You did a real fine repair silversand and you're much smarter now. Welcome back to the RV'ing life and RV world! A real shame an expensice poptop camper like yours didn't have SS screws used when built. About $20 US difference is the cost in a many thousand dollar TC so why cheap out??? But who even checks to see what the fastners are made of or if screws are sealed? Actually, I can't say that I remember mentioning to many about SS fasteners are a must that really listened and/or even checked as many replied that they only be keeping the RV for maybe less than 5 years before they bought a new one anyway. Another reason we don't and won't buy used anything. So much junk out there!
Replacing with SS screws everywhere possible is something I've always done with our new RV's if they weren't SS to begin with since the late 1970's. WE care! Always used phillips SS screws at least 1/4" longer than the original square drive steel screws so got some more screw bite. Usually used a squeeze tube of 3M type silicone sealant or similar and dipped the screw threads down into the opening as far a possible to coat the threads before driving them in and never have had any rot on any of our many RV's. Just squeeze the tube up from the bottom to keep the sealant to the top. Yes, some sealant always squeezed out around the screw head and that basically said it was really sealed well. Just wipe it off with a rag.
As I'd posted many times, I also always sealed all cracks and voids I could find with a good silicone or appropriate caulk both inside and outside. Also lined the shore cord storage box with reflective bubble wrap with the joints taped closed so they don't sweat which is water that drips down the inner walls. Never trusted a manufacturer to do sealing to my standards anyway. Now I only use Gorilla Tape to seal the liners as it's great stuff and doesn't break down over time like Duct etc tapes. Sprayed the lower wings of our TC's on the inside surface with Dupli-color premium truck bed spray liner and along with the sealed SS screws on the front edge and bottom, never had a wing rot either.
All this stuff is so simple and cheap to do and really pays off. Our first Lance TC is still being used today as we see it often and it's now just under 30 years old and still doesn't have wing rot as of this spring. We don't want or like air leaks/drafts/heatloss because we use our RV's in cold winters also and many times well below zero F. Certainly don't want to see any rot on our RV's.
Carriage Corp always used SS fastners everywhere whether they had a wood or aluminum frames. We had one of our 3 Carriage 5th wheels for 21 years and one for 16 years and still had zero rot or any rusted fastners or leaks and therefore never any repairs needed or done. I've actually been accused of being too fussy but maybe so but I've never had to do any repairs to our many RV's owned over the last going on 51 years other than the Fleetwood Caribou 11-1/2' TC purchased new that was a true hulk of junk and rot and had the rear wall and door so rotten internally in only 6 years that it was about to fall off. No hints of internal wall leaks were ever seen but when the door was hanging on only the top hinge, it was realized. Even Fleetwood in Edgerton Ohio where it was made wouldn't fix it, period.
