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Old 08-05-2018, 11:34 AM   #1
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Adding a hatch...

Ok I received the extra hatch and it will fit well in the location I want it. A smaller door would have been fine as the ends will be blocked by the heater and water tank but the access to the back end of the heater without removing it or the bed above it will be well worth the work and cost.
It is directly behind the rear wheel and the awning support so I will need to be certified the weather proofing etc..
Any suggestions as I prepare to add this in the next few weeks?

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Old 08-06-2018, 09:25 AM   #2
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Just make sure to use lots of butyl tape. Since you have fiberglass siding, one layer may be sufficient to seal it up. Those of us with corrugated aluminum need to compensate by adding pieces in every valley so the seal is tight.

As a secondary precaution, you can coat the top and sides of the frame (edge of butyl, after you trim it) with Dicor non-leveling sealant (551 LSW) and smooth it like silicone in your shower. This should help prevent any water getting in that the tires kick up.

Also, if the door is a used door, make sure to check the seal around the opening of the frame. Replace with new foam seal tape if needed, and make sure the metal frame is straight. The bottom lip especially likes to get bent from moving stuff in and out, which can compromise the seal.
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Old 08-06-2018, 09:35 AM   #3
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Good points thank you!

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Old 08-06-2018, 08:49 PM   #4
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I will echo what Sunline Fan posted and add some more.

When you go to buy the butyl sealing tape, try and make sure you can tell what brand it is. A generic role on a shelf at a RV place with no name attached to it sometimes creates problems. How old is it? (there is a shelf life on this material) What type of butyl is it? Is it really butyl tape and not putty tape?

Putty tape is sold and advertised for exactly what you are doing. And it does work, but it has many negative attributes which include a short life span of leak free use. So if you ask someone in the store you want to seal up a cargo hole on a camper, they may give you putty tape and not think twice about it. It looks close to some butyls. They do sell butyl for sealing roof vents on a rubber roof as the butyl does not affect the rubber membrane.

One large difference you can see between the two products is their elastic ability.

Do a small pull test on putty tape, (take 1" or less of the material and pull each end) If it snaps in two parts in a few inches (1 to approx. 3") of pulling, this is an attribute of putty tape.

If you do a small pull test on butyl tape, (take 1" or less of the material and pull each end) If will pull like salt water taffy and goes all stringy... and it may take several feet to yards to snap in two parts and it thins out as you pull, it really does not snap, this is a attribute of butyl sealing tape.

On the Dicor non leveling caulk, I agree this is good to do on the exposed butyl. The butyl is so sticky that dirt wants to attract to that exposed edge worse then putty tape. What make the product work so good by sticking and staying in place creates this one side effect. Doing the Dicor also creates a secondary water seal and prevents the sun rays from directly hitting the butyl.

If you never caulked Dicro before and tooled it smooth, there is a learning curve. Which is generally frustration preceded by efficiency.... To help on the learning curve, see this post. This is one method that is repeatable and someone who never did this before can learn and it not look bad. Hopefully someday a master caulking person can take this to the next level. (that is not me, yet anyway)
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...tml#post137746

Hope this helps

John
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