Sealant hell

Have you tried an air chisel?
:B
Kidding if course, but some of that stuff seems to need one to get it off....:M

Not sure what you mean by "five or too budge"

I've been in the solarium and patio cover business for over 43 yewrs, so I've learned a thing or two about sealing stuff and removing old caulking.

Going over old sealant with new is the easy way, but the challenge with that is that your new sealing job is only as good as the surface under it. If the old caulking is failing and you put more on top, it will fail too. And it will be unsightly with large amounts showing.

The only accurate and effective way to do a proper job is to remove the old stuff first and get down to a clean surface.

Been there, done that. Lots of hard work. I use soft plastic scrapers to avoid damaging surfaces. It helps if the old sealant is very warm. A hair dryer carefully used can help. Just don't get things too hot.

Paint thinners can remove residual caulk, depending on what the old stuff is made of, but it leaves a residue, as it's petroleum based.

Acetone cleans all oil based residues off but it will damage painted surfaces if you work it too much. If you use it you absolutely must be very careful not to rub too much, or you will ruin the finish. A fairly wet rag with acetone and a quick wipe cleans. It evaporates fast.

Try using a hair dryer to soften the caulk. Mineral spirits can help by lubricating the scraper and then cleaning up the remainder.

they make heat guns hotter than hair dryers BUT try a spot find the right heat setting. and patience, it,ll come loose. you can burn things with a heat gun .

If the old sealant is tight and not cracked, why do you need to reseal the RV? If it is dry, brittle, cracked or losing its seal, then it must be removed.

I also have a comment on Geocel Proflex. I used it successfully once but had issues the next two times I tried. I got tubes from a hardware store and after a great deal of effort, I found the sealant did not adhere well and I had leaks and sealant peeling off. I got new tubes from Camping World and repeated the process with the same results. In both cases, the material seemed thicker than the first time I had used it. Maybe I got old tubes of material or there was a QC issue. In any case I now use Dicor and will not try Geocel again.

You will have to use this tool and you will go thru a lot of razor blades. You gently push inward towards the window and make sure to start at the Caulk line. That way any scrapes/scratches will be covered by the new sealant line. Very tedious to do. Doug

https://www.amazon.com/Titan-12030-heavy-handled-scraper/dp/B000OEFTM6/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WJH90ZKD8TV8VD9HE092

Thanks guys. I was afraid of that. Some areas are cracked out but a lot of it is not the caulking is just very dirty and unsightly so I want to seal the whole trailer the with the same stuff. I haven’t tried heat yet because I wasn’t sure it would be ok with the fiberglass clear coat. I will try it today and see what happens. Thanks for the tips guys

don,t forget try the heat in a hidden spot.

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Have you tried an air chisel?
:B
Kidding if course, but some of that stuff seems to need one to get it off....:M

Not sure what you mean by "five or too budge"

I've been in the solarium and patio cover business for over 43 yewrs, so I've learned a thing or two about sealing stuff and removing old caulking.

Going over old sealant with new is the easy way, but the challenge with that is that your new sealing job is only as good as the surface under it. If the old caulking is failing and you put more on top, it will fail too. And it will be unsightly with large amounts showing.

The only accurate and effective way to do a proper job is to remove the old stuff first and get down to a clean surface.

Been there, done that. Lots of hard work. I use soft plastic scrapers to avoid damaging surfaces. It helps if the old sealant is very warm. A hair dryer carefully used can help. Just don't get things too hot.

Paint thinners can remove residual caulk, depending on what the old stuff is made of, but it leaves a residue, as it's petroleum based.

Acetone cleans all oil based residues off but it will damage painted surfaces if you work it too much. If you use it you absolutely must be very careful not to rub too much, or you will ruin the finish. A fairly wet rag with acetone and a quick wipe cleans. It evaporates fast.

So, what your saying is there is NO easy solution, just a lot of hard work? And cussing...

I use an oscillating tool with a special caulk removing blade. The caulk removing blade is very flexible and has rounded edges - won't cut/damage your RV. Easy google.

ksg5000 wrote:
I use an oscillating tool with a special caulk removing blade. The caulk removing blade is very flexible and has rounded edges - won't cut/damage your RV. Easy google.

I like this idea! Must find the right blade now.