Hi Guys. Bad luck on your leaking fan. I think that the flashing tape will do the job. You make a good point on the roof being exposed to constant sunlight and heat. If you paint the roof you might consider using a high opacity white paint as this will reflect the sun's rays and help keep the roof cool? There is also specific heat reflecting paint (they contain solids that give extra protection against heat absorbancy). the juries out on their efficacy but they are used on industrial buildings in hot climates) There is some information on the net - might be worth a read. You are doing a great job. Building a van is a true learning experience!
It sure is a learning experience 😂 There seems to always be more to learn! We haven't discounted painting our roof a lighter colour - we will have a deck which will cover the majority so we'll have to think about investing into that sort of paint is worth it 👍 Thanks for the reminder we've added a post-it note to our wall 😂
Same problem here with mine. Mine makes a valley just at the back of the fan. Sealed and water only slightly still getting in. I used flashband to raise all the low areas to make it a level base to sit on. Mk7transit. I shall try flashband around then if not..all coming off again 🤣
see now , neat and tidy looks nice but guys empty a load of sicka round that fan and get it sealed , and wow you been doing the van for 12 months WHY is this not finished come on own up whos to blame
Haha 😂 Well both of us working full time jobs is to blame - and a bucket load of research as we bought the van 9 months early (kind of lucky in hindsight - our original plan was buy the van march 2020 - HA!)
The glazing sealant (bonded window sealant) is the best, fast grab sealant we have actually used, so I'm sure it will stick it down to the van, it might even stick it better than the butyl tape. However, using it instead of the white 512 sealant to waterproof it, I would guess it's not a good idea mostly due to the lack of UV protection the glazing sealant has in comparrison.
Amazing timing - I have the exact same issue with the same fan and have been considering making a sort of poncho out of rubber to wrap around the fan and then seal that down, but this seems much cleaner/easier! I've noticed a few of these flashing tapes only have a 2-year lifespan... Did you find something else about the one you chose? Keep up the great work, guys :)
Our flashing tape says a lifespan of 15 years (between 5-30C) - on a van and in colder conditions we are not expecting that sort of lifespan, as we said in the video hopefully at least 5 years but we wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't as everything on a van is quite experimental! 🤞🙂 Have you found exactly where yours leaks from? It can be the tiniest of holes that water can get through
@@FreedomStrider Awesome! Will have to see if that can do the trick for me too. To be honest I have no idea where it’s leaking from. I used so much sikaflex when I installed it that I find it hard to believe, but I put another bead around a couple of questionable spots this morning and will see how that holds. I think it might be that I drove too soon after the first installation as the wind seems to have caused a few “waves” in the front end of the seal.
I don't have a leaky Maxxfan yet but just installed mine and feel like this would be the thing to do now rather than waiting to find out if I did a good job.
@@FreedomStrider After copying you guys and recommending people also do this I've noticed Humble Road's latest video show he does something very similar. ruclips.net/video/2c8YNxf1BuI/видео.html
If it leaks again, then that's what we'll have to do but it wasn't possible at the moment because we only have about 5 hours between rain storms so the idea was just to stop the leak right now 🤞
It's good to try and fix these leaks asap before they get worse and as we're going into before, we would like our repair job to at least last that until there are decent days!
From Canada: OK, I will tell you my theory about sealing, if I may... I had two sailboats over a thirty year period and I never saw any sailboat or powerboat manufacturer putting sealant over screw heads or deck fittings, NOBODY does that. When I sold my last sailboat and started looking at the RV world, I immediately noticed that tendency from US and canadian RV manufacturers to put a ton of caulking not only over screw heads but also over any components like fan flanges and others. You know, there is a running gag here in Canada about RVs: "There are two kinds of RVs: the one who leak and the one who will leak...". Exposed sealant to the sun bring it to crack and eventually make a path for water to do its way inside... Adding caulking, sealant tape or any other gizmo over leaky seal only slow the leaking process... If I may suggest: if the fan leaks again, completely remove it from the roof, carefully clean the plastic flange, clean the roof under it, scratch the paint to improve sealant grip then clean again. Put sealant under the flange AND under each screw head then tighten, REMOVE all excess caulking (I put masking tape all around before) so no sealant will be exposed to the sun. Try this method next time, just for fun... What do you have to loose!
I have to agree, if you have a leak you have a leak for a reason. Applying a sealant over other sealants is not the answer IMO. Remove and reseal guys.
