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Old 01-07-2012, 12:52 PM   #1
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My 2010 29RK is 2 1/2 years old and the caulk around the windows and trim has cracked pretty bad. I got a little water leakage into the living room and apparently it had come in around the large window on the side.

Removing the old caulk is a time consuming job. Replacing with ProFlex sealant is just about as time consuming. This stuff is petroleum based and doesn't flow real well out of the tube. Also, I found it difficult to smooth with my finger and leave a nice looking bead.

All in all I'm sure this will keep the water out but I hate to think about doing this every couple of years, plus it just doesn't look that good. Seems as though they could build a window with rubber seals or gaskets that didn't require caulk. Or go back to the days when they put the butyl rubber tape under the window flange. Another example of how cheap these trailers are made today.




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Old 01-08-2012, 01:24 AM   #2
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There was butyl under my 2009 Cruiser, I replaced a window and it was there.... Just a tip, your frustrated about the caulking job you did but that's not an indication the trailer is cheap, you admit it was past the time to redo the seams. When I replaced the window the seam came out perfect, here's a tip... Buy low adhesive painters blue tape and some mineral spirits. Tape the window flange and the adjacent wall leaving a 1/8 area for the seam. Now, cut the caulking tube to the most narrow opening that will flow. In one motion, caulk around the entire window without stopping, don't worry about small voids. Take a rag, place it over your finger, dip into the mineral spirits and smooth out the seam. You may have to repeat to get a nice finish, do not over soak the seam. Remove the tape immediately. Now you have a perfect seam. I also used this along the trim for the sidewall to pinbox and front cap to sidewall.
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Old 01-08-2012, 02:10 AM   #3
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I bought a little caulking tool kit-- I think it was 10 or 15 bucks at a hard ware store. It came with a tool to remove the old stuff and a tool to run over the fresh bead to make a nice finish. It takes a little time, but a nice job can be done.



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Old 01-08-2012, 04:58 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwebber78
There was butyl under my 2009 Cruiser, I replaced a window and it was there.... Just a tip, your frustrated about the caulking job you did but that's not an indication the trailer is cheap, you admit it was past the time to redo the seams. When I replaced the window the seam came out perfect, here's a tip... Buy low adhesive painters blue tape and some mineral spirits. Tape the window flange and the adjacent wall leaving a 1/8 area for the seam. Now, cut the caulking tube to the most narrow opening that will flow. In one motion, caulk around the entire window without stopping, don't worry about small voids. Take a rag, place it over your finger, dip into the mineral spirits and smooth out the seam. You may have to repeat to get a nice finish, do not over soak the seam. Remove the tape immediately. Now you have a perfect seam. I also used this along the trim for the sidewall to pinbox and front cap to sidewall.
Didn't intend to imply the entire trailer was cheap. Just that in older trailers the butyl tape was thick enough to seal the window frame so calking was not necessary, eliminating the need to repeat the job every 2-3 years. I realize caulk life is limited in any application, but spending a little more to use the tape or even better yet a rubber seal would be a great improvement.

I did use the blue painter's tape and mineral spirits. Couldn't have survived without them. I only put it on the wall side, and maybe your idea of putting a piece on the flange would have helped.

The tip on the ProFlex cartridge was not as graduated as most caulks I use. I barely cut off a little bit and ended up with about a 1/8" opening. A smaller bead and less caulk would have been better I found that in making a bead longer than about 24" made smoothing it out difficult. It was setting up immediately.

Guess I'm just to used to using latex based caulks that go on smooth and allow you to wet your finger and get a perfect finish.
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Old 01-08-2012, 08:18 AM   #5
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Sounds like the cut was off on the tip. Should have been a very small 45-degree cut for a nice bead. When you apply it with the correct tip angle it smoothes itself out as you go.... Dicor non-sag sealant is more forgiving for your next sealing job.
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Old 01-08-2012, 09:28 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwebber78
Sounds like the cut was off on the tip. Should have been a very small 45-degree cut for a nice bead. When you apply it with the correct tip angle it smoothes itself out as you go....Di cor non-sag sealant is more forgiving for your next sealing job.
No, actually the cut was right on. The ProFlex tube nozzle looked like those found on any other caulk tube. I cut it at the usual 45 degree angle as close to the top of the nozzle, planning on taking more off as needed. Problem was on the first cut it opened up a hole a little larger than I would have liked. Tells me they just don't start out tapering with a small enough opening. I'm used to working with a smaller opening.

The consistency of this caulk was as such it was difficult to get it to hold to the surface as I started dragging the bead. You know how frustrating this is! Then, it just started setting up almost instantaneously. Not enough time to smooth it out. All this together just made it a pain to work with. If you have not worked with this brand caulking this may not makes sense.

Oh well, it's not that bad, just a learning experience, and it is reversible on the next application . I'm glad to hear about the Dicor non-sag sealant. I was always told to use the ProFlex but I'll sure try the Dicor next time. I use their self leveling caulk on the roof.
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Old 04-09-2012, 03:00 AM   #7
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is caulking something that would be covered under the 2 year warranty?
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Old 04-09-2012, 12:23 PM   #8
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I agree that the caulking job can be a little tedious. I keep a small bottle of windex glass cleaner handy. Spray a little on your finger tip and you can smooth the caulking out very nicely. The excess wipes right off your finger tip.
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