'75 Trillium, Day 1 - The Clean Up - Fiberglass RV
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Old 09-22-2012, 07:48 PM   #1
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'75 Trillium, Day 1 - The Clean Up

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As we got into it we realized there would be a few questions. I hope to get some feedback here.

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no cushions came with it so we bought a king elsfjord latex foam matress from Ikea in the clearance section for half price and hope to do the dinette bed and the couch with it. Meatballs were great

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There are a few spots where the Ensolite has come away and shrunk quite a bit. We will attempt to stretch it back and glue it. Lots of great tips on this forum.

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Found moisture around the back window and peeled back the Ensolite to find the window frame pretty much rotted out.

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I think the leak problem may be here. As you can see the top frame piece is missing. Any suggestiones? Would this cause a leak?

More to come......
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Old 09-22-2012, 08:20 PM   #2
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Continued

Just realized I said leak was in back window but it was front

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The woden frame pulled right off without removing screws. Most of the screws were corroded away to little stubs. I will use SS screws to replace. any suggestions on type of wood? Does ot make sense to replace with Pressure treated?

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Couldn't keep the 3-way fridge lit on propane but it did get nice and cold on 120. Robyne has some ideas to replace front panel. I do have a question though...when I choose the 120 V setting I can't use the gas stove. What am I doing wrong?
I know the stove works when it is set to propane.

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Lots more to do but ther is light....Click image for larger version

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at the end of the tunnel

Stay tuned for day 2....replacing window frames
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Old 09-22-2012, 09:11 PM   #3
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Attachment 51391
There are a few spots where the Ensolite has come away and shrunk quite a bit. We will attempt to stretch it back and glue it.

Attachment 51393
I think the leak problem may be here. As you can see the top frame piece is missing. Any suggestiones? Would this cause a leak?
It looks like you took down the front shelf to make putting up the Ensolite easier. Is there a back shelf? What are you going to use for glue on the Ensolite?

I am not sure what top frame piece you mean. Are you talking about the missing window rock guard?

I would say the rot was caused by leaks, and the leaks were caused by rot. Since the wood holds the windows against the fibreglass, the seal was probably lost as the wood no longer held the screws. I think that marine plywood makes sense in this application. I wonder if painting it before installing it would make it last longer.
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Old 09-22-2012, 09:19 PM   #4
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Couldn't keep the 3-way fridge lit on propane but it did get nice and cold on 120. Robyne has some ideas to replace front panel. I do have a question though...when I choose the 120 V setting I can't use the gas stove. What am I doing wrong?
I know the stove works when it is set to propane.
What model of fridge is that? The model number is usually on the name plate at the bottom of the door frame. You can only see it when the door is open. Keeping it lit on propane may require cleaning out the gas fittings of spider webs.

The stove only working when the fridge is on gas is a bit weird. Pictures of the gas valve on the fridge might help. Maybe trace out the gas lines.
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Old 09-25-2012, 06:09 AM   #5
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Hi David,

See my comments below

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It looks like you took down the front shelf to make putting up the Ensolite easier. Is there a back shelf? What are you going to use for glue on the Ensolite?
There are shelves front and back. We removed them for easier access to the ensolite and they were also attached to the rotten window frame.
We found a method we like here on the forum using contact cement to re-attach the ensolite. We hope to tackle that job this weekend.

I am not sure what top frame piece you mean. Are you talking about the missing window rock guard?
You were right. The holes are from what's left of the frame for the stone guard. It looks like it was ripped right off with some force. I wonder if they forgot to close it before hitting the road Note to self.......

I would say the rot was caused by leaks, and the leaks were caused by rot. Since the wood holds the windows against the fibreglass, the seal was probably lost as the wood no longer held the screws. I think that marine plywood makes sense in this application. I wonder if painting it before installing it would make it last longer.
More to come on this......
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Old 09-25-2012, 06:28 AM   #6
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David,

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What model of fridge is that? The model number is usually on the name plate at the bottom of the door frame. You can only see it when the door is open. Keeping it lit on propane may require cleaning out the gas fittings of spider webs.
Here is the fridge model number...
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The stove only working when the fridge is on gas is a bit weird. Pictures of the gas valve on the fridge might help. Maybe trace out the gas lines.
and the gas valve set to 110V...
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Still not sure how all this stuff works
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Old 09-25-2012, 07:14 AM   #7
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Day 2....meanwhile back at the ranch

Replacing the window frames...

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We were able to match the old frame pieces by ripping pressure treated deck boards. perfect fit and should outlive me. We got two full frames for the front and back windows out of two 10' boards.
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Guess what happens when you remove all the old corroded screws and pull off the rotten frame? That's right, the windows come out
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Lots of nasty old putty on the window and on the fiberglass. scraped it off with a putty knife and flat head screw driver for the hard to get at spots and them cleaned off what was left with Goo Gone. Seemed to work. You want to have a nice clean surface for the new silicone to adhere to. Load up the track with silicone where the screws go around the window. Don't be stingy. You want to see the stuff oozing out of the screw holes and around the edges as you tighten the new screws. clean off the excess and voilà...
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Old 09-25-2012, 07:15 AM   #8
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I just used standard 3/4" plywood beveled exactly as the original parts were.
Once reinstalled and the window replaced with fresh butyl rubber and held with SS screws there should be no where for rot to start again for some time.
Pressure treated lumber often is heavily chemical treated and I would not want it in there where I sleep and Marine Plywood might be fine but not required unless it is already on hand?

I used 3M spray adhesive for Headliners on the Ensolite but if it has shrunk a lot that may be enough.

