel that any additional caulking on the driver's side window did the job, but rather it was either the caulking around the top marker lights or possibly at a side point on the windshield. The rubber gasket around the windshield appears to be in more than one piece and it just so happerns that there is a seam half way down the side of the windshield on the driver's side. I carefully lifted the gasket and applied caulking underneath such that when I pressed the gasket back down the caulk seeped out through the seam. I wiped off the excess. Maybe this was the problem. It certainly was in the exact right place for water to travel down an inside wall and onto the driver's side carpeting in the footwell. Anyway we are here in Phoenix until sometime in January and it doesn't seem to rain here so the final verdict on the repair will probably have to wait until there is a heavy rain. Thanks again everyone.

Ernie Motz

[windchaser]

We have a 2008 Monaco LaPalma which we bought new and has had, from day one, a very frustrating water leak somewhere that results in the carpet in the far left corner of the driver's footwell becoming wet. If left alone it results in all the carpeting in the driver's area becoming soaking wet.

We thought it was the driver's side sliding window but after caulking everything possible around and above the window we still have the problem. When camped in a rainstorm the inside track of the sliding window becomes very wet, but the outside drains are working properly. We just had the motorhome to the Monaco Factory Service Center in Oregon and they did some sealing around the driver's window and the front windshield, but we still have the same problem.

We covered the entire driver's side sliding window with plastic wrap and duct tape so that the rainwater ran right past the window. The inside track stayed dry, but we still ended up with the wet carpet problem. At our wit's end. Can anyone help?

I also have a leak in my passenger side footwell and have tried all the suggestions on this post, have resorted to asking help from the Internet and found a system called Sealteck 430R for detecting leaks. In researching it I found that Campingworld uses this system as well as two others RV repair facilities in my area and am thinking about trying it but would like to know of someone that has used this system and how successful it was and what was used for sealants when leak found.

Thanks for info
Ina

[KeithB]

Don't know if this will help but I'll share it. In our 2008 Monarch, I was finding water on the left drivers foot floor area after driving in the rain. Could not find the source. Early one morning with the curtains still drawn, dark inside the coach, and facing east, I discovered a small hole in the floorboard, next to the brake pedal. The sunshine made it show, otherwise I would have never seen it. I used spray foam (very carefully with lots of masking) to fill it. I've not had any more water when driving during rains. Other Monaco Monarch owners have had the same thing, perhaps your LaPalma is similarly blessed?

Keith

[MCool]

We have a 2006 Monaco La Palma that had several leaks from the day we bought it -- used in 2009 with 7k miles on it. My guess is the previous owner traded because of leaks. The back slide was a seal and was the only leak which the dealer could find and fix. All the other leaks the dealer could not find. The first year we had the coach, it spent more time at the dealer than on the road.

1) Leak 1 was on the floor board by the entry door. The carpet under the dash by the stairs was alway wet. The dealer tried several fixes with no success. We finally had enough of taking the coach in. My husband took all the molding and wallboard down by the front window. He did a slow water test and found the leak. It was the door awning arm attached to the coach. Water was entering behind the bracket and traveling to the side post then down to the floor board. This caused some damage. We had to replace the styrofoam and wallboard behind the molding and carpet by the stair well.... our choice because I was afraid of mold issues. My guess is, this was too much work for the dealer to do to solve the problem by taking the interior apart.

2) Leak 2 was the roadside slide behind the driver seat. Again the slow water test showed it was coming in at the bottom in the track and where the cable for the slide retracts. My husband made a rubber extension to the seal which extends about 4" past the seal and starts above the cable. It acts as a gutter to move the water past the the track. This was an easy fix although we thought the water was coming from higher up. ...always start your water test low.

3) Leak 3 was the drivers side front corner near the brake pedal. This was a light that was not sealed properly. Again the water was traveling down the side post.

4) Leak 4 was the back slide which the dealer fixed. The first night we spent in the motorhome it rained. When I got out of bed I stepped on wet carpet. On the fourth trip back to the dealer, he put a double seal around the slide which fixed it. I wanted to post this in case others have phantom leaks that they cannot find.

Water travels, so you have to track it down. It took us a year to finally find solve the leaks....actually one day for us when we decided to do it ourself. We are replacing the carpet just to make sure we do not have a mold issue. Oh one other leak when we first bought the coach. The waterline to the icemaker under the cabinet sprung multiple leaks. Under the cabinet in vinyl, but it did leak trough to the carpet.

[erniemotz]

Well hello everyone. I'm the one that originally posted this problem and 3 years later we still have the problem. Sorry for not keeping this thread up to date. Fortunately when we are not using the motorhome we have it stored indoors and when we are using the motorhome we stuff a towel into the left corner of the driver's footwell to soak up the leak. Sometimes we have to change the towel every few hours. Extremely annoying.

