I’m leaving to pick up my new to me 2005 26.5’ MB in a couple hours and just noticed something on the rear that doesn’t seem to be showing on other LDs. Does the pronounced sealant that’s showing where the side panel meets the back indicate anything serious I should be concerned about?
You are seeing a very sloppy attempt to reseal an end cap. Who knows what is under the repair or if it was done correctly.
I suggest that you inspect and reseal all of the end caps that need it and check the roof and windows seals, around the exterior of the window frames too.
It's alway the toss of the dice when buying a used rig
Larry
Is the concern that water could have penetrated the interior? What’s the best way to check that?
Just an opinion but it is thoroughly sealed underneath that end cap. That seam is not the final water barrier.
At 15 years of age if the roof has not been resealed it should be, according to Lazy Daze. They want it done at 10 years.
Just an opinion but it is thoroughly sealed underneath that end cap That seam is not the final water barrier.
At 15 years of age if the roof has not been resealed it should be, according to Lazy Daze. They want it done at 10 years.
" it is thoroughly sealed underneath that end cap"
Well, if the sealant held up forever, you could count on it being protected, unfortunately, I and others have discovered rot in the rear wall where the caps leaked and sealant beneath failed. The wood framing gets covered with polyurethane during construction. As the wood ages, expanding and contracting with the seasons, eventually, the sealant starts to break free, allowing moisture to penetrate the framing.
The older the rig, the more likely the drain channel's sealant has failed.
The end caps need to be well sealed.
Larry
Crawl under your rear bumper and stick a screwdriver into the plywood that extends down from the rear wall. If it’s rotten you may have serious issues.
Thank you for all of the advice.
Thank you for all of the advice.
Hope it ends well for you. Buying a used LD is fraught with risk but if all goes well the rewards are substantial. I have nothing but great memories of mine.
Good luck! And please update us! I purchased my "Ophelia" 2005 LD 30' TB a couple months ago after a long search.
I really got blessed with both her condition and price.
Virtually passing on that good fortune to you as well.
Juanita
I just got back from Virginia with the rig and as you know Denver is having a cold snap (~20F). Do you recommend doing anything to the setup to prevent pipes bursting until tomorrow when it's warmer?
I'll update you this weekend as I'm trying to catch up with work and maintain the thing :=0
Good luck! And please update us! I purchased my "Ophelia" 2005 LD 30' TB a couple months ago after a long search.
I really got blessed with both her condition and price.
Virtually passing on that good fortune to you as well.
Juanita
Howard, at -20, having lines freeze is possible. The good news is, if your lines are PEX, that probably is not a problem, though a freezing pump or strainer might be. The best thing is to open the compartment that leads to the pump, and open every cabinet that has a water line behind or inside it - under both sinks, keep the bathroom door open, etc., so warm air can circulate, then turn on your furnace and keep it 70 deg inside.
Ken F in NM
For 1 night, in an RV that is new to me - try an electric space heater (of you have electricity) or even set the propane heater for the lowest temp just to get through the night.
Then, figure out a better solution over the summer before cold weather comes again.
Alternatively, you could try and drive somewhere warmer or park inside.
You could also try to winterize the lines by either draining the water and blowing out the hoses, or using RV antifreeze throughout the system. Both of those are going to take a bit more time and effort if you're new to the process.
Rich
'03 MB in NC
Howard, at -20, having lines freeze is possible. The good news is, if your lines are PEX, that probably is not a problem, though a freezing pump or strainer might be. The best thing is to open the compartment that leads to the pump, and open every cabinet that has a water line behind or inside it - under both sinks, keep the bathroom door open, etc., so warm air can circulate, then turn on your furnace and keep it 70 deg inside.
Ken F in NM
Ken, that was not a -20, rather a ~20. My thermometer this morning in the Denver area said 28*. Howard should be OK with that but you never know for sure. Tomorrow morning could be colder. I would not take the risk.
Chris
I missed something. At -20, he should take precautions, but at 20, he shouldn't have a problem.
Ken F in NM
It was about 20F thankfully, not minus 20! I followed the lazy daze manual for cold weather camping and used it as an opportunity to test out all the systems as well. Everything went well :D
Thanks for the advice.
Howard, at -20, having lines freeze is possible. The good news is, if your lines are PEX, that probably is not a problem, though a freezing pump or strainer might be. The best thing is to open the compartment that leads to the pump, and open every cabinet that has a water line behind or inside it - under both sinks, keep the bathroom door open, etc., so warm air can circulate, then turn on your furnace and keep it 70 deg inside.
Ken F in NM
It was about 20F thankfully, not minus 20! I followed the lazy daze manual for cold weather camping and used it as an opportunity to test out all the systems as well. Everything went well :D
Thanks for the advice.
Howard, were you in the LD with heat and/or did it stay unheated all night? It was 24* this morning. What do you mean "testing the systems"? Just curious. I would be very nervous leaving water in the lines in an unheated coach in those temps.
Chris
Howard, were you in the LD with heat and/or did it stay unheated all night? It was 24* this morning. What do you mean "testing the systems"? Just curious. I would be very nervous leaving water in the lines in an unheated coach in those temps.
Chris
I stayed in the RV for several hours and followed the manual recommendations for warming up the water pump, turned on furnace, water heater, generator for power and got everything nice and toasty. Hadn't had a chance to really get all systems online at the same time for an extended period so that was what I meant. I didn't go into the rig today as it wasn't below freezing and the rest of the weekend is supposed to be warmer. Should I be doing something different?
" it is thoroughly sealed underneath that end cap"
Well, if the sealant held up forever, you could count on it being protected, unfortunately, I and others have discovered rot in the rear wall where the caps leaked and sealant beneath failed. The wood framing gets covered with polyurethane during construction. As the wood ages, expanding and contracting with the seasons, eventually, the sealant starts to break free, allowing moisture to penetrate the framing.
