Leaky Window

[drayweb]

Discovered some major water damage to the inside of my Sunline Saturn yesterday. I bought some silicone caulking and am going to caulk around the rear window as soon as it quits raining here in North Dakota. I'm also debating whether I should use Lap Seal self leveling sealer on some of the roof seams or that Eternabond tape. I heard some good and bad things about the tape. There's old caulking around the roof and sewer vents that I'll probably scrap off and put that tape around. Where might a guy find that kind and color of paneling to replace that back wall?

[JohnB]

Hi drayweb,

I have some comments that may help you.

The window caulk from what I have seen, if you are looking for a long-lasting caulk where the bond between the siding and the window frame will last, I would suggest "not" using silicone. The problem is the bond; over time, it lets go. Depending on the situation, 1 to 3 years. Yes, the bead of silicone is still intact; it's just that the bond to the siding or the window frame lets go, and then the leaks come back. The camper flexes a lot when towed, which may be part of why it lets loose. The other issue with silicone is getting it all off if you want to go to a different caulk, as nothing will stick to leftover traces of silicone. It can come off, but it is challenging.

For your camper's flexing application, I recommend two more effective products. Proflex RV by Geocell and Dicor non-sag (non-leveling) lap sealants are excellent choices that can withstand your camper's constant movement much better than silicone from the lumber yard.

This post will show how you can apply them. The post was made for the Dicor, but I have since changed using more Proflex. Both are applied and smoothed out the same way. I find the Proflex to be better as dirt does not stick to it, like it sometimes can happen with the Dicor. The Proflex can last longer also. A few tips: do not use either caulk on hot siding or full sun on the siding conditions. Everything dries too fast, and the caulks glob all up instead of smoothing out nicely. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...tml#post137746


The roof seams: Yes, Dicor self-leveling lap sealant will work on the seams and any penetration joints (vents, etc.)

You mentioned Eternabond Roof Seal tape, good and bad. I have had a very good experience with Eternabond on the roof. I have 14-year-old E bond that I used back in 2010 still in great shape. But I also learned that both Dicor lap sealants and the Eternabond tapes will last much longer if a UV protectant is used routinely. I use 303 UV Protectant. After seeing 20-year-old Dicor last, which looks like 2 to 3-year-old Dicor, I know I found the problem with degrading roof sealants. Repairing Sunline campers made in the same year as mine with no roof maintenance or UV protectant; the caulk is toast, all cracked up with heavy embedded dirt. The sun's UV kills these roof sealants.

What were the negatives you heard about Eternabond tape? I may be able to give some perspective on how others may have had problems. I may also learn some new things, so please share. I have used a lot of Eternabond tape to do camper roof repairs. There is a learning curve to it and understanding it. And it may not be for every application, depending on how it is used.

Any of these sealants need to be applied to clean surfaces. Dirt or film will interfere with the bond, and the products will not work as intended.

I hope this helps,

John

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by drayweb

Where might a guy find that kind and color of paneling to replace that back wall?

Finding a wallboard to exactly match your older camper is going to be really hard to do. Close to the point of not doable.

In doing wall repairs of large areas, I go to RV Surplus places and search for something that comes close. Sometimes, I go over the whole wall and an adjacent wall to make it look all the same.

The RV wallboard is often thin vinyl paper bonded to 1/8" luan plywood. Sometimes, lumber yards offer actual paneling that was used a lot in the 1970's. Pattern and color selection are limited as home paneling is not used as much as it used to be.

There is also an option to make your own wallboard. Start with bare 1/8" luan plywood as a backer board and then glue commercial-grade wallpaper to it. Commercial-grade wallpaper is thicker and, in some cases, more vinyl than actual paper. They use it for commercial buildings, which can be abused a lot. This opens up a lot more selections in colors and patterns.

I hope this helps. Matching the wallboard patterns is not easy, especially in a small area. Most times, all you can do is get close to something that looks OK, and you can live with it.

John

PS. Another option is to paint a bare, thin bead board or other wood-milled product to make it look intentionally different. I have done this on the front wall where the bedroom was. It looks like a head board now.