Thanks for sharing that, we appreciate the advice - we'll consider it if it leaks again - we have a skylight to install so we may look into how to stick that with a more marine style method and see. I'm not entirely sure how the method you described works when you have to deal with the annoying ridges in the van roof, because we have to put butyl tape (or in the skylights case it will be neoprene) to even out the sticking surface - if it were just flat, oh so much easier! But I supose the method you said would go about roughly the same?
Sealant over sealant was never really what we were going for when fixing the leak - we wanted to test out the flashband strip mostly. I agree that the little strip of sealant that we put on top of the older sealant is not really to be trusted, hence we did the tape as well. If it really does leak again, then yes remove and reseal is the way. Only did it yesterday so have to wait and see how it handles. And as charlevoix418 said, the sealant ontop has always seemed a logically unreliable method. 👍🙂
@@FreedomStrider Well, to get a straight surface, you can use those adapters: www.ebay.com/itm/Sprinter-T1N-years-1994-2006-Roof-Vent-Adapter-/132298140143
@@FreedomStrider totally and yes you can always refit it from above at anytime so no drama. I didn't see your install video but you do everythjng else really well so you must have just got unlucky. I used the caravan putty in layers to build up a rim and sat the vent on that. My logic was the putty creates the watertight seal under the vent as its very sticky and it moulds to the ribs really well, the Sikaflex just directs the water away. ☺
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Hi Guys. Bad luck on your leaking fan. I think that the flashing tape will do the job. You make a good point on the roof being exposed to constant sunlight and heat. If you paint the roof you might consider using a high opacity white paint as this will reflect the sun's rays and help keep the roof cool? There is also specific heat reflecting paint (they contain solids that give extra protection against heat absorbancy). the juries out on their efficacy but they are used on industrial buildings in hot climates) There is some information on the net - might be worth a read. You are doing a great job. Building a van is a true learning experience!
It sure is a learning experience 😂 There seems to always be more to learn! We haven't discounted painting our roof a lighter colour - we will have a deck which will cover the majority so we'll have to think about investing into that sort of paint is worth it 👍 Thanks for the reminder we've added a post-it note to our wall 😂
@@FreedomStrider Thanks for your reply - I always look forward to your videos.
How did the tape hold up? Did it fix the leak?
Perfect so far, had no leaking signs, we would do the tape again. 😊
Same problem here with mine. Mine makes a valley just at the back of the fan. Sealed and water only slightly still getting in. I used flashband to raise all the low areas to make it a level base to sit on. Mk7transit. I shall try flashband around then if not..all coming off again 🤣
Flashband is the last resort I would say before taking the whole thing off, it's a pain to do that 🤦 good luck!
How did the repair last? We have a roof leak and wondering if we should try flashband or strip it all back and start again.
The tape worked magic, we haven't had problems since, it's still holding now. 😀
see now , neat and tidy looks nice but guys empty a load of sicka round that fan and get it sealed , and wow you been doing the van for 12 months WHY is this not finished come on own up whos to blame
This is why I like the look of the self levelling lap sealant the yanks seem to use or your method.
Haha 😂 Well both of us working full time jobs is to blame - and a bucket load of research as we bought the van 9 months early (kind of lucky in hindsight - our original plan was buy the van march 2020 - HA!)
Is it ok to use the same sealent on a roof fan that you use on a bonded window.
The glazing sealant (bonded window sealant) is the best, fast grab sealant we have actually used, so I'm sure it will stick it down to the van, it might even stick it better than the butyl tape. However, using it instead of the white 512 sealant to waterproof it, I would guess it's not a good idea mostly due to the lack of UV protection the glazing sealant has in comparrison.
Amazing timing - I have the exact same issue with the same fan and have been considering making a sort of poncho out of rubber to wrap around the fan and then seal that down, but this seems much cleaner/easier!
I've noticed a few of these flashing tapes only have a 2-year lifespan... Did you find something else about the one you chose?
Keep up the great work, guys :)
Our flashing tape says a lifespan of 15 years (between 5-30C) - on a van and in colder conditions we are not expecting that sort of lifespan, as we said in the video hopefully at least 5 years but we wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't as everything on a van is quite experimental! 🤞🙂
Have you found exactly where yours leaks from? It can be the tiniest of holes that water can get through
@@FreedomStrider Awesome! Will have to see if that can do the trick for me too. To be honest I have no idea where it’s leaking from. I used so much sikaflex when I installed it that I find it hard to believe, but I put another bead around a couple of questionable spots this morning and will see how that holds. I think it might be that I drove too soon after the first installation as the wind seems to have caused a few “waves” in the front end of the seal.
