Probably Silicone that I had in the truck. Look at the hinge cover on the front roof. Mine was sealed on the left end, but not on the right. I filled the end of the hinge like the left side was done at the factory.
My concern was always traveling when raining. The box flexes a bit due to the cutout for the door so I wanted to lock down the top roof panel more securely (expecting that would provide a more secure seal). I added an extra clamp between the top and bottom roof panels, both sides, when folded (see pic). While I never experienced any serious leaks I felt a lot more comfortable with the clamp.
I wanted to update this thread as well, I was super concerned when we first got the camper and had to figure all that out. Lol, it seems kinda funny now. First off, when they drove it home over all those hours it was DELUGING...absolutely huge massive rain, second the ball was low and the front nose was low, thirdly they parked to eat in a sloped parking lot facing DOWN during the deluge. Fourthly there was a break in the large seal between both roof pieces. What this has meant since is...we put some sealant in the break, we may just replace the whole seal some day, now if we drive through a real rain we may get a little bit of water in the front corner but nothing damaging in any way, and I'm insane about water damage, so that's saying something. I wonder if anyone has replaced their seal, I've noticed the roof panels are not perfectly straight across and there are some gaps, I may try tightening up the clamps. For anyone who may be discouraged by this thread, EVERY CAMPER CAN LEAK, we have looked at so many campers it's not funny, and years later we still adore our little camper. Any camper will require maintenance, what I love about this one is that when an issue does happen, the repercussions are not major. No warped walls, rotten floors or molded wallpaper. The Azdel walls, fiberglass skin, aluminum and Perfomaxx floor are good stuff.
Aliner replaced ours twice under warranty. Seals used to be pieced together with butt joints. That's where they separate and feed water past the seal. Seals should be one piece now.
The photos are on the other computer. When I replaced mine the replacement was in one piece. The forward roof panel has a slight bow to it. I think the forward panel is supposed to compress the seal by 1/8"
Certainly valid, though all brands seem to have their issues and quality control problems. Some more than others. Eventually it starts to feel that the best move is to buy something less expensive so when the problems do happen it is less of an investment. For us the Aliner fit into that value sweet spot, but to each his own! Oliver may be the least likely to fail camper I've found...but maybe some owners could set me straight there. One thing is, since the Aliner can fit into a garage it does not need to be stored outside and that I think is a major plus. The worst damage seems to happen when any camper is left outside and unused regularly.
Mine lives in a garage all winter. We got it out a month ago, then they closed the campgrounds. It still has antifreeze in the lines and will probably go back in the garage in the next couple days
https://www.popupportal.com/threads/aliner-expedition-maintenance.126788/#post-1306259 Go to Post #1 in the above link. I believe I used Geocel Proflex RV sealant when I "sealed" the roof panels. Unfortunately, I've again found evidence of a leak when I opened things up and there was quite a bit of water resting on the lower of the two roof panels. Thank God nothing got inside the camper itself. Noticed that the Geocel (or whatever it is I used to caulk/seal) had lifted/separated in some spots so I'm hoping that another repair, this time with another sealant (anyone have any recommendations?), might solve the problem. Best of luck.
I replaced the 3" wide roof seal with some 3/4" x 1" and its been just fine. The fool before me added an extra ridge (peak) seal - that had been causing problems - when I removed it the top sealed up MUCH better erected.
Corners (ends of main hinges) can leak under the "right" conditions. Ours are OK at the moment. The sealing foam along the side of the roof "L" sometimes acts as a wick and routes water inside via the hinge-end area. IMO the ALiner is quite watertight if you maintain it and get to know it.
Can you explain what you mean here? We need to replace our seal too but I don't know what you mean by "3/4"x1"...is this a seal that you were able to find locally?
The good old "forum effect". Where everybody on a forum posts about their issues, and not about how their vehicle has been problem free. There are a lot more problem free (or problem ignored/unaware) vehicles out there for every one person on here posting about a leak. Campers leak. At least with my Aliner the leaks will be due to failed sealant, which is easy and low cost, if time consuming. And, like another poster said, a leak isn't a big deal with a newer Azdel Aliner.
Do you buy from Camping World as well? There is the forum effect, but there is also the fact that if enough people have a bad experience with something, maybe that something has a problem.
here is my replacement roof-to-roof seal (when closed) - when brand new and after use for one year. It easy to replace, and so much less $$ than the factory seal. Looks funky, works well so far. It was on Amazon UPDATE JANUARY 2021 - this seal is still working 100%. XCEL - Large, Extra Durable, Weather Stripping Foam Rubber Tape with Adhesive, Weather Resistant, Size 13 Feet x 1 Inch x 3/4 Inch, Made in USA
I agree, spend some time on the Airstream forums and you will be convinced every one is a leaking, rodent-ridden money pit! Lol, in reality I'm sure it's a small percentage. You're right though, campers leak, I'm super happy that mine is easy to figure out and the materials used are serious, there is no issue of water intrusion in our camper, even when some got in it just drained right out without causing an apparent issue anywhere.
I'm so happy you posted this, this is exactly what we need. Was the adhesive that came with it sufficient to hold it on well?
We are in our second Aliner. We learned from our first Aliner and when we bought our second Aliner (2016 Scout Lite), we bought simple; no access doors, AC, fridge, or heater. All these amenities have vents. Travelling down the highway, the air passing by these vents create vacuum and negative pressure within the cabin. In a downpour this negative pressure can suck water into the Aliner. We always tow with the tongue slightly elevated and always keep it popped up when not in use (all winter as well).