Time to replace the sealant

[muckgram]

Hey all,
First of all, This site has been excellent in helping us buy our first PU. Just back from our first trip in the PU and was wondering what sealants are recommended by the DIY'ers out there. We have had the PU home for about a week and have discovered after a very heavy long storm that we a have a small leak in the roof. I found the spot on the roof near the back and it is on the center "rib"  sealant. There is no evidence of any prior leaks so hopefully I can catch this before it becomes an issue. Thanks in advance for any responses!

RG

[flyfisherman]

Hey all,
First of all, This site has been excellent in helping us buy our first PU. Just back from our first trip in the PU and was wondering what sealants are recommended by the DIY'ers out there. We have had the PU home for about a week and have discovered after a very heavy long storm that we a have a small leak in the roof. I found the spot on the roof near the back and it is on the center "rib"  sealant. There is no evidence of any prior leaks so hopefully I can catch this before it becomes an issue. Thanks in advance for any responses!

RG

What brand ... and what model and year PU ...?

[muckgram]

That would help :-)

1996 Jayco 1406 Pop up.

Thanks,

RG

[wavery]

Here is a personal choice:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/4851/377%20710/0/3m%205200/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=3m%205200&Ntk=Primary%20Search&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=3m%205200&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5000&subdeptNum=4&classNum=318

3M5200 Marine sealant is a little messy to use but it cleans up with mineral spirits. It is very slow curing, therefore you have a lot of working and cleaning up time.

You can apply it (sparingly) with a caulking gun then dip your finger in mineral spirits, run your finger over your bead and smooth it out and press it into cracks. It makes a really neat job.

It is the same color white as my Coleman PU and most other white campers too (I think).

It will absolutely seal your top for the life of your top. It doesn't yellow or crack. It will remain pliable for at least 15 years (that long I can personally attest to). I had it on my yacht for 15 years and it was not effected by UV rays at the least. It's the strongest stuff that I have ever seen.

The drawbacks:

It is very hard to get off, although 3M does make a chemical remover. I've tried it and it is still very hard to get off once it cures completely. I don't think that you could get it off of your top without damage.

It is expensive. I just bought a 3oz tube for $13. A 10oz tube is about $20. Once you open the tube, you must use the entire tube within a couple days. Any material left in the tube will cure. You cannot store an open (or resealed) tube of this stuff.

It has a dry time of about 4 days (they say 48 hours) and a curing time is about 2 months (they say, "completely cures in 5-7 days with no shrinkage". You can use your camper after about a week. That includes washing.

It would be ideal for touch-ups to your current caulking. My awning got away in the wind and poked a couple of holes in my aluminum top. I used the 5200 to seal up the holes and you can't even tell they were there.

[muckgram]

Thanks Wayne!

That sounds perfect. I will be off to the store Wednesday after work.

RG

[wavery]

Thanks Wayne!

That sounds perfect. I will be off to the store Wednesday after work.

RG

If your going to touch-up, remember the mineral spirits on the finger tip. Just lightly rub your finger over the sealer and watch it smooth out. Then don't touch it again for at least 4 days.

You may want to try it in a remote spot first, to see how it reacts to the current sealer.

[flyfisherman]

Starcraft ... and I'd bet Jayco, are pretty much the same ...

Starcraft says to use #999A Dow silicone sealer, or it's equivalent. Since there's really only a couple of manufacturer's of the stuff in this country, chances are pretty good you might just be using the equivalent that was manufacturered by the same company!. Anyway, Lowe's Bldg Supply or Home Depot will have a cross reference chart (should they not have that particular Dow product in stock) which will give an alternate product that is essentially the same.

The good thing about silicone sealant is that it can be removed fairly easy and the old residue product removed with a 70% solution of isopropryl alcohol (buy that at Wally-Mart for .50/.60 cents a pint. The alcohol will not harm the PU roof's paint under and around the silicone application.

Here's what I did on my Starcraft's aluminum roof ~ removed the old silicone using a plastic putty knife (maybe 2" wide , available from Lowe's/Home Depot), cleaned off the old silicone residue with the alcohol. Next, using  3/4" masking tape, run a line the length of the camper roof about 3/8"  from the plastic center piece and alng the sides of the roof. Also taped the top of that plastic rib that runs the length of the roof. The Dow sealant comes two ways ... in an 11oz cartridge where you'll need a applicator to apply it. The other way (and the way I went), was to buy the product in a 5oz tooth-paste type tube where you did'nt need the applicator gun. The 5 ouncer is more expensive but then it was enough to do my little Starcraft so very little was left over to just go to waste. I run a bead down the masked off section and then went back with my finger and smoothed it over. Just as soon as I had the area smoothed and feathered out the way I wanted it and the sealant was just beginning to set, I pulled off the masking tape. If you wait until the material fully cures you'll have a bear of a time getting the masking tape back!

Anyway, looks good and no leaks!



Fly

[muckgram]

Thanks Fly!

I'll let everyone know how it went. I'll even post a few shots on my website when it's done. Again, I appreciate the insight.

RG

[suburbpete]

Try something called "Eternabond". It's a tape that is amazing. You put it right over the center seam and it lasts for 10 years. They have a website. The beauty of this stuff is that you don't have to reseal the seams every year. The 4" width works great for the center seam.

[muckgram]

Thanks for the info!

[haroldPE]

I have heard of folks having great sucess with the 3M 4200 Polyurethane Adhesive/Sealant, which is not as permanent as the 5200.  Like said above, the 5200 is nearly impossible to remove, which may or may not be an issue in the future for you.

http://tinyurl.com/ynrj83

I also have a roll of eternabond, which I have not used yet.  Using simple latex for now, until the seams warrant the eternabond.

[hvacman]

My PU (2000 Jayco 12FSO) developed a leak while in storage, somewhere in the rear 2' of that same center seam, so today I got some Quickroof (tape - 6" x 16') for $18 and should be able to swallow the entire seam, trim cap and all.  I saw that on someone's personal website and looked fairly good.  This product has a white aluminum surface and seems real plyable.  Will give it a try over the weekend and let it set for awhile and then give it a good water test by setting up a sprikler on the roof and letting it rain.  I'll keep you posted and maybe some pics when done.

ps: I now have some canvas to clean and re-waterproof as well.....