silicone sealant along entry door and slides

[AustexGP]

Howdy Everyone,

We have a Reflection 311BHS and it's time to replace/repair the silicone that is around the entry door and slide outs. How do you remove the old, clean the area and what do you use to reseal.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[WhittleBurner]

Elbow grease and a plastic scraper. I use the same type plastic scraper that I use on my cast iron pans. After removal wipe down with denatured alcohol.

Any good quality flexable silicone will work...don't go cheap or it likely will not last long

 

[dryfly]

Elbow grease and a plastic scraper. I use the same type plastic scraper that I use on my cast iron pans. After removal wipe down with denatured alcohol.

Any good quality flexable silicone will work...don't go cheap or it likely will not last long

I have been using Lexel on non-trailer projects. It's super clear and is supposed to adhere better than other silicone products. Will try on trailer next time it is needed.

 

[geotex1]

Sikasil-N Plus is very high quality and the easiest tooling silicone you're going to find. Do take all efforts to remove the prior silicone and it's residue. 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover is a great final prep step before applying new.

 

[Calbar]

Sikasil-N Plus is very high quality and the easiest tooling silicone you're going to find. Do take all efforts to remove the prior silicone and it's residue. 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover is a great final prep step before applying new.

Thanks for the info on 3M General Purpose Adhesiver Remover. I need to get me some of this to help with the silicone removal which is such a pain in the !@#$%.

Rob

 

[Farklepilot]

I also have that nasty silicone around all windows from factory. I plan to tackle one window at a time, remove the silicone, thoroughly clean area and carefully mask window frame and body. Apply black SikaFlex 291 and be done with worrying about my window seals. Used this product on boats for years. Harsh salt water environment, much flexing in hull/window frames when in heavy weather. Never ever had to redo... Down side is it's almost impossible to remove.
Can anybody with more experience with RV's tell me why this is a bad idea?

 

[Heavysledz]

It's just like painting....it is all in the prep work. You will spend 95% of your time removing the old stuff and preparing the surface for the new stuff.

 

[traveldawg]

I've been using Lexel. It stays clear. I think it's harder to apply than silicone tho. Now that I read about SikaFlex 291 I may grab a tube.

A body shop owner in Red Bay, Alabama (home of Tiffin Motor Homes) showed me a trick for peeling the old silicone off. Take a single sided razor blade, put a bend in it and slide it along the bead of silicone (gently of course) and it peels the silicone off pretty good. I tried it on my full body paint motor home years back and it worked well. I don't think it works so well on plain fiberglass (current rig).

For sure use some adhesive primer for whatever you apply. I going to look for that silicone cleaner someone mentioned.

 

[rootusrootus]

SikaFlex 291

As I was reading the posts about silicone, I was thinking exactly this. Why not use something like sikaflex? This is the kind of stuff I use on my house for sealing things, I'd never use silicone for that, why would I want it on my RV? Looking forward to hearing someone explain why it would be a bad choice on an RV. Sikaflex is awesome.

 

[geotex1]

Only thing about 291 is that it's an unreal headache to remove when you need to repair something. Not that I'm a fan of silicone here either, it is cake to remove with plastic razor blades and an adhesive removal wheel. Aside, several RV manufacturers use 219-LM in their production. Every sealant has their pros and cons and you just need to balance those to your personal fit.

 

[Stealth13777]

Someone may correct me, but I used odorless mineral spirits and it helped. Wipe it on, wait a couple minutes, work with plastic razor blade. Then use a little on a rag to help remove the last bits. I could definitely tell the difference between the dealer silicon (which came off super easy) and the factory (which took a lot more work), which told me quality of sealant matters.

Then used Lexel. Work in small sections as you don’t have much time to work with it. I only ended up with one 3ft section that I went back and re-did. Watched a few YouTube videos that said to use the mineral spirits on a rag to wipe your fingers off while smoothing the seal, and that really helped me. Happy that if gaps appear Lexel can be applied to itself, so hoping it’ll be awhile before I have to do this again.

 

[rootusrootus]

I could definitely tell the difference between the dealer silicon (which came off super easy) and the factory (which took a lot more work), which told me quality of sealant matters.

I don't know exactly what GD uses, but the clear sealant on the outside of our trailer doesn't look like silicone to me, it seems more like some kind of poly.

 

[Stealth13777]

I don't know exactly what GD uses, but the clear sealant on the outside of our trailer doesn't look like silicone to me, it seems more like some kind of poly.

Agreed. To that end I called Grand Design to ask. They gave me a specific brand they claimed to use and recommend, but said it was silicon. I didn’t buy it so don’t know if it truly was the same.