I don't have a leaky Maxxfan yet but just installed mine and feel like this would be the thing to do now rather than waiting to find out if I did a good job.
Honestly this stuff is great we've had no more leaks and we'd recommend it 👍
@@FreedomStrider After copying you guys and recommending people also do this I've noticed Humble Road's latest video show he does something very similar. ruclips.net/video/2c8YNxf1BuI/видео.html
Great minds think alike 😉 It's good to know our theoretical solution is being successfully used 👍
Hate to say it but you need to take the thing completely out, remove all sealant and refit properly.....total nightmare but doable.
If it leaks again, then that's what we'll have to do but it wasn't possible at the moment because we only have about 5 hours between rain storms so the idea was just to stop the leak right now 🤞
You’re doing a great job! We’ve had loads of leaks in our plumbing recently - you always learn from them!
Every leak is a learning opportunity 😂
Our fan had a leak too!! And or seals too!! But were about to fix it!
It's good to try and fix these leaks asap before they get worse and as we're going into before, we would like our repair job to at least last that until there are decent days!
What did you use to seal the fan? It looks like silicone rather than sikaflex 522?
It was sikeflex 512 - the UV resistant caravan one 🙂
Wow I'm so surprised it flaked like that! Will have to make sure I check mine regularly!
We were very surprised as well, it's been just under a year, and hasn't been driven alot either
Looks to me like the fan didn't have a leak, the *install* had a leak.
Not sure exactly what you mean? 🤔
From Canada: OK, I will tell you my theory about sealing, if I may...
I had two sailboats over a thirty year period and I never saw any sailboat or powerboat manufacturer putting sealant over screw heads or deck fittings, NOBODY does that. When I sold my last sailboat and started looking at the RV world, I immediately noticed that tendency from US and canadian RV manufacturers to put a ton of caulking not only over screw heads but also over any components like fan flanges and others.
You know, there is a running gag here in Canada about RVs: "There are two kinds of RVs: the one who leak and the one who will leak...".
Exposed sealant to the sun bring it to crack and eventually make a path for water to do its way inside... Adding caulking, sealant tape or any other gizmo over leaky seal only slow the leaking process...
If I may suggest: if the fan leaks again, completely remove it from the roof, carefully clean the plastic flange, clean the roof under it, scratch the paint to improve sealant grip then clean again. Put sealant under the flange AND under each screw head then tighten, REMOVE all excess caulking (I put masking tape all around before) so no sealant will be exposed to the sun.
Try this method next time, just for fun...
What do you have to loose!
I have to agree, if you have a leak you have a leak for a reason.
Applying a sealant over other sealants is not the answer IMO.
Remove and reseal guys.
Thanks for sharing that, we appreciate the advice - we'll consider it if it leaks again - we have a skylight to install so we may look into how to stick that with a more marine style method and see. I'm not entirely sure how the method you described works when you have to deal with the annoying ridges in the van roof, because we have to put butyl tape (or in the skylights case it will be neoprene) to even out the sticking surface - if it were just flat, oh so much easier! But I supose the method you said would go about roughly the same?
Sealant over sealant was never really what we were going for when fixing the leak - we wanted to test out the flashband strip mostly. I agree that the little strip of sealant that we put on top of the older sealant is not really to be trusted, hence we did the tape as well.
If it really does leak again, then yes remove and reseal is the way. Only did it yesterday so have to wait and see how it handles. And as charlevoix418 said, the sealant ontop has always seemed a logically unreliable method. 👍🙂
@@FreedomStrider Well, to get a straight surface, you can use those adapters:
www.ebay.com/itm/Sprinter-T1N-years-1994-2006-Roof-Vent-Adapter-/132298140143
@@FreedomStrider totally and yes you can always refit it from above at anytime so no drama.
I didn't see your install video but you do everythjng else really well so you must have just got unlucky.
I used the caravan putty in layers to build up a rim and sat the vent on that. My logic was the putty creates the watertight seal under the vent as its very sticky and it moulds to the ribs really well, the Sikaflex just directs the water away.
☺