![]() ![]() What you should understand is that almost seal on the sidewall of your RV is a combination of the following: Now that we’ve looked at caulks and sealants, let’s look at their two main areas of application: the walls and the roof. Don’t try to fix your mistakes while the caulk is still wet. If you’ve ruined the job, wait until the caulk dries, scrape it off and reapply. Lay the bead, smooth it over, and move on. It’s not necessary to apply a cap sealant around the entire window perimeter. Most windows only require a cap sealant on the top and front seam.Use painter’s tape to prevent caulk from squishing out too far. ![]() Some caulks cannot be tooled some can be tooled using your finger and soapy water as a lubricant. Smooth the bead with a caulk tooling spatula.Try to push, and not pull, the bead (although like lefties, some people prefer to push).Hold the caulk gun at a 30-45 degree angle from the joint.Snip the tube nozzle at a slight angle (15-30 degrees).Once you’ve cleaned the substrate, don’t touch it! Some people can lay a smooth bead without tooling, and some spend hours trying to make something that looks half as good. Here are some helpful tips for applying beads of caulk to your RV.įair warning: In my experience, some people are born with steady hands, and some aren’t. ![]() In your Owner’s Manual, you should have a chart or diagram of the factory’s recommended caulks and sealants and where they should go. In fact, your manufacturer should have done most of the selection work for you. Honestly, you probably don’t need to know the difference between “silicone” and “siliconized,” or when you’d prefer an tripolymer caulk over a urethane hybrid. Just because SomeDude77 on an internet forum used a “silicone” sealant and it did/didn’t work doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience. If you’ve done some research previously, you probably know that sealants are made with different chemical bases such as the following:īe aware that there are several thousand sealants underneath each of these categories. What you see on retail shelves or is just a tiny fraction of what’s available to OEMs.Ĭaulks and sealants have an incredible number of properties: adhesion, skin time, cure time, flexibility, application temperature, mildew resistance, substrate compatibility, chemical cleanup, mechanical cleanup, toolability, shrink rate, color, paintability – not to mention any SDS concerns relevant to a manufacturer! What you should know upfront is that there is a staggering, frightening, befuddling variety of caulks and sealants.īig brand names include Dicor, Sika, Tremco, Geocel, Gorilla, EternaBond, 3M, DAP, GE, Heng’s, and Alpha Systems. Because no one purchased an RV to become a weekend mechanic. Now, I do have a few tips for getting off this hamster wheel – or at least slowing it down. If you’re buying a stick n’ tin or laminated RV, you’re stuck with it. ![]() Unfortunately, this is the state of the mainstream RV industry. (Although, to be frank, mice have been known to chew right through the stuff). Or that the only thing guarding your underbelly from a potential rodent infestation is some Great Stuff expanding yellow foam. Not to mention that the underlying butyl gaskets on many doors, windows and wall penetrations can oxidize and dry out, requiring full replacement and re-installs every 5-10 years. Regardless of their condition, most manufacturers will tell you that all cap sealants should be removed and replaced every year. GAF doesn’t insist you have to inspect your shingles every 6 months and replace them every 5 years regardless.Īs an RV owner, you are expected (per the terms of most warranties) to inspect your RV exterior cap sealants before every trip and/or every 90 days. The effort required to maintain your RV exterior is unacceptable for 21st century product design.įord doesn’t tell you to reseal your windshield every 90 days. ![]()
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