I watched an RV detailer take clear silicone caulk off of a DRV Mobile Suites this spring while attending a DRV rally. The gentleman's name was Leon Kirby, he's known as "The Nomad Detailer". Go on You Tube and watch his videos, he's good at what he does!
Leon demonstrated caulk removal using just regular old Mineral Spirits! The key according to Leon is to NOT be in a huge hurry removing the old caulk! It does take time but is VERY effective! It was amazing to watch him go over and over the seams with the mineral spirits and "soaking" the old caulk. With a plastic knife he removed huge sections (pieces) of the silicone by simply "working" the spirits into the seam!
To do a 40' fifth wheel Leon claims it will take him at least 8 hours and he'll use at least a gallon of mineral spirits! His programm is to let the RV sit over night after removing the old caulk so it has a chance to "off gas", next day is spent caulking the whole rig, which obviously doesn't take near as long to do as the removal.
Watch and learn...... You Tube is your friend!
Dan
