Two Things - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-01-2003, 08:20 AM   #1
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Two Things

After 5 days of owning our 1982 16' Scamp we have two issues with it.

One is leaks .:umb It poured our first night owning and camping in it. The leaks occurred in the roof at attachment points. One corner of our shower and on the other side where an overhead cabinet hooks. Should I just get out the ladder and silicone and go to town on the bolt points on the roof? Is it that simple? I also noticed what appears to be spots where the white fiberglass is gone. I can see what looks like yellow insulation instead of white. These spots are smaller than this smiley :) Should I silicone these too?

Second issue is not really and issue, but curiosity question. We have all of our camping gear in rubbermaid type totes from our tent days. We're curious how other trailer owners utilize their storage. What do you keep in your trailer and where do you keep it? What works best for you. Just curious! Thanks for all of the help!

Jeremy



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Old 07-01-2003, 09:37 AM   #2
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What we do

Hi Jeremy,:wave

Congratulations on your new addition to the family. Believe me, it will feel like that soon!

I can't help with the leak questions - there are those on this site who are way more experienced and lots smarter than me.

But as far as storage, you know there's no one right way. After years of camping in tents, tent campers, and canoe camping, we've gotten ruthless about what stuff is necessary for us to have a good time.

For what it's worth, this is how we work it in Effie (F.iberglass E.gg). Jim has built 2 shelves in the tall closet, each of which will hold a milk crate for clothes and a couple plastic shoe boxes with lids for toiletries & such. The space below the second shelf (where the wheel well is) is left to hold laundry soap, clothes line & pins, and a wire framed foldup laundry basket in the bottom. Our dirty clothes will be dropped in on top of this stuff until we get home or run out of clean stuff on the road. (We did a similar set up with a folding closet in our tent camper and it worked well with the kids. Each person had their own crate and they could take whatever they wanted, as long as it fit in it.)

I LIKE cooking outside, so we are retaining our 'kitchen' box from our tent camping days for regular camp meals, weather permitting. This is a large plastic box which holds everything for cooking except the campstove.

So, in the overhead cabinets above the sink and stove are our travel mugs, small coffee pot, coffee fixin's, a backpacker-type nested cookware set, a plastic pencil box with silverware & a can opener, and enough canned or dried stuff to make a couple of meals inside if it's nasty outside.

Above the dinette/bed, we store our first-aid kit (2 gallon Ziplock bag), towels & washrags, current books & book lights, playing cards, cribbage board, flashlights, extra batteries, bird ID book, and a couple new magazines for a rainy afternoon.

Under the table/bed we store our bag chairs & folding table when on the road.

Under the front bunk we have our jacks (scissor-jacks are in the works), a hatchet, the awning, our hibatchi grill, campstove, porta-potti, and in the near future, a battery operated shower kit!:ola

I know you've got a 16 footer and more room than our 13 ft, but with more people, I'd think your storage-per-person will figure out about the same.

I'll be interested in hearing how others handle their storage, too. So many great ideas to steal here!

Dina (& Jim):reyes :reyes :reyes



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Old 07-01-2003, 10:48 AM   #3
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Jeremy Witt

... Should I just get out the ladder and silicone and go to town on the bolt points on the roof? Is it that simple? ... Jeremy
:yep Most likely, yes. Those are actually rivets. they were once covered by snap on caps. Since they are on the top, they won't show. Make sure they are dry and put a glob of white silcone on them. After about 24 hours or so, pour a little water on them. I bet you find that your leaks are solved.

Occasionally, you will run into a tougher one than than, but, usually, it is something that simple. That's one of the reasons we all love our fiberglass so much.

GLOB = dime to nickle size when applied over rivet.



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Old 07-01-2003, 11:31 AM   #4
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Suz

Most likely, yes. Those are actually rivets. they were once covered by snap on caps. Since they are on the top, they won't show. Make sure they are dry and put a glob of white silcone on them.
In my opinion silicone is crap for the job. Perhaps its works for a time.
But, if possible, you better remove the rivets, get the proper sealent and re-rivet or, use screws or bolts?



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Old 07-01-2003, 11:54 AM   #5
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Proper Sealant - I suppose that is personal preference. Marine grade silicone has always done an excellent job for me, so that is what I suggest. Of course, there are other mediums available.

The proper method is to drill out the rivet, put the cap washer on, replace the rivet with a marine grade silicone (or medium of choice) and put snap cap back into place. That is how it is done at the factory.

However, to find out if the leak is fixed, the quick method is to put a dab of silicone on the spot, let it set, then test it. If that works, then you can repair it properly.



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Old 07-01-2003, 12:05 PM   #6
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Suz,
What I use for that kind of job, is called 'sealing tape' (English description). The cover says: 'Basis: synthetic rubber. The material retains its elastic quality, is non-ageing and can withstand drilling.'
Here silicone as used in bathrooms is not advised.
Or is yours another type of 'silicone'?



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Old 07-01-2003, 12:17 PM   #7
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The silicone I refer to is not the type they use in bathrooms. This is marine grade silicone and is made for Fiberglass boats. Depends on the application as to the type one uses. Some are for above water line usuage, others for below water line usage. I personally believe either is okay since I don't plan on submerging my fiberglass trailer. ;)

Some people do not like silicone because it is so hard to remove. They prefer latex caulk. I had a really bad experience once with latex caulk. It started to rain before mine was set up and ended up flooding my trailer. That is why I prefer marine silicone

We have something called butyl tape which is used for large application. But since the rivets leave small holes that must be sealed, I used marine silicone for that.

I am a firm believer in using what works for you. What I suggested was a simple step to see if that is where it was leaking. The fnial repair can be made when he has the time or means.



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Old 07-01-2003, 12:36 PM   #8
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You can compromise on the "glob" look and the "proper" fix. If the rivel itself is in good shape and holding tight, you can just fill a snap-cap with silicone and stick it on over the rivet. It seals just like a glob, and looks just like a snap-cap. One bit of advice -- clean the spot on the camper first -- nothing sticks well to dust, nor to wax.



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Old 07-01-2003, 12:57 PM   #9
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Suz
since I don't plan on submerging my fiberglass trailer. ;)
Really?? ;)

<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f01d978782acsuleicaschwimm.jpg/>



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Old 07-01-2003, 01:20 PM   #10
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<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f01dda17a8dbupscope.gif/>


:nope



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Old 07-01-2003, 02:55 PM   #11
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Ya know... I've often wondered if these would float. Maybe just a nice trolling motor on the back bumper, and I could fish off the rooftop deck.



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Old 07-01-2003, 07:47 PM   #12
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silicon sealants can't be painted so if you think you or a subsequent owner might ever decide to paint the trailer, don't use silicon. Use a paintable sealant. For external rivets, I but a nice dab on the rivet, mush it in with my finger, and then wipe it up with a cloth soaked in silicon/wax/tar remover (from a body shop supply place). It makes the sealant visibly disappear, is paintable, but is also sealed. I did all the rivets on my boler, plus the belly band this way, and all my leaks disappeared but it also doesn't have visible globs of goop all over the place.

(The sealant I use is 'seam sealer' because I just happened to have a partially used tube lying around. It's used for sealing the seams between body panels on cars before they're painted.)



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