 

[Farklepilot]

Only thing about 291 is that it's an unreal headache to remove when you need to repair something. Not that I'm a fan of silicone here either, it is cake to remove with plastic razor blades and an adhesive removal wheel. Aside, several RV manufacturers use 219-LM in their production. Every sealant has their pros and cons and you just need to balance those to your personal fit.

I agree, removal is verging on impossible. As I have said, am new to the RV world and trying to listen and learn more than talk lol... That said, short of having to remove a complete window assembly (short of breakage, why would I ever need to if it is permanently sealed/caulked?) to me the benefit of knowing my windows etc are totally sealed far outweighs the potential leaks and ongoing replacement that you get with silicone.
Strongly suspect that another reason the factory doesn't use it is put a tube of it in the wrong/unskilled hands and the mess that can be created has to be seen to be believed!

 

[traveldawg]

Agreed. To that end I called Grand Design to ask. They gave me a specific brand they claimed to use and recommend, but said it was silicon. I didn’t buy it so don’t know if it truly was the same.

What was the brand they said they used?

 

[dryfly]

Someone may correct me, but I used odorless mineral spirits and it helped. Wipe it on, wait a couple minutes, work with plastic razor blade. Then use a little on a rag to help remove the last bits. I could definitely tell the difference between the dealer silicon (which came off super easy) and the factory (which took a lot more work), which told me quality of sealant matters.

Then used Lexel. Work in small sections as you don’t have much time to work with it. I only ended up with one 3ft section that I went back and re-did. Watched a few YouTube videos that said to use the mineral spirits on a rag to wipe your fingers off while smoothing the seal, and that really helped me. Happy that if gaps appear Lexel can be applied to itself, so hoping it’ll be awhile before I have to do this again.

You are right, Lexel sets up quick and hard to work with. I usually make a 2-3 ft bead, and smooth out with my finger. On the next bead, sometimes it's hard to make the joints smooth. It sure looks good when finished.

If SikaFlex 291 is that difficult to remove, I'd be hesitant to use. Lexel may not last as long but I'd rather have to apply more frequently. On my previous 5th wheel I used a Dicor caulk, as it was originally used by the manufacturer. It became extremely hard after about one year.

The idea of plastic razor blades is great. I'd like to know more about using 3M General Purpose Adhesiver Remover or the wheel that was mentioned.

 

[geotex1]

I agree, removal is verging on impossible. As I have said, am new to the RV world and trying to listen and learn more than talk lol... That said, short of having to remove a complete window assembly (short of breakage, why would I ever need to if it is permanently sealed/caulked?) to me the benefit of knowing my windows etc are totally sealed far outweighs the potential leaks and ongoing replacement that you get with silicone.
Strongly suspect that another reason the factory doesn't use it is put a tube of it in the wrong/unskilled hands and the mess that can be created has to be seen to be believed!

As many campers as I've had, never a leaking window. It is rare. Windows are set with butyl tape. Caulk is the suspenders. Things you will have to remove at some point are belt line moldings when the skirt gets torn up, turn moldings when you need to replace the slide box skis, marker lamps when the lenses for the base aren't available any more... Things like these.

 

[geotex1]

Grand Design uses silicone at the factory. It's commercial grade and not homeowner stuff from the big box. What I indicated earlier is what the average Joe can get ahold of that's equivalent. I toured each of their production lines and spent quite some time at the Factory Service Center. Silicone is their primary sealant. Not their only on the line or service, but their primary. It's all about workability, easy tooling, good working time while on the line while meeting what is believed to be sufficient in-service performance.

 

[Farklepilot]

As many campers as I've had, never a leaking window. It is rare. Windows are set with butyl tape. Caulk is the suspenders. Things you will have to remove at some point are belt line moldings when the skirt gets torn up, turn moldings when you need to replace the slide box skis, marker lamps when the lenses for the base aren't available any more... Things like these.

Thanks! There I go learning from this forum again lol... I assumed that given the length and number of so many horizontal surfaces that the windows present, they would be a prime source of leaks. I'm that guy that orders spare lenses, some factory trim etc etc to have on hand for when needed and no longer available.

 

[lorend]

Howdy Everyone,

We have a Reflection 311BHS and it's time to replace/repair the silicone that is around the entry door and slide outs. How do you remove the old, clean the area and what do you use to reseal.

Thanks a bunch.

From your signature tag it looks like you have a four year old rig, is this correct? Just wondering how long the factory sealant does last? Anybody have guesstimates on how long I can go before needing to take a closer look at this thread to do the same thing as talked about?