Our 1st Roof Leak - via The Solar Panel Lead (1 Viewer)

[Blue Knight]

Hey Funsters

We had a great day yesterday. I was checking our van after lunch only to find that our side seats, carpets, cushions and floors were wet, really wet. To make matters even worse our Army Teddy Bear was soaked through to his stitching - poor ted!! The pic below may give you an indication of the level of the problem.

I traced the leak and found the water ingress point to be where the lead from the solar panel enters the van.

The quality of the van is superb (a MY17 4-month old Pilote) but it appears that the aftermarket fitment of the solar distribution lead was not the best; the Youth Training Scheme bloke was definitely on duty that day.

I've stripped back everything and have fully sealed the problem as I would rather do it myself in the knowledge it will be done properly.

Funsters: Please keep an eye on any aftermarket bits that you have fitted as you never know if the YTS bloke has had his hands on your van too.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Larrynwin]

So disappointing especially with a new van, hope no permanent damage.

 

[Blue Knight]

So disappointing especially with a new van, hope no permanent damage.

Thanks Larry, much appreciated. I've been all over the fan and the work by the Pilote guys at the factory is fantastic. This is an aftermarket problem only.

The silly thing really is that it's such an easy job to fit well in the first instance.

All the best,

Andrew

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[Blue Knight]

I've sealed it correctly as you can see in the pic below.

The van sits on our drive but what if it had been sitting in a storage site for weeks on end!

 

[Just smiffy]

A pain drying that out this time of year too, good job you caught it early....

Who did the installation..?

 

[Blue Knight]

A pain drying that out this time of year too, good job you caught it early....

Who did the installation..?

It was done by the apprentice (I'm assuming) at SMC Newark.

I've got to be fair to them though; I phoned them at 2pm on the 1st Dec and I had a repair slot allocated for the 4th Dec, so hats off to them.

I've stripped everything and the heaters are working well so I'm hoping/assuming that all will be OK.

All the best,

Andrew

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[DBK]

I've sealed it correctly as you can see in the pic below.

The van sits on our drive but what if it had been sitting in a storage site for weeks on end!

View attachment 199660

Is the end of the square trunking on the left under the solar panel open? Our panel cabling goes through the roof through a proper compression gland thingies.

 

[Blue Knight]

Is the end of the square trunking on the left under the solar panel open? Our panel cabling goes through the roof through a proper compression gland thingies.

Yes it was fully open and the side of the trunking was not affixed correctly either, hence the water funnelling it's way into the next section (which was also poorly sealed).

The van is on a slight forward incline due to our driveway and this didn't help.

Thanks for the post-up

Andrew

 

[tonyidle]

In my opinion (and it's only an opinion!) the cable entry covers used on MHs are very poorly designed. Any potential water entry point should not be flush with the roof of the van. I use a plastic conduit box with a bottom exit that can be pulled down onto a rubber washer. I still encircle the washer with Sikaflex.

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[Allanm]

That looks a very poor way to get cables through the roof panel, they haven’t used a proper cable entry box, or at least one that should be used outside. I have a solar panel and sat dish, two cables from each going into proper waterproof cable entry boxes. All cables are sealed with Sikaflex where they go into the entry glands, the box base is seated on a bed of Sikaflex and the holes in the roof are sealed with Sikaflex.
It only takes a few minutes to do a proper job.

 

[Blue Knight]

In my opinion (and it's only an opinion!) the cable entry covers used on MHs are very poorly designed. Any potential water entry point should not be flush with the roof of the van. I use a plastic conduit box with a bottom exit that can be pulled down onto a rubber washer. I still encircle the washer with Sikaflex.

I couldn't agree more Tony. It's a very poor design but one which every aftermarket fitter & manufacturer seems to have adopted.

In the motorhome design world it seems a tube of Sikaflex can just about cover every design fault in the book.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[Blue Knight]

It only takes a few minutes to do a proper job.

Agreed Alan, and that's the thing that really bugs me. It's such a simple job but hey-Ho we live and learn.

All the best,

Andrew

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[Neckender]

Sorry to here of your water ingress Andrew, I fitted my own solar panels and I used the cable gland in my picture and used some touch up paint to colour it the same as my van .

John.

 

[Late Starting]

Are SMC making any contribution to the cost of Drying out or offered any
Recompense if it don’t all dry out ok.
Have you put plenty sealer in end of square tube that finishes just under end of panel good luck with it all.
Cliff

 

[Blue Knight]

View attachment 199665 Sorry to here of your water ingress Andrew, I fitted my own solar panels and I used the cable gland in my picture and used some touch up paint to colour it the same as my van .

John.

That makes a lot of sense - you've done a good there.

I'm going to revisit the scenario when the weather is better and come up with a better solution than what's up there now.

