Prepping for spring

[donjdart]

Still to cold to work on it, but getting prepared. I have to re-caulk around the windows between the fiberglass wall & the metal window frame. I am looking for recommendations on what type of caulk/sealant to use. Also should I use the same to recaulk where the window glass connects to the frame or something else. Fiberglass Amerigo with metal window frames. Sorry to be such a pain but I want to do it right!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by donjdart

Fiberglass Amerigo with metal window frames. Sorry to be such a pain but I want to do it right!

Well, you don't put caulk around the window frames as you described. You pull the windows out, scrap all the old caulk, foam, etc. off the trailer and the frame and rebed the window using Butyl. Doing it properly will give you years of leak free service.

[Uncle Cereal]

Nothing else than butyl tape, right? (How wide should the tape be?)

[Paul O.]

For small patches I have been using Lexel for years (decades). It is clear, sticks very well. Check it out.
Lexel® by Sashco - Silicone Caulk Alternative

[Uncle Cereal]

Paul, it's not clear to me what you use that stuff for. Patches? Seems like an interesting product!

[donjdart]

Lexel was recommended to me by a friend, but I have yet to use it.

[Gilles]

Lexel, according to their website, seems easy to use, effective ...
This is to replace after a while, that worries me.
In the "FAQS", it is suggested slides and oil products, which are not necessary with the Buthyl Tape.
Correct me please if I did not understand the process ...

[Paul O.]

I have used Lexel on small gaps between the window rubber trim and the shell, sealing rivets, bonding some of the snap caps when they did not want to snap properly, sealing the replacement shore power cord pass-through and rivets (which I do not use any more) and a few other things I do not remember. Like with any sealer, clean up the excess carefully before it cures.
Some more - secured a number of wood screws and sheet metal screws in the cabinetry and the baking oven, which were shaking loose. Sealed the small hole in the floor where my shore power comes out now. The cord now lives inside a 5x5 vinyl sleeve behind the grey water tank, instead of the space under the bench.

[Kai in Seattle]

donjdart,

Working on a fiberglass trailer isn't quite like working on a house. What you're describing sounds like good house husbandry, but those posts here give you better advice. Don't know about Lexel, but the butyl rubber tape (which comes in a few colors like white, gray, black) -- works very well. It's not wildly expensive, and a little dab'll do you on very small spots.

Width? No wider than the project (like window frame) and not so narrow it's silly...you have to judge and YMMV.

Funny how a few small projects will help you feel comfortable with a new method and product.

And..beware of silicone. There are lots of threads about it on FGRV...not that you said you were going to use it. But just in case it crossed your mind, read a little, spare yourself a lot.