Water leaks

[twinkletoes]

:(I have recently bought a Duo Hi Lo (9 years old) and have water coming out of the cab roof light. The cab roof trim was removed and the whole area re-sealed but the next rain has brought the same problem. Has anyone experienced this?

I wonder if the rain is getting into the join where the roof hinges up as the cab roofline was thoroughly tested with a hose after the re-sealing and did not leak? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Thoroughly dejected Ann

[ant]

Hi Ann.
I have only ever had one Hylo leak water from the interior light before, it too was an early example. It was a very difficult problem to solve, mainly because like yours it never leaked when soaked with a hose pipe. In the end I sat in it roof lining out and waited while the rain was coming down. It took about 2 hours to start leaking and the water came in through the centre of the rivets that hold the front of the body to the cab roof, they peel back like a banana and leave a hole in the middle, so whe water gets in between the cab roof and body and forms a small puddle it drains through the rivets. One of these rivets is normally directly above the cab light. The leak into the area between the cab and body was more of a mystery, like you I suspected the hinge fitting and set abot sealing them up along with anything else i could see that might let water in including all the rivets. The water never appeared in the cab again, and I didn't have any reports of the sound of an incoming tide when cornering so I can only assume it worked, which bit worked I can't tell you but I suspect sealing the hinge fittings slowed it down and the rivets stopped it appearing.
Hope this helps
Ant

[solsticemother]

Hi Ann
I too have recently bought a hylo, mine's 8 and tho I don't have that problem I do have others! a freezing draft down the right hand side when the roof is raised that I have to block with whatever I can, and now the back door which always looked a little unstraight has dropped about an inch which makes a freezing draft too. Maybe hylos aren't so hot though it did seem a good idea at the time?!
Cathy

[twinkletoes]

Thanks Ant, I will pass this on to the person trying to cure the leak - I have water problems all over the place. My basement flooded (twice) and my central heating is beginning to play up. Someone has put a water spell on me!!!
Ann

Hi Cathy. I've only had Freda (free da rome) a few weeks so have not found any drafts yet, other than through the vent in the roof sides. I saw a post suggesting making an inner cover for the canvas sides out of two layers of bubble wrap. I thought I might try that.

I had a C14 hitop about 12 years ago, but had to give it up as my feet got wet driving!! and I needed to park nearer the shops. I'm finding Freda great to drive (lighter than my previous Honda Civic) and the roof is easier to raise than I expected.

I don't expect to be away much this winter, but hope to have lots of trips next year when no doubt I'll find lots of small improvements to make for comfort.

Ann

[barry5933]

Hi Ann

I think we may have met at Loseley - I believe that I am the former owner of your 'van (reg number ends in GPN)

As we spoke there, yes we had rain entering when we first had the 'van, then about 6 years old. We took it back to Freeborn, suspecting the sealing had failed round the radio aerial mounting (you will see that it impinges on the windscreen rubber surround, and it really is a bit of a bodge on Romahome's part. Later HyLos have a better position for the aerial). Freeborn completely re-sealed the cab to roof joint, including the aerial base and we had no further water coming into the cab. Incidentally our problem had been showing itself as water pouring down the nearside windscreen pillar, not through the interior light.

Ant's explanation of how the water enters the cab does not however explain how the rain enters the body cavity between the cab roof and the Romahome luton body in the first place. Knowing how it gets from there into the interior light is only half the story. Plugging the rivet hole will simply trap the water. The source of the initial leak needs to be found.

The tilting roof seals to the main body moulding with an expanding rubber seal. When the roof is lifted, that seal is compressed along its front edge, relying on its flexibility to regain its full size when the roof is lowered. Perhaps the rubber is ageing and not properly sealing the gap when the roof is lowered.

Another thought, when the roof is lowered, if there is any obstruction in the luton area, (particularly round the edges where the roof drops over an upstand on the shelf) the roof will not drop fully onto the rubber seal. You can see from the outside that the front of the roof tilts up as the back comes down. A walking stick or umbrella was our usual culprit. Careful packing resolved that issue.

Ah - the draft through the canvas sides. We cut some panels of insulation (the type that has bubble wrap sandwiched between two layers of silver foil - obtainable in a roll from B & Q) to fit on the "shelf" immediately inside the canvas and wedge under the roof edges. We made one panel for the back and a tapering one for each side that slid along the sides between the telescopic strut and the canvas, sliding them forward until they wedged. Keeps out the draughts and insulates the sides. We still have them in the loft (we never throw anything away) and it did not occur to me to bring them to Loseley on the offchance that I could pass them on to another HyLo owner.

