Caulking exterior

[tntrac]

Just replaced a smaller trailer (14'9) with a 22 ft trailer this week. I bought it used. It is a Thor Summit 2006 22RB .

I like to do preventive maintenance. Do you guys re-caulk over existing old ones or do you scrape all the old stuff off as much as you can?

What is the best method to have a nice caulking line ? For house, I use a combination of blue tape and a wet towel to wipe the access away. Cutting a small bead at the tip help.

Any recommendations? I will be using the left over Dicor non level caulk.

TIA,
tntrac

[jmswms]

What exactly are you caulking? Corners, Roof etc

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by jmswms

What exactly are you caulking? Corners, Roof etc

I am thinking for now, any moldings (vertical and horizontal) besides the roof.

[jmswms]

I'm pretty sure you want to use the rolled putty. Caulk does not hold no matter what. The putty stays soft and pliable and seals water out. Herk would know what the official name is

[TexasBBQ]

The best caulk for RV is ProFlex RV from Geocel. I've not had any problems with it and it last a long time.

I've found a strong mix if dish soap/water works best to smooth out the bead. Like you said cut the tip high to lay a narrow bead. Dip the finger in the soap solution and run along the bead to create a nice finish.

I've got two 10 oz caulkng tubes of the almond color if anyone want them - just cover the shipping. I orderd the wrong color.

[comfun1]

If it was caulked with silicone you will need to remove all traces of the old caulk before recaulking, as nothing will adhere to silicone including silicone.

[tntrac]

Thanks guys.

[bakken]

I caulked everything visible on our new camper with the Proflex RV. It is a great product, and sticks just fine to the factory caulk. It seems that the factory doesn't care much if water gets into places it shouldn't, and I used 2 tubes to do the job that should have been done when it was built.

[strokendiesel002]

I just redid my entire 2000 Shamrock 25... what a PITA! The doors and windows (mostly the doors) had started leaking and discolored the vinyl flooring and rotted the top layer of sub-floor. So while I was working on the outside a friend of mine who does flooring did the inside. What was around the windows and doors was factory white looking stuff and when I removed it, I found out just how dirty my camper was! Needless to say, hours of buffing with Scratch-out followed by more hours of waxing with Carnuba ensued. Once everything was clean I applied ProFlex to everything and very soapy water is the only shot you have at not making a mess when smoothing.

As a side note, I was talking to a local dealer service manager and he said that one of the leading causes of water damage are the lag screws that are used to attach the awnings. He said for some reason or another, these bolts are almost NEVER sealed. Probably not a bad idea to remove 1 at a time and reinstall with ProFlex applied.

[annamarie]

Originally Posted by strokendiesel002

I just redid my entire 2000 Shamrock 25... what a PITA! The doors and windows (mostly the doors) had started leaking and discolored the vinyl flooring and rotted the top layer of sub-floor. So while I was working on the outside a friend of mine who does flooring did the inside. What was around the windows and doors was factory white looking stuff and when I removed it, I found out just how dirty my camper was! Needless to say, hours of buffing with Scratch-out followed by more hours of waxing with Carnuba ensued. Once everything was clean I applied ProFlex to everything and very soapy water is the only shot you have at not making a mess when smoothing.

As a side note, I was talking to a local dealer service manager and he said that one of the leading causes of water damage are the lag screws that are used to attach the awnings. He said for some reason or another, these bolts are almost NEVER sealed. Probably not a bad idea to remove 1 at a time and reinstall with ProFlex applied.

Good idea, thanks.

[Tiggerdad]

I had had good luck wetting my finger with mineral spirits when using Proflex. Gotta do it quick because it skins over quickly and then can be difficult to smooth,