1994 Saturn T2053

[truthman]

It's finally spring in the Catskills of NY! Bought my first trailer late last year. Finally got around to starting restoration. Ripped out paper backed, moldy lino. Extensive floor rot by front door, under dinette seat and part of wall. Sealed roof last fall. Base of rear wall rotted, wet spot. Found cracked side marker lenses, ( all but one) and water in some. Starting to regret $1,500 purchase. I like to fix things myself but need some encouragement that I can do this without too much expense. Can I use silicone caulk to seal outside corners and access panels? Anyone care to share their water damage woes and solutions? Thanks. Erick

 

[jim44646]

Silicone isn't the best choice. In a few years the flex causes it to separate. Best to use butyl rubber caulk in tube or tape.

 

[JohnGB]

Hi Erick,

The Catskills, cool! Beautiful area. Are you in Green County? We use to live across the river in Columbia county. If you drive over the Rip Van Winkle bridge heading towards Olana and sort of go right through that mountain...our farm was on the opposite side.

Now to your camper, this is the support place! Go Erick, Go!

I'll second to not use the silicone. You will not be a happy camper after a year or 2 and then your sort of stuck as it almost infects the metal to not all anything else stick. It gets into any little pit, etc and it becomes a bear to get it all out of there. Here is one product that you can use

https://dicorproducts.com/catalog/roof-products/replace/epdm-lap-sealants/

You can buy it on line, Amazon, Camping world etc. Even the local RV dealer should have it.

You can get the non leveling type and use it around clearance markers, vertical places etc. For windows and doors if the seal is real bad to the side of the camper, take all the screws out, pull the window and use butyl sealing tape and recreate a real good seal. It is some time, but not a lot of money and good the butyl sealing tape will now outlive the camper.

And you can get the Dicor off with a heat gun to warm it and then get under it and can take it off. Put some new on. After about 4 years, some fine slits may start pending the degree of flex, just fix them as soon as they show up, top coat over them or take it all out and put fresh in.

Everything on the camper is fixable. If you supply the labor, the materials are not that bad. We have had many reconstruct the camper and some build it new from the frame up.

We can help on how things are made, some options on how to get parts and how some have fixed theirs. This is the place for Sunline info.

Hope this helps

John

 

[truthman]

Thanks Jim & John. I read that rain comes off the gutter and hits the corner strip and if putty has cracks it can leak. How do you remove that strip to replace putty, or will the butyl caulk just go in the gap? Any suggestions about best place to buy side marker lens?
PS John, we are in Neversink about 15 miles from Liberty. It IS a beautiful place for 3 seasons and part of winter. Hope to escape to warmer parts if I can get camper up to wife's standards and if the economy does'nt collapse. Regards, erick

 

[jim44646]

To remove corner strips or gutter u need to remove vinyl strip from center of strip. There u will find a row of screws. Removing screws will release molding (may be stuck on pretty good) then u can clean and replace caulk with butyl or Dicor. Replace vinyl strip with new. New is more flexible and easier to work with. Vinyl stripping can be found on line or at RV dealer. Measure width of old first. u can apply Dicor self leveling over top if it's cleaned well but at the age of your TT I would replace caulk. While strips are off u can inspect the wood underneath

 

[truthman]

Many thanks for the help Jim. erick

 

[JohnGB]

Thanks Jim & John. I read that rain comes off the gutter and hits the corner strip and if putty has cracks it can leak. How do you remove that strip to replace putty, or will the butyl caulk just go in the gap?


Any suggestions about best place to buy side marker lens?
PS John, we are in Neversink about 15 miles from Liberty. It IS a beautiful place for 3 seasons and part of winter. Hope to escape to warmer parts if I can get camper up to wife's standards and if the economy does'nt collapse. Regards, erick

I myself would pull the corner strip off and redo the putty tape and put buytl tape in. Then after it sets for a while, the butyl will ozz a little on a hot day, trim it and then Dicor seal if wanted. Butyl tape does not crack like the original putty tape, cost a little more but a lot better product. The only thing is it will collect dirt a little more as it is sticker. But the Dicor over it, use masking tape on the camper side, will skin over and then no direct problems.

Neversink, OK you are south west Catskills. We where north east. Across from the town of Catskill itself.

Side marker lens, they are usually Bargmen. Is there a stamp number on any of them? Then do a web hit on Bargmen and the number and many place pop up. That is how I found mine.

John

 

[JohnGB]

Erick,

See this post of mine. While not the front corners, I took the slide corners off and back on. Same process. There is lots of pics in there that may help

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f71/slide-floor-water-damage-10695.html

 

[Sunline Fan]

If it's really a '94, it'll have the #68 series Bargman clearance lights.