Fixing my bolers leaking windows...

[Al Stansell]

Hi Folks - My 76 Boler has the louvered windows behind each of the dinette seats - one leaks slightly, the other quite abit - I only noticed this after an absolute torrential downpour - anyhow, the previous owner put caulking around the top of the window at the exterior, but I would like to remove the windows completely and reinstall and reseal with butyl tape. Any advice as to how I should go about removing/reinstalling the windows would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance - Alec

[Brian B-P]

If the caulking is silicone sealant, the only effective tool I know of is a sharp and flexible knife. I used one of the retractable snap-off blade variety, with the blade laid parallel to the body surface, to carefully peel away the junk from around the windows I have re-sealed in my Boler.

Once the extra sealant is gone, if the windows are the same design as the Hehr units in my Boler, the inner retaining band is removed by removing all of the screws on the inside, then just pulling it away - although mine are stuck to the interior lining foam, to add annoyance. With the retainer removed, I used that knife again to cut through the old putty, and the window pulls out, to the outside.

I have only done a couple of windows so far, and neither is the louvered type, but in my 1700 (same as any of the 17ft units in the Boler album) the radius-cornered louvered kitchen window has the same frame construction and installation as the other windows. I don't know anything about the square-cornered windows, or which one a 1976 Boler 1300 would typically have.

[Norm Roy]

My 75 Boler 13' has the same windows. They seem to be riveted from the outside into the inner window frame. The left side window leaks somewhere at the top, even after applying a bead of silicone. The right side does not leak but i will remove both next spring to seal them properly. Good luck, and let up know how you fix it.

[Lizbeth]

On my '79 boler the window are riveted to the trailer and the trim rings are screwed to the window. I took mine out and resealed them and it looks like I will have to redo them. The reason being I used a double layer of tape thinking that it would help the flat window v. the curved body. When I reinstalled the window trim they pulled the windows tighters and so I have "loose" rivets (the heads are sticking up) in the channel and the trim won't fit in the grove. I might just remove the offending rivets and not replace them.

Taking all those rivets out and reinstalling them is a bear of a job.

[Brian B-P]

Originally posted by Lizbeth+Nov 20 2005, 04:04 PM-->

I'm not sure about the 1300, but I found that in a Boler 1700 the areas of the body in which the windows are mounted are flat, so no curve needs to be accommodated. The same applies to the refrigerator lower vent (but not the upper) and most other fittings.

I used a single layer of stretchy and adhesive butyl putty tape, but two rows to cover the whole window flange area. The extra width may not be required, but I can't imagine doing all of this work and using the old standard style of putty.

<!--QuoteBegin-Lizbeth@Nov 20 2005, 04:04 PM
[b]...When I reinstalled the window trim they pulled the windows tighter and so I have "loose" rivets... ...

My trailer doesn't have those rivets holding the windows in, so I'm only guessing here, but I wonder if the rivets were just an assembly aid, and not needed to hold everything together in use (assuming that the trim is used as a retainer like my windows). If so, the stickyness of the butyl tape may be all that's required to hold the window in until the inner trim is attached.

[Lanny Milton]

Al:

I'm not sure about Bolers, but I removed and reinstalled all the windows in my 77 Trillium (13'). They were screwed into plywood strips that had eventually rotted from seepage. I also had to contend with preserving the foam backed insulating material that was glued to the strips. I went back with butyl tape, new lumber core plywood, and most importantly, stainless screws. The originals had rusted to nothing and were the culprit of the seepage. I thought about treated wood, but figured the regular plywood will be there at least as long as the original and probably longer. That should make the trailer about 54 years old before more window repairs are necessary.

[Lance MacArthur]

When I painted my 13' boler, I pulled the windows. Originally installed with what looked like putty tape and rivited to the body, the putty had dried over the years and many leak points could be seen. After painting, I reinstalled using a high-grade marine sealant, and re-rivited the windows using the original holes.

The rivits can be easily removed using a sharp drill on the exterior rivit, and pulling them out from the inside. This way, the holes don't get enlarged, and can be reused.

The marine sealant ( found it at Home Depot) is mildly flexible, so it should provide a leak-proof seal for a long time. Ours has been through a few moderate rains, and is leak-free.

[Lizbeth]

Brian, the 13fter has curves all over. There are no flat spot, some just not curved as much as others.

Each side window has 32 rivets in it. I'm not sure what is the reason for all the rivets, the holes were there so I replaced them. In retrospect I wish I hadn't. I think the buytl tape and the trim rings would hold things tight enough for a seal....but I'm not sure.