new member need help with rot (pics)

[wraenking]

hello all.  ive been camping my whole life and now that im older,  i bought my own poup last year.  1991 jayco 1208 series in excellent condition except one of the roof latches.

i knew when i bought it there wa sa problem,  but for the price i knew i could fix it myself. i am very handy but have a few questions.

pics to follow.

1.  what is the thicker caulking/sealer used on the corner rails that hold the sides together?  it seems to be like a auto seam sealer

2.  anyone know what the thin almost paper like materail is that is stapled to the wood frame?

3.  what type of caulk should i use to re caulk all the seals?

i think that is it for now.  heres a couple of pics from my 1st and only trip so far to oak creek last fall,  and ill post acouple of the repair im doing now.

thanks all

oak creek, pa  05

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=553477581&security=Nloupb

repair

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=553366360&security=BeCUet

[wavery]

Nice pics. That looks like a fun  :eyecrazy:  project.

I would imagine that stapling a sheet of plastic over the wood before you re-attach the outer skin could prevent water intrusion from the outside.

I am a big fan of 3M 5200 Marine sealant:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/250927/0/0/3m%205200/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

It's an extremely tuff Polyurethane Adhesive/Sealant. It will sustain years of direct sunlight without degradation. Once it cures, it will set up a seal that is extremely hard to remove. There are agents that will remove it and they must be used to avoid damaging the surfaces that it is bonded to. The exception is ABS. It does not bond completely to ABS as it does to most any other material. That could be good or that could be bad. To me, it just means that I could get it off, if I had to. I still think that it would make the best sealer for the job. The fact is, hardly anything will bond to ABS.

Most automotive sealers are silicone. Silicone sealers fail, over time, in sun and weather and must be replaced. It also does not make a very solid bond and is relatively easy to remove. Not so with 3M 5200. I used it for bedding/sealing all of the deck hardware on my boat. Once it is in place, you never have to re-due it unless you need to remove it for another purpose. Then you have your work cut out for you. If you use this stuff, be sure that you never want to remove it. There's a good chance that you will damage the surface that it is bonded to while trying to remove it.

I even made custom engine mounts for my 120HP diesel engine in my yacht one time.  I made a mold, filled the mold with 5200. It set up solid but still flexible in about 10 days. That was 15 years ago and the current owner still has them in there.

It is messy to use so be careful if you use it. It cleans up with paint thinner or mineral spirits. In fact, after applying, you can go over it with a rag with thinner on it and achieve a nice smooth surface. Once it sets up (about 6 hours) don't mess with it for about 5 days. It reaches maximum cure/bond in about 30 days but is serviceable in 5.

One other thing....If it were me, I'd get rid of those "Scotch-lock" wire connectors while I had that panel off. I'd solder those connections and put shrink-wrap on them. They use those those "Scotch-lock" connectors because they make a fast connection making the wiring less labor intensive. They are terribly vulnerable to corrosion and vibration though.

[wraenking]

thanks for the info!

ill but the 5200 this week. rain called for the weekend,  so no go yet.

the connectors will be replaced.  i use a splicing tool i got off of a telephone guy years ago.  automoatically splice and uses anti corrosion gel at the same time.

thanks again

[DaveStremes]

Thanks for the tip on the connectors!  What diid you use to "shrink wrap"?

Nice pics. That looks like a fun  :eyecrazy:  project.

I would imagine that stapling a sheet of plastic over the wood before you re-attach the outer skin could prevent water intrusion from the outside.

I am a big fan of 3M 5200 Marine sealant:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/250927/0/0/3m%205200/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

It's an extremely tuff Polyurethane Adhesive/Sealant. It will sustain years of direct sunlight without degradation. Once it cures, it will set up a seal that is extremely hard to remove. There are agents that will remove it and they must be used to avoid damaging the surfaces that it is bonded to. The exception is ABS. It does not bond completely to ABS as it does to most any other material. That could be good or that could be bad. To me, it just means that I could get it off, if I had to. I still think that it would make the best sealer for the job. The fact is, hardly anything will bond to ABS.

Most automotive sealers are silicone. Silicone sealers fail, over time, in sun and weather and must be replaced. It also does not make a very solid bond and is relatively easy to remove. Not so with 3M 5200. I used it for bedding/sealing all of the deck hardware on my boat. Once it is in place, you never have to re-due it unless you need to remove it for another purpose. Then you have your work cut out for you. If you use this stuff, be sure that you never want to remove it. There's a good chance that you will damage the surface that it is bonded to while trying to remove it.

I even made custom engine mounts for my 120HP diesel engine in my yacht one time.  I made a mold, filled the mold with 5200. It set up solid but still flexible in about 10 days. That was 15 years ago and the current owner still has them in there.

It is messy to use so be careful if you use it. It cleans up with paint thinner or mineral spirits. In fact, after applying, you can go over it with a rag with thinner on it and achieve a nice smooth surface. Once it sets up (about 6 hours) don't mess with it for about 5 days. It reaches maximum cure/bond in about 30 days but is serviceable in 5.

One other thing....If it were me, I'd get rid of those "Scotch-lock" wire connectors while I had that panel off. I'd solder those connections and put shrink-wrap on them. They use those those "Scotch-lock" connectors because they make a fast connection making the wiring less labor intensive. They are terribly vulnerable to corrosion and vibration though.

[tknick]

Heat Shrink tubing can be found at any radio shack, or hardware store.  it comes in a variety sizes.  It is tubing you cut to the lenght you need.  Then you slip it over one the wires on your connect and slide it down the wire out of the way.  After you have made you connection, you slide it back down the wire and over the connection.  Then you apply some heat (usually from a match or a lighter) and the tubing will shrink around the connection sealing out most moisture.  Heat shrink tubing is sized so it will not shrink indefiinitely.  Make sure the piece you have is big enough to fit over the connection, but will still shrink enough to seal it.

HTH
Travis

[wavery]

Thanks for the tip on the connectors!  What diid you use to "shrink wrap"?

Sorry....my bad....I meant "Heat-Shrink tubing":

http://cgi.ebay.com/Heat-shrink-175-Piece-Colored-Assortment_W0QQitemZ180021081029QQihZ008QQcategoryZ73132QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Actually, I like this stuff better. It's easier, quicker and 100% better than "Scotchlocks", maybe not as good as soldering but just about:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&refid=store&item=4600789686&sspagename=STORE%3AHTMLBUILDER%3ASIMPLEITEM