shower caulk?

I've used waterproof silicone caulk in my shower area and it has held up well.

Okay this is what I was told by the dealership when I bought my new coach.....so take it for whatever it's worth......
Mine is in the same condition....and has been since new....

I was told that it is that way on purpose so the moisture doesn't collect behind the shower enclosure...... that is what I was told.....mine is still that way with no adverse affects.

Where the joint meets, is it subject to getting wet? If not, you don't need to caulk. You may be making a mistake if you DO caulk also. The shower/bathtub surround needs to have some flexibility. Not only for the slight twisting of the walls and such when on the road, but also because of temperature changes between sub zero in winter in Northern States and over 100 in Southern Florida in the Summer.

If you affix the surround and there is no "give" the screws will break out the surround, and will crack. The wall behind and the plastic surround will expand and contract at different rates, causing stress on the plastic and will cause it to crack, sometimes from top to bottom.

I had this happen on my last camper because the screw holes were made by simply screwing through the surround right into the panel behind it. Absolutely no give. One winter it got below 20 degrees, and the bathtub surround cracked in several places, originating from every screw hole.

My current camper has much larger holes, and the manufacturer used a plastic type snap in each hole, allowing for expansion and contraction. The only caulking is on the inside of the shower stall where the glass wall joins the surround. There's a bead of caulk there, and the glass wall and door is caulked at the bottom where it rests on the shower tray (basin).

Off topic: I just looked at your profile and saw your name. Although you have a common name, I thought I'd ask anyway? By chance, did you live in Indiana in 1967 (you would have been about 12 years old), and have some kind of surgery at the hospital in Noblesville, Indiana? There was another kid there too, who had his appendix taken out who was also 12? (me)... we persuaded the nurses to give us some syringes (without the needles) and we ended having a water gun fight, ended up squirting the nurses every time they walked by the room!??? If that was you ... I'd love to hear from you again! We had a great time! I'll never forget that!

I'm 6'3" and it seems to me that when I'm in the shower, water could splash and get between the shower panel and wall panel at the top even if I'm being extremely careful.

DutchmenSport wrote:
Off topic: I just looked at your profile and saw your name. Although you have a common name, I thought I'd ask anyway? By chance, did you live in Indiana in 1967 (you would have been about 12 years old), and have some kind of surgery at the hospital in Noblesville, Indiana? There was another kid there too, who had his appendix taken out who was also 12? (me)... we persuaded the nurses to give us some syringes (without the needles) and we ended having a water gun fight, ended up squirting the nurses every time they walked by the room!??? If that was you ... I'd love to hear from you again! We had a great time! I'll never forget that!

Nope, not me. I hadn't even been thought about in 1967. Shooting the nurses with water guns does sound like fun, though.

I'd call the manufacturer directly and ask about this..some require caulk, some don't and it may even detrimental to caulk it.

There could be a water barrier over-lapping lip to the construction which doesn't require caulk and needs to be free to move, flex and breathe.

You can add a strip of plastic / vinyl over the gap to act as an umbrella / roof / watershed which would allow the space to breathe (if necessary) and movement.

I'd caulk it with 100% silicone and sleep at night. My guess; there's enough breathing going on behind that wall. Have you ever slept in an RV on a cold windy night ?

I checked the shower wall again and confirmed that there is caulk around the shower wall where it meets the wood wall panel. It's just not caulked very well. It appears they used some sort of clear caulk. Would any interior tub and shower caulk be okay for this? This is a brand new camper and I want to make sure it is right before using the shower.

Latex will mold. Siliconized latex is still latex. Use only 100% silicone for 40 or 50 years of service.