2016 A192HW Dome Window Blowout/Replacement

dmcd · 09-18-2017, 09:51 PM

Hi all. I'm new to the forum, but have already found lots of great information. Looks like a great forum!

I bought a very lightly used 2016 A192HW about 10 days ago and much to my surprise one of the dome skylights on the front face blew out on the freeway on the way home. Naturally, I was surprised that this would happen regardless of age, but to have it happen on such a new vehicle was quite disappointing. I'm now fearful that this is systematic and that I may be at risk to losing another window on subsequent trips, putting not only my vehicle at risk, but also the safety of other drivers on the road.

Thankfully Forest River responded immediately and sent me a replacement window free of charge. My questions are regarding installation of the new window. The skylights on these are nonstandard in the sense that they aren't attached with screws, in which case it would be pretty easy. I've googled this and searched the forum but haven't found any good references for this kind of window. My questions are the following:

1.) The adhesive from the old window is very hard and appears to be very difficult to remove. It's not something that can be scraped off like caulk or Dicor self leveling lap sealant. What is this adhesive? How can I remove this to prep the surface for the new adhesive and window? Will mineral spirits get the job done, or at least soften the adhesive so it can be scraped off? Any risk of damaging the roof with a solvent like that? I attached (hopefully it worked) a picture of the dried adhesive.

2.) What type of adhesive should I use to attach the window? This may have been answered in question 1, but if not, it's here again, and I'm open to other types of adhesives as well. Again, this isn't like typical RV skylights that use screws to affix the window and sealant. In this case, the adhesive is the only thing holding the window in place. The other option is to drill holes in the skylight and go that route, but I'd rather stay as close to OEM as possible.

My apologies for the long thread. I want to do this right, so any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, and happy camping!

Daniel

MontyPP · 09-18-2017, 10:09 PM

I would try heating it and plastic scraper or plastic drywall blade. Don't know what type of adhesive it is though.

dmcd · 09-19-2017, 10:43 AM

Forest River sent me the attached replacement instructions, which seem pretty straightforward. Interestingly, they recommend leaving the original glue in place. The adhesive is SikaFast 3131S, which unfortunately seems very difficult to find. I've found a few sellers online, but the minimum buy quantity is 12 tubes. At ~$40/tube, that's over $600! I just need one damn tube of the stuff! If anyone has any leads on where to purchase a single tube, or is knowledgeable about any equivalent acrylic adhesives, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Daniel

sundancer330 · 09-19-2017, 02:46 PM

I would not use screws to attach, this was tried on early models and most failed with seal leaks and cracking. I would heat the old caulk and gently remove as much as you can so you at lest have a somewhat smooth surface to reinstall. If you can't find the SikaFast 3131S try looking at online sellers of RV skylights they must sell some kind of sealer. Then once you get it all back together give it a week to setup good and buy a roll of Eternabond tape and seal all the edges on all skylights and the roof fan. I did this on mine when new to stay ahead of any future leaks, so far no leaks after two years.

dmcd · 09-19-2017, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundancer330

I would not use screws to attach, this was tried on early models and most failed with seal leaks and cracking. I would heat the old caulk and gently remove as much as you can so you at lest have a somewhat smooth surface to reinstall. If you can't find the SikaFast 3131S try looking at online sellers of RV skylights they must sell some kind of sealer. Then once you get it all back together give it a week to setup good and buy a roll of Eternabond tape and seal all the edges on all skylights and the roof fan. I did this on mine when new to stay ahead of any future leaks, so far no leaks after two years.

Thanks. I agree with you on avoiding screws at all costs. My local RV supply recommended another Sika product, SikaFlex-252. I have an email out to Forest River to get their opinion on that product. I'm probably going to take your advice and put eternabond around all windows and the vent too.

sholdeman · 09-20-2017, 01:33 PM

I was told by Forest River to use Geocel 2300. The corners of my skylights don't want to stay down.

dmcd · 09-20-2017, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sholdeman

I was told by Forest River to use Geocel 2300. The corners of my skylights don't want to stay down.

Interesting. When I couldn't find SikaFast-3131, I pinged Forest River again and they recommended Partite-7418, which is also impossible to find online. After talking with the vendor for that product (Parson Adhesives), it became clear that that product wasn't much of an option either. They also only ship in large quantities, the lead time didn't work for me, and it requires a special application gun which isn't cheap.

My local RV supply recommended SikaFlex-252. It doesn't have quite the properties (e.g. tensile strength) as the SikaFast and Partite products so I'm a bit hesitant, but I intend to also use Eternabond around the edges so I'm not too worried about it blowing off on the damn freeway again. If I can find a spec sheet for Geocel 2300 I'm going to compare it to SikaFlex-252 and make a decision.

Basically, Forest River said I should use a 2 component adhesive with a 10:1 ratio, but none of the readily available products I can find online seem to quite fit that. I'm an engineer, but holy cow I never thought I'd have to dig into adhesives so much!

