After heavy consistant rain Bunk end leaks. Normal?

[wgonfan]

I'm sure this has been visited but a search did me little good.

Back in Feb. I took the popup camping. It rained strong & steady for 2 days straight. (we actually left early because of the flood warnings).  on the 2nd night 1000's of pea sized beads of water started to build up on the inside of the bunkends top plastic-like material.  IF we wiped the beads off they would come back in about 15 - 20 mins.  If we let them be the beads would drop off, then new ones would form. The bunk ends had never leaked like this before.  Do you guys think it was just form the constant heavy downpour?  I personally thought it was just heavy condensation considering that it was 35-ish degrees & pouring outside & about 55-ish inside with the propane heater running.  

if it was true leaks & not condensation, then what can I do to prevent this from happening in the future? is there a spray or something that I should put on the plastic like stuff?

it's a 1988 Coleman Chesapeake.

TC

[wavery]

I'm sure this has been visited but a search did me little good.

Back in Feb. I took the popup camping. It rained strong & steady for 2 days straight. (we actually left early because of the flood warnings).  on the 2nd night 1000's of pea sized beads of water started to build up on the inside of the bunkends top plastic-like material.  IF we wiped the beads off they would come back in about 15 - 20 mins.  If we let them be the beads would drop off, then new ones would form. The bunk ends had never leaked like this before.  Do you guys think it was just form the constant heavy downpour?  I personally thought it was just heavy condensation considering that it was 35-ish degrees & pouring outside & about 55-ish inside with the propane heater running.  

if it was true leaks & not condensation, then what can I do to prevent this from happening in the future? is there a spray or something that I should put on the plastic like stuff?

it's a 1988 Coleman Chesapeake.

TC

It was more than likely condensation. It can get quite heavy, especially with a propane heater running.

Do a "Simple Search" for "Gizmos" and/or "Gizmos condensation" from the top, right side of this page. You may learn a lot. :sombraro:

[mike4947]

Wavery hit it on the head. The roof surface acts like that frosty beverage on a hot humid day and you get rain.

Where does the water come from? A lot is from you and other occupants of the camper. Each human puts out apx a quart of moisture in their breath in the course of 24 hours. The bunk end roof surfaces get colder quicker and anytime you get a cooler surface temperature than air temperature and moisture you get condesation.
Also the air circulation in less in the bunk ends so when you're sleeping your breath moisture tends to stay in the bunkends and that cooler roof surface is just waiting to wake you up with a rain shower.
The "cures" are ventilate, insulate, and circulate.
Leaving windows open slightly helps let the mosit air out, covers like the PUG's help keep the roof material at the same temperature as the air, and a fan can move the moisture around so it doesn't consentrate in the bunk ends.