The trunk in my 89 Caprice has high condensation/moister when I open it, to the point where everything is soggy inside, and even water dripping at time from the top of trunk (inside). The top always has moisture.

There is no noticeable leak anywhere, as I've sprayed my water hose (and at the car washer) directly for several minutes.

This leads me to believe it is the weather stripping. It is still pretty tight, but I do notice some areas where it is looser then others. Could this be the cause? I suppose there are automotive weather stripping specialists around I can check. Would it likely be expensive?

Thanks!

My '95 Roadmaster is experiencing the same problem and I may have a possible idea of where the excess moisture is coming from. Has the weather in your area been very warm followed by very cool weather? Temps in my area on one day were near 70 then the next day it was in the 20s. There were a cycle of a few days with warm temps in the day followed by very cool temps at night. This is the time of year when it is more likely to occur due to the changing seasons. I theorize the air in the trunk gets very warm during the day when it is warm and the sun is out and when it is night it is colder and the air gets denser and any moisture in the air condenses on the interior of the trunk. If it doesn't get warm enough to evaporate the excess moisture in the trunk, it remains. Add to that if your drain holes in your trunk are plugged, there is no way for any excess moisture to escape,and any extra airflow afforded by these small openings are stifled, creating a stagnant environment. Perhaps a quick fix would be to check your drain holes and leave your trunk open on a warm day for the excess moisture to escape.
I have also seen a case where a customer had a similar problem a few years back and it ended up being water during a rainfall was seeping in behind some of the trim on the back window and finding it's way into the trunk. Your car is 17 years old and there is a possibility that any sealing material could have deteriorated over the years and gaps may be present that aloow a small bit of moisture inside the trunk over time.
EDIT: In the areas of weatherstripping that appear loose, you might be able to repair it yourself. There are products on the market that you can get at your local auto parts store, or body shop supply warehouse that can re glue the weatherstripping to the car and tighten it up. I even remember an article in one of the car hobbyist mags ( Hot Rod, Car Craft) about 15 years ago that showed you how to repair missing chunks in your weatherstripping. It was a black substance that came in a tube like gasket sealant and you applied it on the ripped or missing area and put a piece of plastic wrap over it to cure. You then removed the plastic when fully cured and your weatherstripping was supposed to be as good as new. Never tried to do that so I don't know how successful it would be. Don't even know if that product is still on the market.

Look at the body plugs in the areas behind the wheel openings. Look at the arches of the wheel openings for rust holes.

Another area to look at is the area between the rear window and the deck lid - this is a bolt-on piece of metal and below it is the body itself. In wet climates, the body underneath this metal panel could rust and allow water to enter the trunk.

If you suspect the weatherstripping, get into the trunk with a flashlight while someone sprays a garden hose all around the trunk edges. That will rule it out for sure. Also make sure that the trunk lid is pulled down tightly when it closes, there might be some stops that you can adjust.

Bob

I had the same problem in my 87 caprice, mine was in the back courners of the trunk there's over lapping metal. which is my case rusted and made a leak even tho it didn't look that badly rusted. i sanded what i could see from the inside and outside then used the almighty bondo and it's okay. if it's your weather stripping you can order a new trunk one for like 18 $

Thank you all for the advice all... I will look into all the suggestions. I have a feeling it is the drain plugs or the rust since there does not appear to be a direct leak or anything like that.

This problem seems to me to particular to the boxy caprice, although I'm not sure why. I have seen several boxies with this moisture accumulation problem (including the white boxy in my avitar), but I have not seen this probem with any of the whales. In the case of my white boxy, my CB antenna mount in the trunk was a loose fit at the time and was allowing excess moisture in. When I replaced it with a mount that fit better and tightened it up, it seemed to cure the problem.

Heres my guess... along the sides of the trunk, down below the floor theres a weep hole of in case water gets inside the trunk, it can drip out. 1: Either the weephole is clogged and theres water sitting in there, or 2: the weephole is letting moisture evaporating frfom the ground into the trunk and getting trapped on the cold metal lid. just my :2cents:

Whats up fellow caprice owners, This is my first post. I have a 1990 with some very unusual engine problems, injectors putting out way to much gas. But the moisture in the trunk is also familiar. Mine may leak a little... enough to create humid air and then perhaps condensation. The water droplets form on the underside of the deck lid where it would be almost impossible for the water to get to. Unplugging the drain holes is a good idea, thanks for that, its got to help to some degree.