2003 Bigfoot Reseal
So I bought a used 2003 Bigfoot and my RV service center tells me all the roof vents and body perforations need to be resealed. Should I try to do this work myself, or, just let the shop handle it...
Forum Discussion
My first concern would be any previous or current leaking. Did the service center find any damaged leaking areas or are they just recommending resealing based on the age/appearance of the sealant? Typically any leaks turn into major structural damage quickly. I hope that is not the case.
If there is no damage, then after all these years you should be able to wait a couple of months for warmer weather and do the job yourself. Unless you need to do structural repairs due to leaking, there is no reason to try to remove the fixtures. The butyl sealant should be fine and is best left undisturbed.
I recommend doing this job yourself for a couple of reasons. First it is slow, tedious but not difficult work. It will take a lot of hours and the cost for a service tech can be substantial. Second if you do it yourself you should have confidence that the job was done right without any areas missed.
The biggest issue for a reseal is often dealing with the old sealant. Try to avoid using any metal scrapers and use plastic instead. Odds are you will never get off all of the old sealant and if it is still sealing well, there is no reason to try. Prior to resealing, you need to thorough clean the area and any remaining sealant. The old stuff is likely to be dirty and moldy. After thorough washing you can get most of the old dirt off with mineral spirits.
Before resealing, I would check with Bigfoot to see if they are emphatic about using a specific material. Otherwise I prefer Dicor. For a neat job I have used painters tape on vertical surfaces. I let the Dicor dry for half an hour or so and then remove the tape. I don't bother on the roof.
If there is no damage, then after all these years you should be able to wait a couple of months for warmer weather and do the job yourself. Unless you need to do structural repairs due to leaking, there is no reason to try to remove the fixtures. The butyl sealant should be fine and is best left undisturbed.
I recommend doing this job yourself for a couple of reasons. First it is slow, tedious but not difficult work. It will take a lot of hours and the cost for a service tech can be substantial. Second if you do it yourself you should have confidence that the job was done right without any areas missed.
The biggest issue for a reseal is often dealing with the old sealant. Try to avoid using any metal scrapers and use plastic instead. Odds are you will never get off all of the old sealant and if it is still sealing well, there is no reason to try. Prior to resealing, you need to thorough clean the area and any remaining sealant. The old stuff is likely to be dirty and moldy. After thorough washing you can get most of the old dirt off with mineral spirits.
Before resealing, I would check with Bigfoot to see if they are emphatic about using a specific material. Otherwise I prefer Dicor. For a neat job I have used painters tape on vertical surfaces. I let the Dicor dry for half an hour or so and then remove the tape. I don't bother on the roof.