The older the rig, the more likely the drain channel's sealant has failed.
The end caps need to be well sealed.
Larry
Larry is there a good instructional video for resealing the end caps? Would you recommend finding a professional to redo them?
Larry is there a good instructional video for resealing the end caps? Would you recommend finding a professional to redo them?
The Lazy Daze Companion: End Caps (http://lazydazearticles.blogspot.com/search/label/End%20Caps)
The Lazy Daze Companion is a good place to start with answers to your question. In this article, there is a link to Larry's photos on resealing end caps.
Chris
I stayed in the RV for several hours and followed the manual recommendations for warming up the water pump, turned on furnace, water heater, generator for power and got everything nice and toasty. Hadn't had a chance to really get all systems online at the same time for an extended period so that was what I meant. I didn't go into the rig today as it wasn't below freezing and the rest of the weekend is supposed to be warmer. Should I be doing something different?
Sounds right.
Howard--
Congratulations on your new-to-you baby & your successful cross-country journey home. Good on you with your timely queries & appropriate precautions.
I ended up having to replace the water pump, HWH (popped like an aluminum soda can), connection to the toilet (fortunately, no lines or faucets)--when I got back from my purchase in SoCal to an ice storm/several days of sub-0 Missouri weather, I plugged in & set up space heaters (should have winterized her before leaving SoCal, but her previous family had never needed to & we just didn't cover that :-[ ), but I didn't heat the HWH/set the furnace to a minimum/insulate the cab as I've since learned to do during cold weather travel; apparently the breaker from the garage tripped in the basement & I ended up with icicles from the bathroom faucet. :P :-[ :'( I've blown the lines to winterize since thens, but had a by-pass installed on the HWH last fall, did the anti-freeze method, & feel much more confident in this most recent winterizing. Looking forward to getting her ready for summer--even though there's no travel on the horizon, I can use her to shelter-in-place out at the farm. ;D
Happy Trails--
Lynne
The Lazy Daze Companion: End Caps (http://lazydazearticles.blogspot.com/search/label/End%20Caps)
The Lazy Daze Companion is a good place to start with answers to your question. In this article, there is a link to Larry's photos on resealing end caps.
Chris
Do you know if the DAP sealant is good to use on seals around the windows and other places as well?
Howard, DAP makes dozens of different sealants (https://www.dap.com/caulk-plus-sealant-selector/). Which one did you have in mind?
I resealed our windows and plastic trim with 3M 5200. I used the fast cure on the windows and the regular stuff on the plastics because I could get it in different colors and I had the time to let it cure. It takes about a week to cure where the FC cures out in a couple hours or less. Larry recommended it and it's good stuff.
Jon
I resealed our windows and plastic trim with 3M 5200. I used the fast cure on the windows and the regular stuff on the plastics because I could get it in different colors and I had the time to let it cure. It takes about a week to cure where the FC cures out in a couple hours or less. Larry recommended it and it's good stuff.
Jon
Nice job, Jon.
Chris
Do you know if the DAP sealant is good to use on seals around the windows and other places as well?
If you are going to the trouble of prepping and taping end caps or windows, use a high-grade polyurethane.
With 40+ years of searching for better products, I keep coming back to the 3M products, mainly 3M 5200 Fast Cure.
3M 4200 and 5200 are often found and they work well too but very long cure times, taking up to a week to fully cure, too much time to accidentally rub or touch the wet sealant. 3M 5200 Fast Cure shims over quickly and cures overnight.
Unfortunately, polyurethane is not available in clear, only black and white. I know this is an issue with some, where a seam to be sealed crosses a colored section.
Every clear sealant I have tried has started to fail within a couple of years so I recommend biting the bullet and using either a white or black polyurethane. Better to be well sealed than to look perfect.
The only place on the coach that I use silicone is for sealing the gaps between the window glass and its rubber seals, a place that commonly leaks on older LDs with the full width, three-piece rear windows.
Amazon.com: Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone Windshield and Glass Sealer,... (https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81730-Flowable-Silicone-Windshield/dp/B000BKEBO0/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=81730+PERMATEX+WINDSHIELD+SEALER+USED+FOR+WINDSHIELDS%2F+SUNROOFS&qid=1586196139&sr=8-3)
Larry
Howard, DAP makes dozens of different sealants (https://www.dap.com/caulk-plus-sealant-selector/). Which one did you have in mind?
From what I've read on here, the 3M 5200 is the best stuff to use but they don't make a clear version, only various colors. Is that right?
From what I've read on here, the 3M 5200 is the best stuff to use but they don't make a clear version, only various colors. Is that right?
No high-quality polyurethane adhesive/sealants are presently available, black and white are your choices.
None of the clear sealants I have tried hold up for more than a few years before they start pulling away.
Unfortunately, paint doesn't stick well to polyurethane but if you don't mind touching it up the color sections of a sealed seam periodically, it's an option.
If well masked, a newly sealed seam will have a thin line of either black or white showing, it isn't that objectionable and most of the end cap seams and window frame seals are on white surfaces. While mixed use of both black and white polyurethane is possible, it isn't going to be easy to get shape cutoffs, when changing colors. It's beyond my pay grade to get it right.
Home isolation a great time for those who keeps their LD at home to get these maintenance jobs out of the way, you might learn something, save a bunch of money and not go through the frustration of waiting for months to get an appointment at the local RV shop.
Since you can't go anywhere it will give you another project and there isn't a huge rush to get it done all at once, convenient for large sealing and waxing jobs.
The needed materials can be ordered online.
Larry