Missing Water Barrier in Window Caused Water Damage

[Spike]

We recently dropped off our Oliver II (2017, Hull# 222) at a local RV repair shop. Our tech, who has serviced our trailer since we bought it, discovered lots of water in and around the mattress on the curbside. (We recently had a strong monsoon rain here.) He took out the window and discovered that there was no water barrier between it and the inside of where the window fits inside the frame. He told me that normally this space should have butyl tape or some other material to keep water from penetrating the area. 

A  couple of years ago, after a heavy rain, we had discovered that the same mattress on the same side had got soaked. I attributed it to operator error, that somehow we had failed to close the window correctly. It was quite a pain. Mold had already started to grow on the mattress cover. I contacted the manufacturer of the latex mattress. (KTT, as I remember.) I was happy to be told that mold will not grow in latex. We took the mattress out, sprayed the cover liberally with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry well in the Arizona sun. We were satisfied with the result: No further mold growth and just some residual stains on the cotton cover. 

Now I suspect that that original soaking was not due to our negligence but that of the Oliver workers who failed to seal the window correctly, and that the only reason that the mattress had not been soaked more repeatedly was due to luck--rain had not been wind-driven in that direction that often. My tech asks me now whether it would be a good idea to take out the other windows to check if they too are lacking that water barrier. Thus far, no leakage has been noticed from the rear or street-side windows over the bed or dinette. 

My question to you folks on the forum is this: Has anyone else noticed this lack of a water barrier on the inside of where the windows are placed in the window frames of the hull? Should I direct my tech to check all the other windows, or should I assume that this is a fluke, that the Oliver workers had failed to correctly seal just this one window? Also, what material is normally placed in the hull's window frame to prevent this disastrous leaking?

I assume that, since I am past the warranty period, Oliver will not pay for this mistake in manufacturing. However, if it is a well-known mistake, other owners or potential owners should be made aware of the issue. 

I will appreciate comments and suggestions. Thanks.

[rideandfly]

Here’s our experience.

We visited Oliver last week and they had a new side window sitting out assuming ready for installation with grey tape around the window perimeter where the window frame flange contacts the outer hull. It looked like butyl tape. 
 

We have had leakage issues with the rear Oliver sign and a porch light above the windows with water traveling between the hulls leaking out of the the windows on our #75 LE2. These leaks were not window issues. Once we resealed the Oliver sign and porch light, that fixed the leaks.

I would discuss this with Jason.

[SeaDawg]

@spike, I would contact Jason, as rideandfly suggested. 

I know Oliver didn't use butyl tape ordinarily, over the years.. They used different sealants, including silicon, which is often clear,  and doesn't look like much. 

I'm old school, like your tech,,and I like butyl. Not everyone does, but I do.

[dhaig]

My wife and I took delivery of Hull 990 on 2/17/22.  There were very heavy rains in the area of Hohenwald the week we were there, or relatively nearby.  The third or fourth night following delivery we were staying at David Crockett State Park, near Hohenwald.  We discovered water was leaking in from the street side window by the bed, causing the cushion and bedding to get wet.  We called Oliver Service and returned to Hohenwald for the problem to be addressed.

We were notified our trailer was fixed and ready to go in slightly over 2 hours after dropping it off.  When I inquired for details of the cause of the leak, I was told the window vendor had failed to apply butyl caulk to the fasteners in the window frame.  OTT Service had applied butyl caulk to the fasteners and conducted a water leak test.  This action appears to have addressed the issue, as we have not observed any further leaks around the windows.  Oliver provided the service without charge to us, as a warranty claim.

Don

[Landrover]

I’m surprised this is happening? Doesn’t Oliver still have the booth that simulates heavy rain for thirty minutes to check for internal leaks?  Maybe not, production may be moving to Quickly.

[SeaDawg]

Well, we haven't seen a rash of comments on this, so my "guess" is a one off issue. For which I am sorry,  but, I do believe its an unusual  situation.  

I'd open a service ticket, were it me.

Photos would help. Leaks five years in could be difficult to trace. Spike's trailer is a 2017.

[Mike and Carol]

3 hours ago, Spike said:

I assume that, since I am past the warranty period, Oliver will not pay for this mistake in manufacturing. However, if it is a well-known mistake, other owners or potential owners should be made aware of the issue. 

I will appreciate comments and suggestions. Thanks.

Jeff, I’d call Jason and see what he says.  It does seem that there should have been a barrier.  Since you haven’t had any problems with the other windows it might be safe to assume they are okay.  Southern AZ monsoons are a good test.  We’ve been in lots of rain and have not suffered any leaks and we’ve never had any of our windows removed.  As Sherry said, it doesn’t seem to be a common problem.  Mike

[mossemi]

@Spike

I know you have great faith in your RV service tech and I assume it’s the same tech that installed your solar and battery upgrade, so you should be confident in the work he has completed for you.  But I also remember that he didn’t get everything right the first time, although he did get it right in the end with some help from the forum members. And he may have replaced an Oliver window before, but I doubt it.  So just to be fair, I think it would be prudent to ask the folks at Oliver, who built your trailer about your water leak as they might have some inside knowledge about window installations in Oliver’s.

