Hi, we have a Trigano 575tc. We've been really unlucky with rain the last couple of years. Last year unfortunately we were placed under trees and had 24 hours of rain being thrown at the camper, this year another 24 hours of rain with torrentual downpours ( don't camp the same time as us!)
During this we've sprung very bad leaks in the bedroom area, it seems to get in the seams at the top of the bed area and then run down over the beds. Once it starts it just pours in.When we bought it the roof had been redone, it looks good but wondering if there is a fault? The water is sitting inside the two stitched areas at the top over the poles.
It's never been sprayed with waterproofing stuff, wondering if we should start now we're getting leaking? Any suggestions appreciated
Always difficult to be sure with a replacement roof, as we don't know the quality of the work they have done, or the stitching used, however, it is quite common to have issues like this with seams (especially on acrylic canvases, although, I appreciate, the 575TC is traditional canvas). Especially with new seams, or canvases that haven't been used for a while, the fibres will dry out and contract quite significantly. They need to be soaked, in order to allow them to swell, filling any holes in the canvas. This is called weathering.
When we weather a canvas, we wet and dry it a number of times. The exact number will vary, but, usually, 3 or 4 will do the trick, as it takes a while for the fibres to swell. Unfortunately, even a full on 24 hour downpour will not give the fibres the time they need to expand fully, which is, probably, why you are experiencing these problems.
I would try weathering it first (soaking it a few times with a hose and allowing to dry) and see if it sorts the problem. If not, then you can use something like Seam Seal to try and sort it, or go back to the original suppliers.
You should find weathering does sort it, but I certainly wouldn't apply any kind of water proofing to the seam without weathering, as the the proofer sticks to the fibres, like glue, preventing them from expanding / contracting. Applying proofer when the fibres are not fully expanded will lock them in the contracted position, effectively locking the holes open permanently.
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It's certainly had plenty of soaking, we had a week in Oxfordshire and it rained all week and was fine just not torrential! So maybe it will be the seam sealer we'll have to use.
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Topic: Leaking help