All the best,

Andrew

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[Blue Knight]

Are SMC making any contribution to the cost of Drying out or offered any
Recompense if it don’t all dry out ok.
Have you put plenty sealer in end of square tube that finishes just under end of panel good luck with it all.
Cliff

G'Day Cliff,

These days I think dealers assume they are doing something special by offering to repair it. This comment is no way directed at my dealer but from reading many thousands of posts on MoHo Forums I think that we've done OK.

I'm not saying my view is correct but in an industry which consistently fails to live up to customer expectations then I honestly think that I've been well treated.

That being said, my wife and I are a bit disenchanted with the whole motorhome-thing at the moment; first it was our new Autotrail (MY16) and its countless list of problems and now it's this.

There seems to be no pleasure in owning a new van, i.e. with the constant threat of potential faults waiting in the wings.

Thanks for the post.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Northernraider]

I've sealed it correctly as you can see in the pic below.

The van sits on our drive but what if it had been sitting in a storage site for weeks on end!

View attachment 199660

I'd agree that's a poor way of fitting those cables the bit of trunking is just channelling the water down to the entry point.
I'd be inclined to remove it and fit a proper raised gland

 

[The Wino]

Thing with water is it will find the smallest gap. I noticed our passenger door trim had water in it it sees to have found its way along a piece of string trapped in the top of the window and wicked along it.

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[Blue Knight]

Thing with water is it will find the smallest gap. I noticed our passenger door trim had water in it it sees to have found its way along a piece of string trapped in the top of the window and wicked along it.

Yes, too right, I fully agree sir.

Water is fabulous for making beer and wine but I don't like it much when it's pouring through the van roof.

I've spent a couple of hours in the van today and everything seems to be going really well. There's no sign of water or damp so it goes to show that if you're fortunate to find the problem quickly then it's in your favour.

The saving grace has to be the quality of the Pilote manufacturing process as the panels are so well engineered and put together that the water has been stopped in its tracks from moving to the next section of the van and so on.

Very best,

Andrew

 

[tansea]

Ours remains completely dry inside but I am aware that I can't be sure about what is happening underside. The knowledge that there is a lot of wood down there doesn't help. I've thought about getting a damp tester so that I can keep my eye on things but am unsure what to buy.

 

[Lenny HB]

I always fit my own panels, where the cables go through the roof I always seal with Sikaflex, in the cable entry box before bolting the glands in I seal around the flange with Sika, fix the box to the roof with Sika and where the cables go into the glands seal with silicon. Also any trunking on the roof I seal the ends with silicon.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Sorry to hear about you roof leak hope your all dried out now.

I can highly recommend this type of Gland for an body wanting to bring cables through their MH roof....

I like this type as it has multi entry points. I have my solar, Satellite, GPS and Wifi all coming in at the same point.
You simply use a flat screwdriver to remove the small caps and insert a standard cable gland below...

No sealant required simply tighten the large nylon nut inside the van which compresses the foam washer.
Very well made and gives a good solid fit. If you only use one entry that`s ok but gives you options to later fit equipment without having to remove and reseal anything.

Available here...http://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/4-way-solar-panel-feed-gland-black-10972-p.asp

Ralph

 

[Blue Knight]

I always fit my own panels, where the cables go through the roof I always seal with Sikaflex, in the cable entry box before bolting the glands in I seal around the flange with Sika, fix the box to the roof with Sika and where the cables go into the glands seal with silicon. Also any trunking on the roof I seal the ends with silicon.

That's a good system you've got there Lenny. Very effective indeed.

Just think how much money you save by being able to do it yourself.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Blue Knight]

Sorry to hear about you roof leak hope your all dried out now.

I can highly recommend this type of Gland for an body wanting to bring cables through their MH roof....

Ralph

Morning Ralph, and thanks for the post-up.

That's a real smart set-up you have there. If I can get the threaded part of the pipe to lie flush with the ceiling then your idea could get a big

It's just a shame that most of the dealers who fit aftermarket kit do not use the items which you, John and Lenny have mentioned.

Very best,

Andrew

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[Lenny HB]

That's a good system you've got there Lenny. Very effective indeed.

Just think how much money you save by being able to do it yourself.

All the best,

Andrew

I do everything myself as far as possible See Here.

 

[Blue Knight]

I do everything myself as far as possible See Here.

I'll have a read of that tonight Lenny.

 

[SuperMike]

I personally think you are being very calm. For me I would already be nailing someone to the wall. Good luck for that lot drying out properly. I trust you have already put hem on notice for any permanent damage or staining.

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[Blue Knight]

I personally think you are being very calm. For me I would already be nailing someone to the wall. Good luck for that lot drying out properly. I trust you have already put hem on notice for any permanent damage or staining.

Cheers Mike. The info is now logged on my warranty file, just in case.

I think I'm more fed up with the motorhome-thing at the moment than anything else.

I may start collecting stamps instead.