Door and Windows

sunnysolaris

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Posts
2
Location
Charlotte NC
Hello!! New to the club and wanted to see if I could get some help! What type of sealer is recommended for doors and windows after removing and replacing. I had to take the door frame off to get the fridge out of the camper and now need to reinstall the door but want to make sure to use the proper sealer. Thanks for your help!
 
Welcome!

There are two options for what you're doing- RV putty tape or butyl tape:

Putty Tape: This is what Sunline originally built the trailer with. It's usually sold in about a 25' or 50' roll at an RV dealer. Putty tape is easier to work with than Butyl because it isn't so sticky. It doesn't have a terribly long shelf life because it dries out and hardens a bit where it would be hard to work with. It does the job but over time, parts of it can dry out and separate from either the trailer wall or the window/door, which can cause water to enter. This roll is usually a couple dollars cheaper that butyl as well.

Butyl Tape: Butyl is more flexible, seems to have a longer shelf life, and is much stickier to work with. Like it's hard to get the piece off your hands in tact, so don't press too hard lol. But this stickiness is good, because it sticks to the surface and helps to retain the seal long term. It's considered a bit of an upgrade over putty tape and has a very slight price premium for the roll.

In my opinion, if you have the part off and are going through the trouble to redo the seal, go with the butyl.

Whichever you use, I recommend cleaning the surfaces on both sides before reinstalling, especially if there's any dirt visible.

The tops of the front and rear clearance lights and the roof seals use a slightly different sealer. The roof components use the same tape described above, but there's an extra step to coat all those seams with the other sealer, which depends on the type of roof that you have (aluminum or rubber). If you haven't sealed the roof, you should consider doing it soon.
 
Windows

Thank you so much for the information!!

One more question, the plastic molding around the doors and windows. Where can I get that?

What’s the best putty/butyl for the windows you mentioned? I’ll get the butyl tape for the doors.
 
One more question, the plastic molding around the doors and windows. Where can I get that?

What’s the best putty/butyl for the windows you mentioned? I’ll get the butyl tape for the doors.

You really want to use the butyl tape, it will last longer and does not cost that much more. See this link rather than retyping on what I recommend to use. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f66/solar-panel-how-to-attach-to-the-roof-19799.html#post153323

The plastic molding you are referring too, is this the snap in vinyl screw cover?

A picture post of the widow/door will help in this case showing the cover you are referring too. Also take a piece of the old cover, press it flat and measure the width. Sunline changed the windows and doors over the years and the type of replacement covers changed with them. And, some windows used different covers then the doors. Not sure which you have to better suggest the right one.
 

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