Silicone

[cccougar]

Hi All,
Looking to touch some areas around the outside corners where the side meets the back of the TT. There are some very small cracks and very small gaps beginning to form and I want to work on sealing that up. I have never done this before. I know there are so many products out there but I do not know where to begin. My friend used a plain old clear silicone on his 5th wheel but I know silicone is tough to clean up if u make a mistake. Thanks for any advice.

[cccougar]

Thank you for the input. I will be working on this for the first time this week.

[mike-s]

GeorgiaJim wrote:
Has anyone used the new polyurethane caulk?

I use Sikaflex 221, but it's not "new." I find it much easier to apply than Proflex, and it doesn't stay sticky and attract dirt.

[GeorgiaJim]

Has anyone used the new polyurethane caulk?

[LVJJJ]

I repeat, NO SILICONE !!!

It eventually separates and pulls away from the seam. Then it will actually trap water underneath it. This had happened to the last two used TT's I bought and had to spend hours taking it all off, WD-40 will help loosen it, then use a razor blade bendable knife to scrape it off. Silicone over old caulk is even worse. I've used Proflex and its good but am now using Sikiflex 221, a marine caulk. use self leveling Dicor on the roof

[Community Alumni]

OSI Quad is pretty easy to find at Home Depot and works well on the vertical surfaces. I usually carefully go over the area with some Goof Off Pro Strength to soften and remove the old caulking. Then I'll go over the area with OSI Quad.

[ScottG]

Never silicone where the sun's UV can get to it. You friend will soon have a mess to clean up when it yellows and starts letting go.

[mikakuja]

Double post.... Deleted...

[mikakuja]

Agree with what has already been listed above.... Dicor on the Roof, Proflex on the exterior walls, trim etc...

DO NOT USE SILICONE!!!!! It has poor adhesion and UV resistance, it will break down extremely quickly and leak....

If you must use a cheap alternative I would suggest Butyl Gutter Caulk, which can be purchased from most hardware stores. It holds up quite well but will pretty much be there forever. It worked fine on my old hunting rigs, but I probably wouldn't use it on anything that you want to keep looking nice.

[mobeewan]

There are two types of dicor one for horizontal surfaces and one for vertical surfaces.

Proflex is a good caulk for trailers and made for trailers.

OSI Quad can be found at Home Depot and Lowe's and it comes in colors. It is a polyurethane caulk that works well for sealing around doors and windows on houses. It will also work on travel trailers.

[deltabravo]

Juzaxadar wrote:
There are other good options, but I use dicor lap sealant for horizontal surfaces (like the roof) because it is designed to settle and spread out a little bit.

On the sides I really like ProFlexRV... it's sticky and stays where you put it.

Ditto

And the only place I use Dicor is on the roof.

For other areas I use ProFlex RV from Geocel. Lots of RV factories use it as well, for walls, around windows, etc.

[Juzaxadar]

There are other good options, but I use dicor lap sealant for horizontal surfaces (like the roof) because it is designed to settle and spread out a little bit.

On the sides I really like ProFlexRV... it's sticky and stays where you put it.

For seams between surfaces that are out of sight (like a roof) I use Eternabond tape. It's more visible, but it's far more permanent.

Just make sure you have clean surfaces!

I will say that whatever you use, if things are splitting and cracking you will need to stay on it. Check the problem areas twice a year and check everything at least once a year. Visual checks aren't too difficult and preventative maintenance is the best way to keep the water out.

[cccougar]

Thanks. Will check out Dicor.

[path1]

Go to dicor web site and learn where dicor goes and vertical or horizontal surface. Go to youtube and view many vid's on prep and application. Silicone has only a few spots it's good on rv.

[2oldman]

Dicor.