Keder Rail leaks ?

Tampakayaker

We went on our first trip with our T@B over Veterans Day weekend.

We put up our visor that my wife had made and it fit great.

Overnight we had some heavy rain and the visor itself didn't leak (it was made from Sunbrella cloth).

What I did notice the next morning was some water seeping down the outer wall of the camper between the wall and the Keder rail.

Anyone else notice this happening?  

Should I get the ladder out and run a bead of caulk along the top edge of the rail.

I don't want any rain to seep into the walls via the screws holding the rail on.

Homebodyatheart

Good news is that it’s an easy fix! You need to seal the seams where the fabric attaches to the keder piece. Heavy rain will do that! I’ve got gorilla tape on my tarp awning now for the same problem in the same places and no leaks in heavy rain. 

norwood

@Tampakayaker, I had the same problem with water running behind the keder rail on my 2015 320. I backed out the screws and applied a small bead of sealant just below the top of the rail above the screws, snugged everything up, and no more leaks.

Tampakayaker

norwood said:

@Tampakayaker, I had the same problem with water running behind the keder rail on my 2015 320. I backed out the screws and applied a small bead of sealant just below the top of the rail above the screws, snugged everything up, and no more leaks.

What type of sealant did you use, and what color?

Michigan_Mike

Clear silicone caulk will do the job.  

norwood

Yep, clear silicone for this application.

Tampakayaker

norwood said:

Yep, clear silicone for this application.

I thought silicone sealant was a no no on T@B's because it doesn't stick properly?

mgreen2

NuCamp recommends polyurethane marine caulk

Michigan_Mike

I’ve used silicone caulk on my prior 320 T@B without issues.  This sealant is also used on smooth fiberglass fixtures such as bathroom fixtures, etc.   And for this particular issue in sealing up a seam along the Keder rail, it shouldn’t pose any problem.  Less is better and a wet finger or damp rag will work well so far as spreading the sealant and making cleanup easier.