17' Series Which sealant

[garfield28]

Hi all,

I have to reseal my Jayco Expanda 2010 1749-2HL pop-top and wondering what is the best sealant to use please?

I watch a video where the guy said use Bostik V4 as it is a neutral cure silicone which is better that using a polyurethane, but would like to get an opinion off people who have done it before and what you recommend please.

Thanks
Geoff

 

[Drover]

What exactly are yous sealing ????

If its the pop top roof I cleaned off the old sealant, stripped it off with a plastic/perspex blade I made, don't use steel get as much of the old stuff off as possible then I used turps/eucalyptus to clean it back, thinners tends to remove the paint .......... once clean and old stuff left was very secure I sealed it all off with Sikaflex Marine adhesive sealant, it stuck, was RV tolerant and have used it on Big Mal and still good 6 yrs on.............. surface must be clean, the old stuff can still be there but must be sticking like the proverbial............................... Most silicon is neutral nowadays but found the Sikaflex Marine range to be better all round, Waterproof, Flexible and Sunproof and shouldn't go mouldy.............................. mask the area spread it over with a spatula is best way, then remove the tape before it cures, should leave a nice smooth strip unlike the dog breakfast from the professionals.... have a bowl of water with a bit of dishwashing liquid in it to dip the spatula in then the goop won;t stick to it, for smaller bits spit on finger to wipe the goop.

Failing that any good name roof and gutter will do the job, most important thing is a clean surface....

 

[garfield28]

What exactly are yous sealing ????

If its the pop top roof I cleaned off the old sealant, stripped it off with a plastic/perspex blade I made, don't use steel get as much of the old stuff off as possible then I used turps/eucalyptus to clean it back, thinners tends to remove the paint .......... once clean and old stuff left was very secure I sealed it all off with Sikaflex Marine adhesive sealant, it stuck, was RV tolerant and have used it on Big Mal and still good 6 yrs on.............. surface must be clean, the old stuff can still be there but must be sticking like the proverbial............................... Most silicon is neutral nowadays but found the Sikaflex Marine range to be better all round, Waterproof, Flexible and Sunproof and shouldn't go mouldy.............................. mask the area spread it over with a spatula is best way, then remove the tape before it cures, should leave a nice smooth strip unlike the dog breakfast from the professionals.... have a bowl of water with a bit of dishwashing liquid in it to dip the spatula in then the goop won;t stick to it, for smaller bits spit on finger to wipe the goop.

Failing that any good name roof and gutter will do the job, most important thing is a clean surface....

Thanks Drover.

I started removing the old silicone yesterday afternoon while the weather was good and I followed directions from a guy who posted on YouTube and unfortunately I did as he did and used a sharp Stanley knife. I've tried not to really dig I. With it and cut the metal and have cleaned a bit out of one side this far.

 

[Drover]

Typical YouTube, the way to remove only the silicon is really with a perspex or plastic scrapper/knife affair, you just need some perspex cut to the size shape you need, sharpen and used carefully will only remove the silicon or glue, not the paint but you do need to take care as it easy to scrap off caravan paint, not having any perspex I sharpened the end of a piece of wood that was just the size I wanted, a piece of panel trim actually, once I had put an edge on it I gave it a bit of heat from my gas torch to harden it, its now my Go To for removing silicon/glue etc as it works really well, doesn't score the surface and I have worked out that sharpening it on my bench grinder not only gives a nice edge it also hardens it up nicely form the heat ...................... Don't use steel implements for the reasons you found ................. Use the perspex or wood sharp to cut the silicon along the trim edge then cut the old silicon with the tool into sections maybe at 250mm so using the tool like a scrapper you can lift the silicon in sections, this is the best way to nearly get each bit in one hit and shouldn't damage the surface at all ...................... Before putting on the new stuff it must be clean, if the old stuff won't move leave it its still good just overlap the edges.

 

[jazzeddie1234]

I remove the last of old silicon with a brush or rag that wets the silicon with turps. Wait about 10 minutes, sometimes re-wetting, and then use a damp turps rag to rub it off. Clean the residual turps thoroughly before new stuff though.

I have found silicon pretty reliable but for stronger joints I use sika 11fc which sticks to many surface types and is uv resistant. It's a bit expensive in small tubes but I have use a sausage caulking gun at half the price. Pays to read the data sheet carefully as it is a bit fussy on some surfaces and hates solvents before curing.

Of course anything marine rated is probably the best.

My next big roof reseal will probably try out some eternabond or gorilla patch and seal tape if I can find any in stock

 

[Drover]

I sort of do similar, use metho to clean off the residual from the turps.... Turps will remove the paint off Big Mal if Im too vigorous ...

The secret is in the prep and having a sealant that can handle the sun, price isn't much of a guide, I lean to marine stuff......... The Heat Shield paint I did the roof in a few years back has handled the sun, a small hail storm, even went over sealant and shows no sign of lifting, cracking or peeling, I'm impressed, it also does insulate............ its out in the weather 24/7.