Repairing front cap to side panel joints
Our fifth wheel is in storage right now and I can't post pictures.
The unit is an older Centurian (Citation)24RKS. It is in very good condition and I would like to keep it that way. The previous owner had attempted to reseal every joint and external opening by just applying huge amounts of silicone around everything. It looks horrible but appears to have prevented any leaks. The walls are bone dry inside with no signs of any water damage.
This summer, I decided that I would clean off the silicone and reseal everything properly by removing the windows and trim then sealing them with the appropriate butyl tape and Sikaflex. Cleaning the old silicone is a horrific job but it has to be completely removed for anything else to adhere properly. It all was going well until I got to the joint where the front panel meets the side panels.
I found after cleaning off the silicone that the J-trim on the front panel does not extend over the side panel. It appears that during manufacture, the side panels were trimmed flush to the end of the frame then the front cap was fastened over that. The thickness of the front cap is almost exactly the depth of the short leg of the J-trim.
On both sides, I can see the end of the side panels from top to bottom and there is nothing holding them in place to the front cap.
I've searched everywhere and cannot find J-trim with a deeper short leg. All I need is another 1/8" for it to cover, secure and seal the front of the side panels. As a temperary fix, I have sealed it with Sikaflex but I would like to have a better way of securing the front edge of the side panels.
Any suggestions?
The unit is an older Centurian (Citation)24RKS. It is in very good condition and I would like to keep it that way. The previous owner had attempted to reseal every joint and external opening by just applying huge amounts of silicone around everything. It looks horrible but appears to have prevented any leaks. The walls are bone dry inside with no signs of any water damage.
This summer, I decided that I would clean off the silicone and reseal everything properly by removing the windows and trim then sealing them with the appropriate butyl tape and Sikaflex. Cleaning the old silicone is a horrific job but it has to be completely removed for anything else to adhere properly. It all was going well until I got to the joint where the front panel meets the side panels.
I found after cleaning off the silicone that the J-trim on the front panel does not extend over the side panel. It appears that during manufacture, the side panels were trimmed flush to the end of the frame then the front cap was fastened over that. The thickness of the front cap is almost exactly the depth of the short leg of the J-trim.
On both sides, I can see the end of the side panels from top to bottom and there is nothing holding them in place to the front cap.
I've searched everywhere and cannot find J-trim with a deeper short leg. All I need is another 1/8" for it to cover, secure and seal the front of the side panels. As a temperary fix, I have sealed it with Sikaflex but I would like to have a better way of securing the front edge of the side panels.
Any suggestions?
