Truck Camper Exterior Repair/Reno

This is one of my windows when I removed it. The manufacture did use butyl putty tape, but it was not applied properly. I should add, this is the first time this window was out in over twenty years.

Twiz wrote:
DH and I bought a 1991 Six-Pac 6.0 a year ago. The best selling point on Craigslist was "no funky smells or leaks." The interior was in pretty good shape after we replaced the cushions and such. This summer I had to replace the domes for the hatches and have done a few other minor repairs, but this winter I'm hoping to do some work on the exterior. I'm hoping you all can share your experience with me on some of the work I'd like to do.

I to have always had older TCs. My current TC is a 1988. When It comes to exterior repairs, if I have a choice I prefer to do them in the summer. To my knowledge, none of the TC caulks work well on a wet surface. Exterior painting with anything other than a water base paint must be applied to a dry surface.

Twiz wrote:
1. There are Rieco-Titan hydraulic jacks on the camper that have probably never been maintained. I was thinking of getting the maintenance kit and rebuilding the jacks. Has anyone done this? How much of a pain is it?

Although it is not brain surgery, it can be a little messy. I have rebuilt several over the years. The last kits I bought cost about $40 each ($160 total). It consisted of a couple of special neoprene cups and a few O-rings. I do not recall needing the complete kit to re-build a set of four jacks. I learned to buy one kit, so I would have the special parts, then with the kit go to an auto parts house and match the o-rings. I'm thinking a set of o-rings for one jack cost less than a dollar. Fact is, the majority on the time, you only need two o-rings for most jack. Those are the ones on the pump and release screw. Having one kit is nice because it has rebuild instructions, and the special cups if they are needed. The most common mistake I see people make is over filling the jacks. I am not sure if Rieco-Titan uses jack oil or not. I have used hydraulic oil or transmission fluid, with no problem.

Twiz wrote:
2. The roof of the camper isn't leaking but it looks like a crazy person attacked it with silicone caulk. It also looks like someone made some repairs to the seams a while ago. I was thinking about cleaning it all up and resealing the roof with the Dicor roof sealant. Again, what's your experience?

The silicone caulk is a pretty lousy caulk for a TC, in my opinion, but tough to remove. I prefer to use PLAS-T-COAT on the roof. In all probability, it is what you have under the silicone. It has been used on RVs and residential roofs for many years. I have never had any issues with it, and really see no reason to use Dicor unless there is a special need. I re-caulked my son's 5th wheel 6 years ago, and my Bigfoot about the same time, neither have needed touch-up since. It does not dry brittle. It is available at most lumber yards, hardware stores and RV parts stores. I have only seen it in cans. I apply it with a small brush, putty knife or a stick.



Do not overlook the windows. I think I have had more leaks there than on the roof. To my knowledge, there are two kinds of putty tape used on the windows. At a glance, they look the same when new. The inexpensive one is used in most older TCs. It will harden with age, become brittle, and lose its seal. It also hardens when cold. It looks a lot like clay. The more expensive tape is the butyl tape. It will not harden with age, become brittle, or lose its seal. You can see the difference in the photo.



You probably have metal siding, if so post a close up photo showing part of a window and the siding. There is a trick to caulking the window.corrugated siding.

Twiz wrote:
3. The underside of the camper hasn't been maintained either. The plywood is fine but the paint is all pealing. Should I just paint it or should I try something like Rust-Oleum's Leak Seal rubber stuff? Ever used this on a camper?

My suggestion is to simply wire brush the loose paint off, and repaint with a 100% Acrylic exterior paint. Think about it, that is what is probably used on your house, and it last for 15 to 25 years.

Twiz wrote:
P.S~ FYI, even though I'm a girl, I am an accomplished mechanic and carpenter. :) I've just never owned a truck camper.

None of the repairs you have stated are gender specific. You can overwork them, and buy exotic caulks and paints, only if you have little experience with this type project. My bet is you will have no major problems.

Wayne

I have no experience with Rieco jacks only Atwood and Happi Jack, but I've repaired a few RVs.
I use the Dicor self-leveling sealer on both the sides and roof and on EPDM, Aluminum, and Fiberglass. I'm not familiar with the SixPac roof, is it EPDM? I tried the regular Dicor a time or 2 but with the self-leveling I've always gotten a nicer looking job. I have tried Geocel products which cure more like silicone. They may be as good as Dicor but I found them harder to make them smooth out and look good and they don't dissolve as easily with mineral spirits.

The silicone is sometimes a pain to remove but you will be please with the result once it is gone and the job is done. I've found that mineral spirits will remove standard caulking and sealers (except silicone) without damaging the paint as long as you don't have to scrub too hard. It will sometimes cause silicone to start to loosen (especially if it is very thin) but you will still need to scrape.

I have used (very very carefully) acetone on EPDM to remove tuff deposits. If you use too much it will cause the EPDM to expand, causing what I call a pucker in the material. Mineral spirits can also expand EPDM roofing if too much is applied, and what "too much" is will vary on the composition of the EPDM. It can take a day or 2 for the rubber to relax again. The very careful part is that acetone will melt plastic and will remove paint very quickly. It is outstanding for cleaning fiberglass.

To keep from damaging the siding or roofing, I use a plastic putty knife. They will dull after a bit of uses but you can touch them to a sanding belt at the right angle and create a new edge. Additionally, they are only 79 - 99 cent.

As for the bottom, I have used Flex Seal to repair small areas. It's kind of like a tar plastic mix. It doesn't stay soft like some undercoating. Someone at Arctic Fox recommended that I use Rustoleum truck bed liner. He said that this is the material used on there units and it can be bought reasonably and locally just about everywhere. I'm about to do that on my current home project.

When you need info ask. Someone on RV.net has probably been there and can help. Most of the info is opinion, so weigh the common sense of the answer. And, don't get upset with the nay sayer's, narsicists, and those that like to argue, they have nothing better to do. They're all opinions and most really like to help.

Good luck.

Twiz wrote:

3. The underside of the camper hasn't been maintained either. The plywood is fine but the paint is all pealing. Should I just paint it or should I try something like Rust-Oleum's Leak Seal rubber stuff? Ever used this on a camper?

DO IT! I love Leak Seal. It's far better than "undercoat" in a spray can, although one can doesn't go very far.

I just finished using some as undercoat on one of my trailers.

For a truck camper, I bet you will need 3-4 cans.

Check Wal-Mart, often times they have a can marked "25% more, FREE" and the can is taller.

Wal-Mart and Home Depot's prices are within a few cents of each other... about $9.97 a can.

Where there is a will there is a way...But know your limitations and be comfortable with what you are doing. It is easy to dive into a project and get in over your head, BTDT, however if you have confidence in your skills and are willing to exercise your abilities then go for it.
If you do get hung up on something then there are plenty of people here that will be willing to help out with your project.