How to Re-Caulk a Camper?

[gregdennis53]

I have a Lance 2003 aluminum sided camper (Lance 1010). Some or all of the seams need to be re-caulked. I talked to the RV place that does some work on my camper and they want about $1200.00 to do the job. I know the proper caulk (emailed Lance) and I am a reasonably smart guy, but I really do not know how to do this job. Anybody know of a how-to-do-it book or video? Written instructions?

I live in the Pacific NW and it seems like my camper gets 6 months of hot direct sun which dries out every seam and rubber part, and then gets 6 months of endless rain so everything wants to leak.

Thanks for ideas, and Happy Camping!

[JumboJet]

I resealed two windows on my motor home Saturday. I used a sharp putty knife to remove the old putty then applied a coat of Motsenbocker's Liftoff Product Link to remove the caulk from the siding. I finished off carefully cleaning with some Acetone.

On one window, the previous owner had used some bathroom caulk over the existing caulk. Removing it was very easy.

I use Geocel 28100V Pro Flex Crystal Clear RV Flexible Sealant. Instructions say use a soapy water mix with your finishing tool to distribute and smooth out the Pro Flex sealant. My finishing tool is a finger which I wipe excess sealant with a rag. Learned that trick from a friend of mine that caulks professionally.

The Geocel Pro Flex comes in a variety of colors too!

[whizbang]

The hardest part is removing the old caulk. Re-caulking is easy. You will spend 4 or 5 times as much time and effort getting the old stuff off. Get yourself a good heat gun (and don't go crazy with it and cook your camper). Use just enough heat to soften the caulk.

[dave17352]

I did mine last year and used sikaflex. I tried to peal out as much as I could then cleaned well and re caulked. It doesn't look factory new but has held up well when traveling this spring on three different occasions covering a couple thousand miles. It is a tedious job and if I was rolling in money I would gladly pay someone to do the work.

Basically at the camper center I use they sell you a plastic putty knife because a metal one will tear up the aluminum. After that its about scoring the old putty with a box cutter(making sure not to go to deep (don't score the aluminum) and carefully pulling out all the caulk you can. After that clean it with mineral spirits or they also strongly recommend using windex. Then re caulking. I also used a lot of the putty tape in a roll. Not sure what its called but its great for where the steel frame edging meets the aluminum.

I also rebuilt my lower wings on my 98 lance. After rebuilding I used the 4 inch wide eternabond on the inside of the wings just like vinyl siding. Working from the bottom up. There is no way water will ever get in there again.

JMHO

[jefe_4x4]

Between five and ten years ago on this very forum there was an exhaustive post w/pix on how to do just that as a layman. I'm sure it has been archived (no IRS here) for posterity. You seem to be posterity at the moment. It was one of the very best laid out, step-by-step pictorals ever on this forum.
jefe

[Super_Dave]

YouTube is the guide to everything. LOL!