Unfortunately you are in Dorset and we are in Essex, otherwise I would let you have them. The furthest west we are likely to be travelling in the known future is Littlehampton (t'will be cold camping in November)

Hope to see you around though, and I hope the water problems can be resolved.

Barry

[twinkletoes]

Hi Barry,

It was nice meeting you at Loseley, we had a great time. We have joined the Roma club so maybe will meet up at a rally or two.

Thanks for your comments. The van is going back to Freeborn for the leak to be cured (hopefully).

It is leaking today and there is nothing in the luton area. I just wonder if the problem can ever be resolved, and Eileen and I are seriously thinking of changing it. If we get another younger version of the same type, knowing our luck, that will also leak, probably long after purchase. It is a shame, as we like the van very much.

Luckily I have a large car port so have tucked it in out of the rain now, but it was a very interesting drive today with a 'central shower'.

Ann

[barry5933]

Anne,

I really do feel sorry for you with the leaks continuing. After our problem was solved, I kept feeling for any further water ingress and was certain that the cause had been found and sealed by Freeborn. As I said before, our flood showed up as pouring down the windscreen pillar, not through the interior light, so perhaps your leak is in a different area to ours.

I do hope they can find the source this time. Perhaps you could persuade Neville to follow Ant's example and sit in the cab in the rain until the water starts coming in ;D. Lock him in until he has identified the problem

We havn't yet joined the Roma Club, we tend to go and do our own thing rather than go to rallies or meets. We mainly went to Loseley because it was free as well as taking the opportunity to see the new R25, having previously seen it half built at the factory. Having said that, it was a superbly organised event and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps we willl join the Roma Club to see if they can match it

All the best,

Barry

[Derek]

Oct 7, 2009 18:51:55 GMT twinkletoes said:

It is leaking today and there is nothing in the luton area. I just wonder if the problem can ever be resolved, and Eileen and I are seriously thinking of changing it. If we get another younger version of the same type, knowing our luck, that will also leak, probably long after purchase. It is a shame, as we like the van very much.
Ann

Hi Ann

We bought a new Hylo in 2004 and sold it last year. There were no leaks in ours and I don't think it is a common problem. It sounds like a problem with the very early ones which was fixed by modifications.

I hope Freeborn sort it out quickly for you, they can send it back to the factory if necessary, they are all the same company.

Derek

[twinkletoes]

Hi all
Thanks for all your comments. The van has been back from Southampton for a week now, and at Poole we have had several days of rain with no leaks so far. I have passed the good news on to Andrew at Freeborn and no doubt he is breathing a sigh of relief.

The final thoughts on the location of the leak was the original site of the ariel on the Berlingo as apparently the current position on this model is slightly different. That original area was given close attention and extra sealant.

Of course with our luck, in the first rain, the passenger door had not been properly closed so did not seal and there was a small puddle. I quickly established that it had not come from the roof area, so was relieved and decided to always double check the doors are properly closed. I was puzzled that the open door warning did not show on the dash, but assumed that it was because the door was on the first catch.

I use the van as my only vehicle, and it is a dream to drive - at least the power steering is - I am still getting used to the diesel engine. We are looking forward to days away next Spring, but in the meantime Eileen and I will just be having days out in the New Forest when we can escape from our Caring responsibilities.
Ann

[barry5933]

Oct 26, 2009 22:52:27 GMT twinkletoes said:

The final thoughts on the location of the leak was the original site of the ariel on the Berlingo as apparently the current position on this model is slightly different. That original area was given close attention and extra sealant.

Here's hoping that it has been finally sorted. That aerial position on the early Berlingos always was problematical (as I mentioned to you earlier). Apparently, the standard Berlingo cab mounted aerial was just too high for the Romahome body to be mounted, so, a new hole was drilled a little lower and the aerial mounted with the base plate upside down. This fouls the windscreen rubber, and the original hole (possibly unsealed) is covered by the Romahome luton. All a bit Heath Robinson. It was modified on later Berlingos to give a better aerial mounting position.

After we had the cab/luton/aerial/screen resealed by Freeborn early in 2007, we had no further water ingress. Perhaps it needs attention every couple of years.

Barry

[twinkletoes]

Thanks for those comments Barry - perhaps we should think about selling just before 2 years are up!!!! We'll just have to rob a bank or something to get a new model.
Ann