Symbol 2004 water leak in cupboard above cab

Our Peugeot Symbol has two leak problems which may very well be from the same "hole". The first are water stains (about 18" in length) at the very top of the cab cupboard - just as the roof starts to slope down towards the windscreen. a little above the position of the radio aerial. Have checked the roof especially around the Heki roof-light and can see no problems.
The second is a dribble that occurs out of the top if the windscreen About 6" in on the passenger side. This only runs when you move the van so the water is being stored somewhere else and is running out of a convenient hole. When we first had the van 18months ago on our first rainfall trip we noticed a drip from the same position. On closer inspection you could see that the screen had been replaced and the rubber at the top of the screen which extends slightly up the raised roof at the front had been cut and left the extended bit in situ! the gap had not been filled. I filled it with Granville 0236 310ml RTV Silicone Sealant and the drip stopped. It is now back when we move! There are no stains on the fabric at the top of the screen.

Could these be the same Hole?
Should I have used Sikaflex?
Any Ideas on the cab leak problem?

Regards Alan

Yo Alan

Not sure what the windscreen problem is.

The cupboard above the cab I have damp stains on the head lining. They appeared in the bad winter we had two years ago. My thoughts on that is I left the snow and ice on the top of the van top front for abovt five weeks. I think that may have cause condensation to form and also the top cab cupboard door was shut. So have left the door open since and it not got any worse. I do clear as much snow as I can off the front roof now.

If you google Symbol damp a few things will come about it.

In my experience, the only way to be absolutely certain about the source of leaks behind roof panels is to remove them. You then get to see evidence on the rear of the panel, showing where the water has flowed from. If your van is similar to mine, the removal is time-consuming but not in any way technically difficult. If I had to guess, I would suggest a roof vent for the over-cab locker - if it were the aerial mount point you would expect damp at the bottom as well.

Incidentally, the last roof vent leak I had to sort out on my van was completely invisible from the outside - caused by a fitting error at the factory, where one of the internal fixing screws had been inserted incorrently, missing the plastic "tube" that it was supposed to fit into and splitting through the frame - water was entering through the resulting crack in the frame.

Silicone versus Sikaflex? The latter has adhesion qualities that are far better than any silicone sealant I've used, but the point is academic now - you are unlikely to be able to clean off the residue of the sealant already used to replace it with anything else. I would have thought silicone sealant would have been adequate in that situation, though last time I had a screen done, the fitter used a polyurethane based sealent (actually Purflex, though I doubt that the brand was significant).

Thanks for you advice.
Google search came up with this on Motorhome facts.com - this is an answer from Autosleepers.

"It more than likely is condensation that is causing the staining. The problem area is where the spoiler for the Heki roof vent is situated, this causes a void above the roof panel/insulation and the outer skin of the roof. To overcome this issue remove the blind part of the Heki, loosen the screws of the main roof panel. lower the roof panel and add more insulation to fill the void this should put a stop to condensation forming in that area. To remove the stains fill an atmosphere spray bottle with water, with a small drop of Fairy liquid spray on the panel, wipe with a cloth, then again with a dry cloth, keep repeating until all the staining has been removed."
Thought this might help anyone else with a similar issue.

Regards Alan

alanlakes wrote:To remove the stains fill an atmosphere spray bottle with water, with a small drop of Fairy liquid spray on the panel, wipe with a cloth, then again with a dry cloth, keep repeating until all the staining has been removed."
Thought this might help anyone else with a similar issue.

Regards Alan

That's interesting, wonder if anyone has tried this?

There is a post about staining, will repost the info there if OK

PB

1. Regarding the leak over the windscreen, we had something similar on our 2003 Dorset. Firstly the windscreen was actually loose in its mounting and had to be refitted but that wasn't the final cure. I had a habit of 'stuffing' the overcab space with bedding and had got a bit too enthusiastic. The pressure had actually forced part of the leading edge of the hi-top away from the roof. It took some surgery by Wokingham Caravans to find the leak and then fix it.

2. We had a similar problem with the Harmony last year and the leak was coming from the gutter plastic fixing screws. I made sure the drainage slots were clear then loosened the screws and applied a liberal dose of Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure- voila !
Mrs H prefers to shower at home rather than on the move

3. As far as the roof is concerned, I hate Heki's and judging by the wind noise at speed I wouldn't be surprised if rain is being sucked in under the fairly loose seals.
Have you been cleaning the roof with a jet spray ?? That did for my cooker vent until I realised what was happening.