Mossey

These 2 links contain information on the subject of water leaks in the window area.  The first link is provided by the Oliver Service team.  The second link start out with my experience’s with a window leak, but others contributed their own.

https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/window-maintenance

 

 

[Patriot]

12 hours ago, Landrover said:

I’m surprised this is happening? Doesn’t Oliver still have the booth that simulates heavy rain for thirty minutes to check for internal leaks?  Maybe not, production may be moving to Quickly.

They do have a really large rain simulator or giant Ollie wash/wet weather booth. We saw it during our factory tour in Jan of  2020. I don’t know if they had this back in 2017, If I had to guess I would say they surely must have. I can’t imagine that this critical and very important step would be by bypassed in production by Oliver regardless of the pace of production. 

[Mike and Carol]

34 minutes ago, Patriot said:

They do have a really large rain simulator or giant Ollie wash/wet weather booth. We saw it during our factory tour in Jan of  2020. I don’t know if they had this back in 2017, If I had to guess I would say they surely must have. I can’t imagine that this critical and very important step would be by bypassed in production by Oliver regardless of the pace of production. 

They had a rain booth when Anita took us on a tour in the fall of 2015.  I’m sure it’s in use but probably can’t duplicate an Arizona monsoon!  Mike

[rideandfly]

19 hours ago, Spike said:

We recently dropped off our Oliver II (2017, Hull# 222) at a local RV repair shop. Our tech, who has serviced our trailer since we bought it, discovered lots of water in and around the mattress on the curbside. (We recently had a strong monsoon rain here.) He took out the window and discovered that there was no water barrier between it and the inside of where the window fits inside the frame. He told me that normally this space should have butyl tape or some other material to keep water from penetrating the area. 

 

When we had leak problems, Debbie took a water hose and ran it above the areas of a suspected leak on the outer hull. I would watch inside with insulation pulled back in areas like the Oliver sign to find leaks. In the case of water coming out of the bottom of the rear window onto the curbside bed, found the water traveling from the Oliver sign, between the hulls  on the rear window onto the bed.

Since fixing two exterior leaks we towed Ollie through northern Texas and western Oklahoma when we ran into heavy rains (heaviest we have ever seen) and not one drop of water in Ollie's interior, a tornado passed later that day through Oklahoma.

When the window is re-sealed and installed, I would not assume the issue has been corrected until testing with a water hose above and on both sides of the window area where there are holes in the outer hull to mount lights, brackets, exterior mounted fittings, and signs. I checked the Oliver sign closely for cracks or sealant separations where water could enter around the sign and could not find any issues, but it was leaking with the water hose test when we removed & resealed it.

Bill

[CRM]

16 hours ago, mossemi said:

These 2 links contain information on the subject of water leaks in the window area.  The first link is provided by the Oliver Service team.  The second link start out with my experience’s with a window leak, but others contributed their own.

https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/window-maintenance

 

Love the pipe cleaner idea and will use that whenever we're traveling. Had some issues with occasional small leaks from the windows myself while stored, but after a good track cleaning, and adding a piece of Saran Wrap on the window that also overlaps the window track, I've had zero problems. I think the biggest issue with Ollie windows is that small debris can get past that small gap between the outside rubber seal and the glass that eventually builds up to the point that where it blocks the weep holes. For me, the Saran wrap has solved that issue. Might start using a piece of window film instead for a solution that  lasts longer and is reusable.

[Patriot]

8 hours ago, CRM said:

Love the pipe cleaner idea and will use that whenever we're traveling. Had some issues with occasional small leaks from the windows myself while stored, but after a good track cleaning, and adding a piece of Saran Wrap on the window that also overlaps the window track, I've had zero problems. I think the biggest issue with Ollie windows is that small debris can get past that small gap between the outside rubber seal and the glass that eventually builds up to the point that where it blocks the weep holes. For me, the Saran wrap has solved that issue. Might start using a piece of window film instead for a solution that  lasts longer and is reusable.

CRM,

Your on point with keeping the window tracks clean. We clean the tracks every time we wash our Ollie after every trip. Its easy so why not? I have never used the pipe cleaners or had a need for them. We do have the rain gutters which I think do divert the water away as designed. We have been through some very hard all night torrential rain storms without any water issues. 
 

-Patriot
 

[Kansa]

patriot I am interested in your Saran Wrap solution which side are you applying the wrap on inside or outside and do you cover the entire side or just the bottom half.  Do you use tape to secure it etc

[topgun2]

Kansa - 

It was actually CRM that made the post about Saran Wrap (see his post dated July 26, 2022 above) - not Patriot.

Hopefully CRM will respond to your question here - if not - then you might want to send CRM a private message.

Bill