Chinook RV

Leak in cabinet under crankup knob. I have a hd antenna. Do I need the crank up? Base looks good so must be leaking around gear area. Can I leave the base and remove the rest? How to stop the leak? I just bought this 3 days ago. Don't want any unneeded stuff up top. I will be up there today cleaning and need advise. Thanks What kind of antenna is the crankup?

It's a TV frequency antenna. Meaning you can still use it for digital TV if you wish.

Mine was partially broken by a branch, so I replaced it with a smaller saucer shaped antenna. Others have done similar or kept it:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=723

I simply used the original antenna's installation instructions (which were included in the batch of manuals passed onto me by the previous owner) in reverse to remove it.

Kev

I removed mine since I don't watch TV and since it was constantly flopping around on the roof while driving. I believe I made a thread about it (?). I removed the whole thing. Then I chamfered the holes a bit (Chinook didn't so the fiberglass was cracking slightly around the edges of the holes) and filled them with thickened epoxy. I "saved" the big crank hole because I may use it to bring my solar wires down. To make it watertight in the meantime, I cut a circle of galvanized metal that's around 1" larger than the hole all the way around and then used good butyl tape to hold it/seal it. Easy to remove and clean up with mineral spirits when the time comes.

There are less "huge" antennas you can mount - since I don't use one I don't know if they are better, worse, or the same in performance.

Thanks everyone. I have decided to leave the antenna up there. It is sealed very well around the base. Where would you think the leak is coming from around it? It could leak around the gear area I guess or maybe the coax cable...but how would you seal the gear area without harming the gear operation? This is the only leak in the whole rig and I want it stopped!! Thanks for any advise.

I don't have mine to hand, and I can't remember whether it is possible for it to leak "through the gear," or if that would actually mean it is simply leaking through the bedding. If I wanted to keep it and it were leaking, I'd likely remove it, re-bed, and then see. Anything over ten years old can benefit from re-bedding anyway, IMO.

Here are a few photos from when I removed mine. I understand you are keeping yours, but maybe these will be helpful anyway. If you click (twice I think) on any of them they will get larger.

First, here are the instructions for the unit that was stock on my '99:
And here we start the process of removal and patching:

The base, with the floppy bits removed: This is what the roof looked like just after removing the base. The ring of smallest holes are where the base was attached to the roof. See how the small holes are kind of "pulled up" a little? That's what happens when they aren't chamfered before driving pointy screws into them. It lifts and slightly cracks the gelcoat. Probably doesn't make it any easier to seal, either. If I were replacing/re-bedding I would chamfer each hole (which I also did before patching). This stops any further cracking, makes it flat, and also makes a tiny "well" for bedding compound (or if filling with epoxy provides more bonding surface.

The slightly larger hole is where the coax cable went in. The largest hole is where the gear goes through.

The thing in the yellow holder is a plastic razor blade. They come in three stiffnesses and are very handy for things like removing old bedding compound without making scratches.
Okay, on to next post for more photos (there is a limit of three per post).

Here is a view down into the large hole where the main gear goes through to the crank handle that's inside the locker over the couch. Chinook used plywood reinforcing in a number of places (the regular roof where there is not specifically plywood has a plastic coring material - nida-core in my case). There is also an inner fiberglass skin, to which the carpet inside finish is glued (this all for my '99 Concourse).
This next you won't be doing, but just in case it might be of interest to someone else reading. This is the roof after I filled the attachment holes with thickened epoxy. This is now "good as new" and watertight. The only thing left to do after this is finish it how desired. Most "proper" would be matching gelcoat, but since the roof isn't really on view one could paint it instead (gelcoat can be a fussy art). The main thing is to cover it somehow as epoxy will deteriorate if exposed to UV. For both gelcoating or painting, it's good to let the epoxy cure for awhile, so I generally put some blue tape on to protect it during that time period.

The two metal patches are because I thought I might use those holes in some way for my solar install. They are made of flat galvanized flashing cut in circles that overlap the roof an inch or so all the way around. Then they are sealed/held down with good (has to be the good stuff) butyl tape. This is a great way, IMO, because it is sturdy and water-tight, but also easy to remove when you want to do something else (use the holes, fiberglass them closed for good, etc.)
Here you can see that the holes that were filled with thickened epoxy are now completely flush with the roof. They are "one with the roof structure" now. (The perimeter holes, obvs not the metal patches.)

Thank you soooo much! for taking the time to post photos. Just what I needed!!