Truck Camper Exterior Repair/Reno

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