I'm fairly new to RVing and had thought I'd found a good local (San Antonio, TX) service center to help me keep my fifth wheel in good repair. I just had it in for repairs. They were supposed to check all seals and clean out old caulk and re-seal everywhere necessary. I was in a rush on pick-up, only checked the areas I knew were problems. Those were dealt with, though their invoice indicated they addressed far more areas than I found had fresh caulk. Later, I pulled out my ladder and really went over all the seams (I was doing slide seal maintenance). On my detail check... I found multiple areas where the old caulk was cracked & they did nothing.I took photos and challenged them on the issue since I'd specifically told them I wanted to be proactive and I thought much of the 5-yr old caulk was going bad. Their response: 1) since I'd driven the RV (10 miles), new cracks had appeared due to road stress & flex2) there is no reason to replace aged caulk, just wait for the cracks to appear and only fix the part with cracksI say BS to both. But... I am new and may have an unrealistic expectation. I'm currently planning on dealing with the caulking myself. It can't be all that different from caulking traditional kitchen & bathroom borders and I have done that.Advice / Recommendations welcome!

You are correct, doing it yourself is a very good option. However, just because the caulk is cracked does not mean it's leaking.When removing old caulk, use a hair dryer or a heat gun on low and a plastic scraper. Just take your time.There are chemical caulk removers available.If the old caulk is solid, I leave it in place and apply new over top the old. Clean well before applying the caulk.Use Dicor Self Leveling caulk on horizontal surfacesConsider using Eternabond tape on the seams and wherever practical.If you chose to not to DIY, call a Mobile RV Tech.

It sounds like they didn't do what you wanted however, a lot depends on what you specially asked them to do. Did you ask them to remove and replace all of the caulk? It sounds like you didn't. In that case you left it to their judgement as to what needed replaced. While replacing all of the caulk is probably good it is also very expensive in manhours as all of the old caulk has to be scraped out, the area cleaned and then new caulk added. Due to the high cost most owners only replace the areas that are cracked. Doing it yourself is not difficult just time consuming to do it right. In regard to cracks that you see are they surface cracks or do they go all the way through the old caulk?

Yes, the cracks went all the way through the old caulk. In some places, the caulk was completely broken away and gone. BTW - the worst example of what they missed is the vertical seam on the side at the very back of the trailer. It is all cracked and at least 25% is completely gone.I didn't tell them to replace all of the caulk, but I did tell them that wherever it was cracked, they should clean and reseal the entire seam. I'd expected it to be pricy and had been surprised when the cost was so low. The price was fair for the limited areas they actually took care of. It definitely a disconnect between my expectations and their 'professional judgement'.

I would think that if the price was less than you expected you got less than you expected. Take it somewhere else or call a mobile tech and explain EXACTLY what you expect. Good luck.

Think twice before you pay for someone to do the recaulking. It is slow work to remove the old caulk and recaulk. You are going to pay a lot of money for a simple task you could do yourself. As long as you are agile enough to get on the roof, it just takes some time. It is also best to do it yourself because any mistake can lead to a leak and serious damage.

RV Service Centers... and Caulking | Good Sam Community

bob213
Explorer
Jun 11, 2018
I would think that if the price was less than you expected you got less than you expected. Take it somewhere else or call a mobile tech and explain EXACTLY what you expect. Good luck.
Jcs1382
Explorer
Jun 11, 2018
Yes, the cracks went all the way through the old caulk. In some places, the caulk was completely broken away and gone. BTW - the worst example of what they missed is the vertical seam on the side at the very back of the trailer. It is all cracked and at least 25% is completely gone.

I didn't tell them to replace all of the caulk, but I did tell them that wherever it was cracked, they should clean and reseal the entire seam. I'd expected it to be pricy and had been surprised when the cost was so low. The price was fair for the limited areas they actually took care of.

It definitely a disconnect between my expectations and their 'professional judgement'.
fpresto
Explorer
Jun 11, 2018
It sounds like they didn't do what you wanted however, a lot depends on what you specially asked them to do. Did you ask them to remove and replace all of the caulk? It sounds like you didn't. In that case you left it to their judgement as to what needed replaced. While replacing all of the caulk is probably good it is also very expensive in manhours as all of the old caulk has to be scraped out, the area cleaned and then new caulk added. Due to the high cost most owners only replace the areas that are cracked. Doing it yourself is not difficult just time consuming to do it right. In regard to cracks that you see are they surface cracks or do they go all the way through the old caulk?
gbopp
Explorer
Jun 11, 2018
You are correct, doing it yourself is a very good option. However, just because the caulk is cracked does not mean it's leaking.

When removing old caulk, use a hair dryer or a heat gun on low and a plastic scraper. Just take your time.
There are chemical caulk removers available.
If the old caulk is solid, I leave it in place and apply new over top the old. Clean well before applying the caulk.

Use Dicor Self Leveling caulk on horizontal surfaces
Consider using Eternabond tape on the seams and wherever practical.

If you chose to not to DIY, call a Mobile RV Tech.

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