Paul M Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 :'( Leak in Heki 3 fitted in our Rapido 7087F. As some of you may know we are at present living in our motorhome while building our new house, here in lovely Esst Devon!. At present it is tipping down with rain and we have a small leak around our Heki 3 roof light it is job to see where it coming from. The van is not dead level but slightly lower in front the water appears to be gathering in the front left corner in the blind slot and is occasionally dripping out over. Could it be coming in the handle mechanism ? Please help as I can't swim! Paul :-( :-( :-( :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roamer Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Hi Paul We had a leak with a heki on a auto-trail, the water came out through the ventilation grill, sealent between roof and heki non-existant in one corner. Putting two and two together, are you the person we (John & Sue) shared a table with in the Brownhills lounge at the NEC in October and if so did your visit to Malvern for a kitchen go well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul M Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Its stopped raining ! Hi John and Sue, What a small world. I can remember we had so much in common, houses etc etc. Your new van are you still WAITING????? We are off to Morocco in March/April, WHEN you get your van where are you off to? Rarther than use this forum, if you want to reply to this and have another chat I understand that you can send a replyto my inbox on this forum (If I knew how to work it I would send this to you) All the best Paul (and Ann who you never met) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Heki rooflights are manufactured by Dometic. Give them a ring and if you persist a little you should get to the Heki expert, who will be able to tell you how to remove the internal trim with blinds etc. Once that is off, you can see much better where the water is entering. If you're feeling brave, very carefully release all the clamping screws and drop down the internal frame. You should then be able to see up the sides of the outer frame to the underside of the roof sheet, and you may find tell-tale staining or damp marks to indicate where the water is entering. Be careful not to disturb the outer frame, and re-fix the internal frame before you go any further. Don't overtighten the fixing screws on re-assembly, otherwise you'll expel most of the sealant. Just nip the two frames together to gently clamp the roof structure between inner and outer portions.You'll then need to get onto the roof and make a minute examination of the Heki external frame. If nothing is visible, try creating small ponds against the frame with plasticene or similar, and flooding each in turn until you get water out on the inside. You'll only need small amounts of water, so the results are quite controllable. Start where the water enters inside, but remember that it can travel quite a way from the actual leak to find a way in. When you find where the water is actually getting under the frame, and the scale of the problem, you can decide what best to do. A small leak may respond to gentle progressive tightening of the inner and outer frame portions, to re-distribute the sealant - provided this is still flexible. However, if the leak is larger, or due to frame damage, or the sealant has hardened, the outer frame may have to be removed completely and re-bedded, or even replaced, and that is not a job to tackle unless the weather is reliably warm and dry, or the van is under cover!If you can't arrange to get the van into a proper workshop, or under cover in a barn or similar, then you may have to dry it all off carefully and resort to gaffer tape until a proper repair can be made in fine weather - or the new house is habitable and the van can go away for repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Paul M - 2007-11-19 8:26 PM :'( At present it is tipping down with rain and we have a small leak around our Heki 3 roof light it is job to see where it coming from. The van is not dead level but slightly lower in front the water appears to be gathering in the front left corner in the blind slot and is occasionally dripping out over. Could it be coming in the handle mechanism ? Please help as I can't swim! Paul :-( :-( :-( :-( Not sure if mine's the same model number but I think it is. Anyway to better see if the leak is around the main seal or somehow coming over the lip of the frame (as it can when travelling into wind on some occasions) it should be possible to remove some of the plastic trim on the inside of the frame. There are several of these about 6 to 8 inches long and they snap out if you flex them carefully. When removed you'll see the section that has been cut into the roof and possibly where the water is entering. Vernon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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