New and Confused

[MickFish]

Hello out there,
My wife and I just bought a used 1999 32’ Fleetwood Bounder from a private party. We are new to Rving and have now become “babes in the woods”. The seller was wonderful, but now the professional wolves are circling us. Every professional that enters into our Rv picture, explains why we have to do this and that in order to fix some existing condition or prevent something from happening in the “near” future. I’ve spent many hours “researching the supposed issues and I’m pulling my hair out! I came across your existence on a blog, probably one addressing roof sealing. I remember your post as being knowledgeable and easy to follow. It all started with a $175 coach evaluation. The professional did spot one small area of water encroachment and determined that it hadn’t caused any damage yet. It would require a small reseal on the roof. But then, we were off to the bank with all the additional required fixes and maintenance issues. Here is where I need your help. I would send you a check/money or gold, if you wanted it, to pick your brain. The technician told us due to the lazy manufacturing process of the Rv’s maker, all of the Rv’s windows would need to fully caulked, meaning the entire edge of the windows. This is essential, because the Rv manufacturer only provides external sealing for the top of the windows and then 2”-3” down the side. This situation leaves our windows vulnerable to water getting in via the effects of physics. Any water on the exterior near the windows will be forced into the window areas that don’t have any external sealing by the wind as we drive down the road. The faster we’re going, the greater the effect or water penetration. What do you think? The professional wants $1200-$1700 to provide this service.
Thank you for at least reading this monologue

[wrvond]

No. Absolutely not.
Windows do need to be resealed every few years. But it is a job you can do yourself. All you need is a roll of butyl rubber tape and a screwdriver. Well, and a scraper to remove the old stuff.

The windows are two piece affairs, and the wall of the camper is sandwiched between the two halves, so two people make the job easier.
Check YouTube for how to videos. And take your business elsewhere, that guy is untrustworthy.

[Ford Idaho]

Are the windows held in by several 1/4 hex head screws?

For the roof a roll or two of this to seal everything.

Eternabond Roof Repair Tape, 4 In x 50 Ft, 35 Mil RSW-4-50R | Zoro.com

[Blackhat6mike]

x2. 90% of things that need maintenance on an RV, is DIY. You learn as you go, but this forum is an excellent place for DIYing.
It has been my personal experience that an RV is a project just as a boat is, just not as expensive. Leaks need to be addressed ASAP as water damage is the prime culprit to damage in an RV. You should be able to repair any leaks or prospective leaks yourself.

[Timtation]

I always figured that someone dumber than me put my stuff together so it would only take me twice as long at half the price to figure out how to fix it. Once fixed I would have the tools and knowledge to do it again when necessary. That was when getting stuff fixed was $35/hr. Now I figure if I don't have to buy a tool that I don't understand and if I don't have to do things my antique body does not respond well to I can save so much I can continue to live on Social Security, with support of Scotch and/or gin.
Ignorance is no problem, it is fixed with education, trial and error, help, books or hard knocks. There ain't no fix for stupid.

[Auntielo1]

Oh my lord!!!! I bought an '84 class C from a friend for $1,500. We took it for an inspection and found out it needed $28,000 in repairs. LOLOLOLOLOLOL
PLEASE just do what's needed for comfort and safety and go enjoy yourselves

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Auntielo1

Oh my lord!!!! I bought an '84 class C from a friend for $1,500. We took it for an inspection and found out it needed $28,000 in repairs. LOLOLOLOLOLOL
PLEASE just do what's needed for comfort and safety and go enjoy yourselves

So don't let us hanging, what did you do? What kinda of repairs would cost $28,000 dollars? ....

[Witch Doctor]

MickFish, I would run from this guy as fast as possible. I just checked my windows and they are sealed all around, Some caulking around the edges would put that to rest. If they haven't leaked since 1999 they must be sealed some way. As far as the roof, take the advice of Ford Idaho (post #3) that stuff works great, just follow the directions it will never come up. Camping World sells a 2 part cleaner and sealer for around $75.00 easy to use and do. Any Rv dealer would use the same stuff and do it for around $300.00 even CW will do it. Buy the way WELCOME to the Forum, and good luck and safe travels...

[Dakota EV]

Biggest thing is don't let someone force you into doing something that you don't need to do. There are some great people on this forum. Most of them with very sound advice. But take some time to consider what you really need to do before jumping into it. Ask for advice on this forum and then, as stated earlier, go to Youtube and look for any videos that will help you to understand how to do it. There are some great videos on sealing RV's on Youtube. Be careful what type of sealant that you choose to use. I listened to a local dealer and used Silicon and then found out that it is not the best type for RV's because of the way we use our campers. There are specific sealants made for our campers and it is better to use them. The Eternabond tape is terrific for sealing your roof along with Dicor self-leveling caulk on the roof. But the best thing is to do your homework and research each problem to be sure to do it correctly. Then plan on having a great time with your new camper and Welcome to the forums.

[Oaklevel]

That reminds me of several years ago when we lived on the coast, I went to a national chain tire store for tires. Sat and watched for a while........ amazing everyone getting tires needed needed hundreds of dollars in repairs ......Every once in a while they would hook one. when mine was done I needed $600 dollars in repairs I looked at the list one of the items was battery guard for $14 I had to ask what that was........ The sales guy said oh its these special pads that we put on you battery terminals. I looked at him & said oh the ones you can buy at KMart for less than 99 cents....... With out hesitation he replied but we will clean your battery terminals for life...........

Most RV repairs are not complicated and you can do yourself...... but if not I would get a second opinion.

Good luck !!!!!!!!!!!!

[ColoradoRick]

Welcome to the best RV forums on the web...imho!!

Wow, I agree that you should tell this "professional" to go take a long walk off a short pier!!

In addition to the great advise in here, I'd also suggest you visit some local RV dealers where you live and chat with them and visit their maintenance department. Having a local contact to answer questions and look up prices has been a great help for us with our two campers we've owned. (Especially when you're out in the boonies camping and have a situation you've never seen and having someone to call for advise.)

[Auntielo1]

Hi, we took it for a safety inspection and to have the roof checked. We were just being conscientious and we knew there was a leak in the roof. The guy started out by saying the roof repair/replacement would cost $16,000. He said that with a straight face! I honestly thought it was a joke. We paid $1,500.00 fifteen hundred for the RV. He went on to list a myriad of things that needed repair. Basically he was milking it and suggested repairs that were not necessary. We threw are hands in the air not because it needed a roof repair or new propane line but because we bought it in Oregon and once we got it to California we found out we were going to have a heck of a time , if not impossible , to pass smog here. We donated it to a homeless family and they parked it in a friends driveway as non op