I remade all doors inside with Birch Plywood just Poly'd clear and you can get a 1/8" panel to slide right into the front of the fridge too.

Looks Good

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Old 09-25-2012, 07:17 AM   #9
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We must have posted at the same time!

In my experience Silicone Caulk will not stick well to fiberglass and it is pretty much suggested to use a Butyl Rubber tape to seal the windows, but I guess we will see?
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Old 09-25-2012, 07:48 AM   #10
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We must have posted at the same time!

In my experience Silicone Caulk will not stick well to fiberglass and it is pretty much suggested to use a Butyl Rubber tape to seal the windows, but I guess we will see?
I am hoping that the pressure from 25 or 30 screws against the fiberglass will keep the seal. Fingers crossed.
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Old 09-25-2012, 07:53 AM   #11
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I am hoping that the pressure from 25 or 30 screws against the fiberglass will keep the seal. Fingers crossed.
Actually there are over 40 screws around the frame
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Old 09-25-2012, 08:17 AM   #12
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My new tow vehicle. Don't wait up.
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Old 09-25-2012, 08:54 AM   #13
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Still not sure how all this stuff works
It is a bit of a dark art. Understanding absorption refrigeration is on my bucket list. All you really need to understand is that heating the section of vertical pipe that the burner is under makes it all go. The heat comes from either a flame, or electric heating element. If it works on any heat source, then it is good. So if you plug it in, and it cools, then even if you don't get flame, you can fix it. If the cooling circuit has lost gas, it is not worth fixing.

Your RM24 is very much like an RM211. All the controls are on the back, and they look just like an RM211. Check the document center. There may be a manual for your fridge there.
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:25 AM   #14
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You want to have a nice clean surface for the new silicone to adhere to. Load up the track with silicone where the screws go around the window. Don't be stingy. You want to see the stuff oozing out of the screw holes and around the edges as you tighten the new screws. clean off the excess and voilà...
Hi Dave and thanks for sharing your project with us. I would suggest you do a little reading using the search feature on the use of silicone. Folks have not had good luck. Butyl tape seems to be the better approach. Just a thought, take care, Raz
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:36 AM   #15
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Silicone NO! NO! NO!
Butyl tape the BEST!!!! option .
Silicone is the damest stuff to try and remove later.

Ron
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:52 AM   #16
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Dave
Silicone NO! NO! NO!
Butyl tape the BEST!!!! option .
Silicone is the damest stuff to try and remove later.

Ron

OUCH!!!. I've had lots of success with silicone on fiberglass bath tubs and shower enclosures. Ron, How long ago did you replace your Trillium windows with butyl tape?

I guess I better do the hose test this weekend. Thanks for all the feedback and I hope to prove you all wrong

If I did make a mistake at least it wasn't an expensive one.
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Old 09-25-2012, 03:57 PM   #17
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Couldn't keep the 3-way fridge lit on propane but it did get nice and cold on 120. Robyne has some ideas to replace front panel. I do have a question though...when I choose the 120 V setting I can't use the gas stove. What am I doing wrong?
I know the stove works when it is set to propane.
Very odd. Are you saying that your stove will only work when the fridge is set to gas? Your fridge gas line shutoff valve should not affect the stove at all, except that the gas pressure from the tank would be slightly higher when the fridge is turned off because fewer things are using the gas at the same time. Your gas lines should run as one gas line from the tank through the regulator, then under the trailer it should split off into 3 lines for the fridge, stove and furnace. Each of those should be completely independent, and the shut off valves for each line are at the particular appliance. If you can only run the stove when the fridge is also set to gas, then I wonder whether a previous owner has changed the gas line so that your fridge gas line shutoff valve (the handle in your picture) also controls your propane stove. In other words, maybe your gas line to your stove was attached after the fridge valve somehow. I don’t see that in your picture, so it is unlikely.

I suppose another remote possibility would be some water or similar substance in the gas line, which would move forward and block the gas line junction when the fridge is off, but recede to another spot that doesn’t block the junction when the gas if turned off. I have never heard of anything like that, but your description of your symptoms is very strange.

Check your gas pressure at the regulator as well. Do you have a furnace and does it work all the time whether the fridge and stove are working or not?

You should consider clearing out your gas lines by disconnecting them at all the main junction points and blowing compressed air through to get rid of any blockages. Then reconnect them all back together and check for leaks using soapy water.

If you can’t get the gas to stay lit on your fridge, that is another issue, possibly relating to a blockage in your orifice or gas line in the fridge or a defective gas safety valve. I assume from your post that there is some gas getting to the orifice so that it will light, but won’t stay lit. I would deal with the big issue first, the stove that won’t work when the fridge gas line is turned off.

Hope that helps.
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Old 09-25-2012, 07:33 PM   #18
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Silicone may be OK at first but it gets dirty and shrinks with age and is a bu--er to get off, so stick with an non silicone product. Butyl is the best .
Ron
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Old 09-25-2012, 08:57 PM   #19
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Help!!!!

Alright, I'll admit I was wrong. I wish I had done more research.
So where do I get this magic Butyl tape? does it come in different sizes? What size do I need?
Heading up Friday to pull the windows out, clean off the dreaded silicone and start over.
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:42 PM   #20
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I get butyl tape from a local glass store. It's pretty available with an assortment of thicknesses and widths.

I've had a love-hate relationship with silicone for a long time. I agree with the negative comments about silicone, but only to a point. I've used it with a high degree of success on boats. It's not all bad. I woudn't remove what is probably a well sealed, unlikely to leak for several years window just to use butyl tape instead.

Ron
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