Forum Discussion

the_maverick's avatar
the_maverick
Explorer
Apr 21, 2015

Reseal break lights.. I think i messed up?

2 year old camper. this weekend as a precaution i wanted to reseal around my breaklights. It looked like the caulking around the lights were going bad so i grabbed a tube of clear all purpose silicone that i had in the house.. Now i relize from reading here that this was a bad choice. How would one properly fix this? the silicone of course is now dry.. can i wait till next year and refix this, or should i fix it now? If so what is the proper way..does the light fixture come off completly or do i just leave it screwed down and scrap off the outer caulking/silicone and add proflex..and can i do this with all the different lights around the camper? or do i have to unscrew every single light to seal it?
  • darsben's avatar
    darsben
    Explorer II
    Apr 21, 2015
    Not to mention after a few years it will look like crap. I rarely see a silicone job that is not readily apparent.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Apr 21, 2015
    pconroy328 wrote:
    Sorry - why is silicone a bad idea on an RV? I've probably already used a tube or three. :)


    If it's a removal issue, then why wouldn't a razor knife with a delicate touch work? Works every where else...


    See post #7 of this thread.
    FWIW, I have used silicone as well on a TC I used to own. It continually failed and broke down in the sunlight. It leaked so bad the rig ended up rotting to the point of being scrapped.
  • pconroy328's avatar
    pconroy328
    Explorer
    Apr 21, 2015
    Sorry - why is silicone a bad idea on an RV? I've probably already used a tube or three. :)

    If it's a removal issue, then why wouldn't a razor knife with a delicate touch work? Works every where else...
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Apr 21, 2015
    Silicone won't even stick where silicone has been used.........

    Need to get rid of the residue left behind. Mineral spirits OR denatured alcohol NOT gasoline
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Apr 21, 2015
    the bear II wrote:
    I use silicon sealant on my fiberglass siding to seal around windows,lights, small holes...etc. It works great and lasts.

    I know others say don't use it but it works for me.


    It tends to break down in sunlight and after a few years it comes loose and leaks.
    Silicone is great for somethings, like stuff that never see's sun but for applications that include UV exposure, there are better, longer lasting alternative.
  • Ozlander's avatar
    Ozlander
    Explorer
    Apr 21, 2015
    the_maverick wrote:
    no, its fiberglass..do i take the whole fixture off or can i just reseal around it? i am not the most handy person in the world and rather just wait till fall and have my dealer check it all out...i tend to screw the simplest things up...

    Then you might have it back in a year or two. :p
  • the_bear_II's avatar
    the_bear_II
    Explorer
    Apr 21, 2015
    I use silicon sealant on my fiberglass siding to seal around windows,lights, small holes...etc. It works great and lasts.

    I know others say don't use it but it works for me.
  • the_maverick's avatar
    the_maverick
    Explorer
    Apr 21, 2015
    no, its fiberglass..do i take the whole fixture off or can i just reseal around it? i am not the most handy person in the world and rather just wait till fall and have my dealer check it all out...i tend to screw the simplest things up...
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Apr 21, 2015
    Silicon never dries hard. It always stays rubbery. You should have no problems pealing it off. You might use a bit of gasoline on a cloth to wipe anywhere it might stick 'too much'.

    If your camper is aluminum skinned, I don't think silicon will hurt anything. But good old Dicor will last a lot longer and better.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Apr 21, 2015
    It takes some time for silicone to completely cure. I would remove it NOW and it may be fairly easy to get it all off.
    If you do have problems getting it all off then you can buy a product that helps break it down - it's designed to remove caulk from bath tubs.

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