We have recently read about the Sealtech pressure test and have had it done at a service center here in Winnipeg. A leak was detected on the right middle side of the windshield and a tiny pinhole of a leak on a moulding just below the driver's side sliding window. The service center indicated that the entire windshield might have to be pulled and resealed and they did not want to attempt the job as the windshield may break in the process. They did not want to address the pinhole leak on the moulding as pulling the moulding would damage the paint and they did not want to attempt repainting that side of the motorhome.

I sealed the pinhole with silicone caulking but that did not stop the driver's side footwell from getting wet the next rain day. I used the shiny duct tape to seal around the entire windshield both between the rubber gasket and the body and between the rubber gasket and the windshield. I also put poly over the driver's side window and sealed it to the body with the same duct tape. It's been raining here a lot and even with all the sealing the driver's side footwell is still getting just as wet as ever.

So we're still at our wits end. Three things can happen from here. First I may pull the entire inside windshield area apart (MCool above has given me new hope) to see if I can possibly see where this leak is coming in. This will be a nasty job considering the cabinetry, power shades, drapery tracks, mouldings, etc that are all in the way of seeing the inside front end of the motorhome. Second we may just take the motorhome back to the Monaco service center in Oregon for yet another attempt at solving this problem (I don't hold much hope and can't imagine the cost). Third sell the thing. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again to all who have offered advice.

[desertdeals69]

How level is the coach when its leaking. If the rear is only slightly higher it may be leaking from somewhere towards the back. Try lifting the front slightly and see if it still leaks. On mine before I replaced the Dicor roof, it would leak at the rear if it wasn't slightly higher than the front. My leak was on the rear wall.

[erniemotz]

I don't think levelling is our issue. Our leak occurs whether we have the slideouts in or out or the leveling jacks up or down. We are presently storing our motorhome outdoors and it has been raining quite regularly. The parking spot is quite level, but we have the leak whether we park nose in or tail in.

Yesterday I applied silicone sealant all along the right hand side of the windshield between the body and the rubber gasket. This is where the Sealtech leak test indicated we had a leak (soapy air bubbles coming out). I had previously used duct tape to cover this entire area with no luck, but I thought I would try the silicone just out of desperation. Of course we now have sunny skies that will be with us for at least a week. Next week we are beginning a major trip out to the West coast and then possibly down to the Southwestern USA. We will likely encounter some rain days and see how it goes. I may start taking the interior apart unless we decide to head down to the Monaco service facility in Oregon and give the guys there another kick at the cat.

In spite of our leak we absolutely love the motorhome way of travel (no schedule, our own bed, our own kitchen, our own washroom, closets to hang up our clothes and that great huge panoramic windshield to enjoy the view along the way - it couldn't be better). Now if only I could convince my wife that a sailboat would allow us to do pretty much the same thing on the oceans - but I could be dreaming.

Take care everyone, I'll keep you posted.

[-Gramps-]

Water can travel from the top of the motorhome windshield gasket down both sides....and it will find a path to the inside of the coach if it can't weep out of the seal. There is a channel along the windshield that allows water to move down. I can lift the molding from the frontcap just above the wipers and water will pour out, and it can be days after it has rained and it will still be in there. My point is...this leak could originate at the top of the coach not just the driver side.

[erniemotz]

The WATER LEAK into Drivers's Footwell is finally FIXED!!! We stopped at the Monaco Service Centre in Coburg, Oregon in March 2014. Described the problem (which we have had for 5 years) to the service technician. Instead of re-examining the front windshield he removed the caulking above the driver's side window as well as the caulking all along the seam between the side of the motorhome and the roof above the slideout awning on the driver's side of the motorhome. Lo and behold he found some voids in the seal between the side and the roof as well as a void in the seal above the driver's side window. He sealed these areas and then reapplied caulking all along these areas. We had some heavy rains over the few days we were at the Service Centre and not one drop leaked inside. We have not had any leaks since. Can't describe how happy we are.

[campcop]

Sure glad you finally found it, that kind of leak can be very frustrating...

[rayrumble]

Ernie, I've been following this since I bought my 06 HR Ambassador last September with the same exact problem. Just had "sealtest" done and found a few leaks but my guess is it is still not fixed. Your guy in Coburg sounded like yours were not the first he'd ever found.

Did he go right to those areas you speak about...I didn't quite understand about the repair between the roof and slideout. could you give an old man a little more info....thanks.

KEEP DRY!

Ray Rumble rayrumble@gmail.com or rayrumble@comcast.net

[jarjour]

We have had the same problem with an 08 Holiday Rambler Vacationer and also have been at wits end trying to solve it. Interestingly, we had to repair the bottom, front of the driver-side slideout as a result of another issue and we no longer have the wet carpet problem. No idea why but extremely happy to no longer have that issue.