2022 View 24D Multiple Problems

[Gator1975]

I have a 2022 View 24D and am having lots of problems with it. The GE AC has broken several times and GE finally replaced it (they have a two year warranty). The cabin/coach door window came delaminated and now I have a water intrusions problem on the port side under the vent to the upper bunk area. It's so bad that it rusted the screws and fasteners that hold the vent box and curtain in that area. Any one else have this problem and if so where did the water originate? Thanks in advance, Daryl

[Bryan V]

I can't speak of the water leak intrusion location, however, my 2022 door window also delaminated. I purchased: Dow Corning 795 Silicone Building Sealant - Black, on Amazon. This adhesive/sealant worked perfectly, very strong and was easy to apply.

[Gator1975]

Thanks Brian. Winnebago actually paid for the fix (about $350) which shocked me because the warranty had expired. They said that should not have happened...

[Morich]

One of the most common problems that most RV owners have to deal with is keeping the caulking/sealing in good shape. For many this is a yearly event to check the appearance of the caulking!

We can send it off to the dealers and hope they find it after several months or we can learn to do it as we often do a better job!

The trick is to learn to think like a raindrop! Do you travel up or down on vertical? Do you tend to run past a nice smooth edge when blowing around when driving or wind driven or do you pool and finally look for a way to get in?
Dumb idea, I know but it is easier for me to think of what water does in that way!

So my plan would be to go to the outside and look carefully at the seals and caulking where the water is most likely to have come in. Water rarely runs uphill but it does often run sideways on flat surfaces! Think of the walls and ceilings as a "sandwich" of thin layers laminated together in such a way that water may come in but be on top of a second layer. That forces it to pool or find a path to run sideways until it does find a way to get down through that second layer and finally get inside where you may notice it.
Which way it may run depends on which way the RV is tilted at that specific parking spot and may change the next time you park!

NOT an easy job!

But if you look carefully at all the potential leak spots, there is likely to be a small gap showing in the seal. Once past that gap, the water can pretty much go in any direction it needs, so logic gets difficult. Look for the first gap and seal it!

Which brings another point. Don't simple pile on more and more caulk as it builds up a "dam" where water will build up to set and much more likely to finally find a way in.
Also new caulk will often not stick to old, so make sure all is holding well when you finish.
Use a good caulk designed specifically for RV as it does last better and is worth the price! Silicone from the big box is cheap and easy but it also collects dirt and looks like you used something cheap!

[Gator1975]

Thanks for the info. Do you have a specific caulk you prefer???

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Gator1975

Thanks for the info. Do you have a specific caulk you prefer???

Winnebago publishes a Sealant Guide for all their motorhomes.

But in general you will always use a full silicone self-leveling sealant. It’s vital that you use a silicone sealant. The factory sealant is silicone and nothing else will stick to it but a sealant that is silicone based.

The factory recommended sealant is Hengs311 or NuFlex311. ProFlex is another brand.

You can buy GE Silicone caulking at Home Depot but it won’t be self leveling which will look messy.

Amazon, no surprise, is a good place to find NuFlex311 and I’ve found it occasionally, but not always at Camping World.

[Morich]

I like the Dicor of two types for horizontal or vertical.
But that is an area where it takes good prep that I learned in dealing with silicone on sealing/rebuilding aquariums where it takes really good prep and cleaning before trying to seal them.
Often we get into stuff that is more the way we use it rather than what we use. Since RV metal or fiberglass is a pretty easy thing to seal and make it stick, there are several different types that can work but each has it's own requirements to make it last.

One that fits for almost all is that the surface has to be cleaned and prepped as a first step and I just go with following the directions for the specific type I'm using. I go with the Dicor because I normally have it left from the last time and I also have had good luck with it over the years.

I tend to not learn a new trick if the old one works! I was happy when they moved from thin metal to other stuff that is easier to work without being so careful to not remove the paint or bend and gouge it so easy.
Tools are much better now as well. I find an oscillating tool is great for taking the old off without gouges as is so easy with a hand scraper. The old thin aluminum with the built in "dimples" was terrible to get down in those thousands of holes and dips to remove the old without also taking the paint off or nicking things.
I used a lot more sealer, just to hide the damage!

[Gator1975]

Awesome, thanks

[creativepart]

The problem with using non-silicone sealants (Dicor) is multifaceted.

1. Using one sealant type for all roof top applications eliminates the "now, which one did I use in that spot before" conundrum.

2. Cleaning REALLY well, well enough to remove all traces of Silicone is not always easy or effective. Ask any paint technician about removing all traces of any silicone product before painting they'll tell you it's pretty difficult to do completely. Sure, you think you've done a good job of cleaning it up, but have you really? Tough to know for sure until your Dicor doesn't effectively seal that area.

3. The next owner of your RV will need to know where you deviated from the factory silicone to apply Dicor instead.

I get it. Dicor is easy to buy and easy to use. However, there is a reason Winnebago and other manufacturers don't use Dicor when building their RVs. After all, it's cheaper and easier to source. I know I've used Dicor when I installed new roof items (solar panels, etc). Why, because it was readily available. But I regret doing it because now I have one factory panel sealed with silicone sealant and two DIY installed panels sealed with Dicor.

Sure, I remember this... but the next owner???? Good luck.

I plan on removing the Dicor sealant and reapplying with NuFlex311 just to make things simpler for the future. (Dicor is easy to remove and leaves no residue behind that would interfere with the silicone products.) And, I keep a couple of spare tubes of NuFlex at home and on the RV just in case I need some for a future project - so, now it's readily available, as well.

[ACB]

Originally Posted by Gator1975

Thanks for the info. Do you have a specific caulk you prefer???

There are lots of good replies here. I’ve owned 8 motorhomes over 35 years. The biggest single issue I’ve had is making sure my sealants are in good shape. I’ve had roof leaks, window leaks, door leaks and slide leaks over the years . But I learned the hard way how to properly inspect, and reseal my coach to prevent this. Living in the dry, hot, desert southwest, I’ve already needed to reseal the entire radius roof seals on my 2022 Winnebago Vista.

I recently visited the Winnebago factory in Iowa. They recommended Henry’s clear sealant. I’ve also used Geocel Proflex clear sealant. Lots of folks recommend Dicor but be careful, Dicor does not adhere to silicone based sealants Winnebago uses.

I hope this helps.

[DeltaRome]

I own a 2020 View 24 D and have some of the same problems you are having and I have some potential solutions for you.
Sorry to hear your 24D is having problems.
The side door is a work in progress and would work better if it was assembled and installed properly. The hinges have a corrosion problem between steel hinge pins and aluminum hinges. You need to remove pins, clean and lube them with silver antiseize grease.
The door alignment to the lock catches in frame is usually out of alignment and door has gaps. Adjusting door is complicated but adjusting latches in door jam is easiest.
The vent window above driver door leaked on my view as well. I tried different sealing foams and it still leaked. I never opened it anyways so caulk sealed it shut 360 degrees around opening and then closed window. No more leaks.
I have a Coleman AC heat pump 15,000 btu. It runs on 120 volts at 13.6 amps. To extend cooling time on house lithium batteries, WB changed to Chinese owned GE AC which runs on 12 Volts. Sounds great but you see the problem with high current dc motors with varying sources - inverter or flooded batteries or lithium upgraded ones. I don’t have a solution for you but avoid running on batteries if you can.

[Gator1975]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Turns out the leak is coming from a cracked sky light above the shower. Mechanic says it probably happened during installation. Winnebago request pictures and will make a decision from them... Wish me luck!