DrewE wrote:
The proper way to reseal the window is with butyl tape under the outer flange when it's (re)installed. It's sealed to the outer skin of the RV. I would not try wrapping eternabond around the opening for the window as the extra thickness would likely cause difficulty with the window installation and sealing and doesn't really seem to me to help the situation at all.
Thanks Drew. I was going to use butyl tape (or possibly Eternabond double-sided) for the window flange. Sealing the open edge of the cutout was more to ensure there cannot be any water intrusion no matter what happens to the butyl seal over time, since delamination is such a serious and potentially expensive problem. I'm actually surprised they don't seal the laminate edges before installing them. Just like you would seal the end grain of a cut pre-treated board. Make the entire wall panel - including cutouts - impervious to water so if the normal window seal fails you still won't be risking delamination.
I had not thought about the thickness of the tape exceeding the tolerance of the opening vs. window. The aluminum tape is an interesting idea; more of a roof flashing sort of arrangement instead of a bonded waterproof seal. I'll probably play with a few different non-permanent ideas and end up just doing it the normal way.
Re-bonding using epoxy will be a project for another time perhaps. I'm familiar with the process, but don't currently have, say, a side of my house I can brace against. And I'm not too concerned with pressing the bubbles flat since they're so shallow. I'm more interested in making sure it's not going to get any worse and, if possible, ensuring that it cannot possibly get any worse by permanently preventing water intrusion into the laminate edge.
