New owner, exterior seal question

[icrude]

Hello! Just picked up a 2619, a/c, oven, and stove had never been used. Very happy. The outside rear seal doesn’t look too good, should I be concerned with this in the rain?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by icrude

Hello! Just picked up a 2619... The outside rear seal doesn’t look too good, should I be concerned with this in the rain?

Yes, you should. The seal is called a "bag seal", and yours is badly deteriorated and will leak badly. A bag seal is a long canvas tube with foam strips inside. You can buy a replacement kit from Trail Manor, or several of our members have made their own. You can Search the Exterior sub-forum for the term "bag seal" to find more info, including materials, dimensions, attachment method, etc.

The gap where that bag seal lives should have a constant width all the way across the trailer. The picture shows that your gap is good at the edges, but very thin at the center. In other words, the roof of the front shell has lost some of its arch. This is probably due to excessive snow load at some point. You can remove the old bag seal and replace it with a new one and you will probably be OK, but there is no way to restore the arch. Since it is the arch that supports the roof, and a flattened arch has less strength, do not allow snow to accumulate on the roof and squash it further. If it gets to the point where it is dished downward, it will be a very serious problem.

The radio antenna (the black rod) was originally mounted on the rear edge of the front shell. I'm not sure if it was glued or screwed, but apparently it contacted the roof of the rear shell when the front shell squashed down, and so it was moved. The screw that holds the cable does not appear to have been sealed, so you should take care of that. The duct tape that currently holds the antenna will allow it to flop around in the wind and may eventually cause a leak in the soft roof material. You'll want to do a better job of fastening it down, making sure to seal any screws you may use. And take a look at the original screw holes in the edge of the roof to be sure they are sealed as well.

I think you will be OK, but you have some work to do.

Bill

[Kidkraz]

Here's how/where that antenna normally mounted. I would think you can find some vhb (very high bond) tape to reattach it. Clean off the old adhesive and reattach it. Weather the camper is open or closed, I would angle the nose/ front a bit high, so if it rains the water drains towards the rear of the camper.
If I can suggest, add the model and any mods to your signature block.
Welcome to the community.