Caulking question

Naio,,,, didn't you know your clearance? :h
Bet ya didn't think you had to pretend yer van was a class a,
Glad the damage was minor, try to get a chuckle out of it.

As an acrylic latex caulk clean it out and allow the area to dry thoroughly before applying, as long as water won't stand on it for long periods it should be fine. That product is ok, it just needs to thoroughly cure.

Used that caulk on my house 8 years ago. Is still rubbery even where it gets a lot of sun. Hope it holds up as well on your van.

If you are cleaning out the area then I would go with either Dicor tape or. Eternabond caulking. Both are the tried and true RV caulks

Tell him next time to let some air out of the tires....

darsben1 wrote:
If you are cleaning out the area then I would go with either Dicor tape or. Eternabond caulking. Both are the tried and true RV caulks

That's Dicor caulk and Eternabond tape.

I refuse to use a latex caulk on anything associated with my camper. Goes against everything I have read on this and several other forums and manufacturers websites.

Siliconized latex caulk is not the caulk to use. I'd suggest to buy some 3M caulk remover and remove the Alex Plus. That will also allow you to see if the fiberglass is cracked (a real possibility). If the fiberglass is cracked, you will want to patch that with resin and fiber or just resin. Caulk will not hold it together for long.

The best caulk to use on the exterior is one of the polymer sealants made by Geocel. They are engineered for the transportation industry. Tripolymer 2300 adhesive and Proflex RV are two types of sealant made by Geocel.

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
Naio,,,, didn't you know your clearance? :h

I wasn't there!

westend wrote:
Siliconized latex caulk is not the caulk to use. I'd suggest to buy some 3M caulk remover and remove the Alex Plus. That will also allow you to see if the fiberglass is cracked (a real possibility). If the fiberglass is cracked, you will want to patch that with resin and fiber or just resin. Caulk will not hold it together for long.

The best caulk to use on the exterior is one of the polymer sealants made by Geocel. They are engineered for the transportation industry. Tripolymer 2300 adhesive and Proflex RV are two types of sealant made by Geocel.

This caulk is in the seam holding the roof onto the van. I could not remove all the caulk without removing the roof. If I remove the roof, I will not be able to do the van build this year. I would have to rebuild my old van (now gutted) and use it again this winter, find a place to store the maple flooring and other matierials I bought while I am gone, etc., etc.

I will do it if it absolutely has to be done, but it will destroy all my plans for the coming year.

As an alternative, is there a better caulk that would stick to the Alex Plus, that I could use as a top coat?

I will look again, but I can see all but the bottom half inch of the fiberglass roof, and I do not think there are any cracks.

Naio wrote:

westend wrote:
Siliconized latex caulk is not the caulk to use. I'd suggest to buy some 3M caulk remover and remove the Alex Plus. That will also allow you to see if the fiberglass is cracked (a real possibility). If the fiberglass is cracked, you will want to patch that with resin and fiber or just resin. Caulk will not hold it together for long.

The best caulk to use on the exterior is one of the polymer sealants made by Geocel. They are engineered for the transportation industry. Tripolymer 2300 adhesive and Proflex RV are two types of sealant made by Geocel.

This caulk is in the seam holding the roof onto the van. I could not remove all the caulk without removing the roof. If I remove the roof, I will not be able to do the van build this year. I would have to rebuild my old van (now gutted) and use it again this winter, find a place to store the maple flooring and other matierials I bought while I am gone, etc., etc.

I will do it if it absolutely has to be done, but it will destroy all my plans for the coming year.

As an alternative, is there a better caulk that would stick to the Alex Plus, that I could use as a top coat?

I will look again, but I can see all but the bottom half inch of the fiberglass roof, and I do not think there are any cracks.

Here's the deal: Silicone (or siliconized latex) is not a bad sealant when in compression, i.e. when located between two facing materials. Silicone deteriorates rapidly when exposed to the Sun and weather. Alex Plus is siliconized latex house caulk and typically lasts for 10 years when topcoated with latex paint. It will become brittle and shrink during that time. That is why, we, as house painters, spend inordinate time scraping old Alex Plus out of joints and applying a fresh bead. It is also the cheapest caulk available.

Here's what I'd suggest: Mechanically remove most of the Alex Plus that is around the joint. As a final cleanup, wipe down with mineral spirits. Inspect the fiberglass that is now exposed. After inspection and possible repair, apply one of those Geocel sealants. Doing it as above won't necessitate removing the top.

In the future--no silicone or latex on any RV exterior.