I'm determined to get this done asap since I'm taking the camper out next week. I'll probably update this thread with any pertinent information once it's complete just so it's documented somewhere. When searching this forum and others, I couldn't find a comprehensive resource with information for this type of window, so hopefully this thread will prove to be useful for someone else down the line.

Daniel

ChateauV10 · 09-20-2017, 02:40 PM

it looks like the bond between the skylight and the adhesive failed, suggesting surface prep of the skylight as the root cause. If that is the case, then prep of the surface of the new unit is critical. Cleaning the surface with the proper solvent, maybe roughing the surface, maybe using a primer could be appropriate as well. The maker of the skylight would be my first stop for information. Good Luck!

dmcd · 09-20-2017, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChateauV10

it looks like the bond between the skylight and the adhesive failed, suggesting surface prep of the skylight as the root cause. If that is the case, then prep of the surface of the new unit is critical. Cleaning the surface with the proper solvent, maybe roughing the surface, maybe using a primer could be appropriate as well. The maker of the skylight would be my first stop for information. Good Luck!

Thanks! I plan on properly cleaning and roughing up the surface a bit before applying the new product.

Czars · 09-20-2017, 03:38 PM

Attachment of the windows is a well know problem with FR A Frames. Do not use screws against the plexiglas. Once you get ready to glue the new window in place, make sure the sealing flange edges are flat and that the window is not warped. If everything is not flat and square, put the window on a flat surface, weight down the flange edges and let the sun warm the window until it becomes flat and square. If it is not flat and square, it will not seal. Make sure you weight the flange edges while the new glue cures. Once the glue has cured, use 2 or 3 inch "eternabond tape" to lap the flange edges to the A-Frame roof all the way around the window. Make sure you work the air bubbles out. It is available in a number of colors. I used black and it looks good. The eternabond cleaner will cloud the plexiglas, so don't use it. I used soap and water and then alcohol to clean the surfaces. I've has no problems or leaks since I used the eternabond.

dmcd · 09-20-2017, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Czars

Attachment of the windows is a well know problem with FR A Frames. Do not use screws against the plexiglas. Once you get ready to glue the new window in place, make sure the sealing flange edges are flat and that the window is not warped. If everything is not flat and square, put the window on a flat surface, weight down the flange edges and let the sun warm the window until it becomes flat and square. If it is not flat and square, it will not seal. Make sure you weight the flange edges while the new glue cures. Once the glue has cured, use 2 or 3 inch "eternabond tape" to lap the flange edges to the A-Frame roof all the way around the window. Make sure you work the air bubbles out. It is available in a number of colors. I used black and it looks good. The eternabond cleaner will cloud the plexiglas, so don't use it. I used soap and water and then alcohol to clean the surfaces. I've has no problems or leaks since I used the eternabond.

Much appreciated. I didn't think about the flushness of the window, but will now. I plan on weighting the edges during curing and using 3 inch eternabond tape. I'll subsequently apply eternabond to the other windows and the vent.

Czars · 09-20-2017, 04:31 PM

Good idea to use eternabond on all the dome windows and the vent fan. I did and I have had no problems.

lcangler · 09-21-2017, 07:57 AM

2" or 3" eternabond tape? Is one easier or better than the other size when putting it down? Or does it matter?

dmcd · 09-21-2017, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcangler

2" or 3" eternabond tape? Is one easier or better than the other size when putting it down? Or does it matter?

3". I've never used the stuff, but I figure there's probably less room for error in terms of bubbles and wrinkles the wider you go. I wanted the extra inch of protection.

sundancer330 · 09-21-2017, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcangler

2" or 3" eternabond tape? Is one easier or better than the other size when putting it down? Or does it matter?

I used the 2" which gave an inch overlap on the edge of the skylight. Make sure to start at the bottom, then sides and finish with the top, this will help shed water over the edges when roof is up. Also purchase the Eternabond roller, it weighs about two pounds and does a great job, the rolling process is what activates the bond, you will see what looks like caulk oozing at the edges when rolling.

lcangler · 09-21-2017, 02:58 PM

Yikes. That eternabond roller is $35 on Amazon. Anything else work? If not I will get it. I am going to go ahead and to all the bubble windows and fan even though my unit is new, just in case.

sundancer330 · 09-21-2017, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcangler

Yikes. That eternabond roller is $35 on Amazon. Anything else work? If not I will get it. I am going to go ahead and to all the bubble windows and fan even though my unit is new, just in case.

Yes it is pricey for what it is, others have used a wallpaper seam roller with success. I did mine when new just as insurance because so many were leaking, its been two years with no leaks and the tape looks like new. I bought the roller to make sure the job got done right, maybe I should start a roller rental business, LOL

dmcd · 09-21-2017, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundancer330

I used the 2" which gave an inch overlap on the edge of the skylight. Make sure to start at the bottom, then sides and finish with the top, this will help shed water over the edges when roof is up. Also purchase the Eternabond roller, it weighs about two pounds and does a great job, the rolling process is what activates the bond, you will see what looks like caulk oozing at the edges when rolling.

Much appreciated! I meant to get the roller and completely forgot!