Two baby question re belly band

[SharonM]

First, I need to perfectly clean the silver bellyband as I want to put reflective tape on it all the way around (1/2 inch). Is a brillo pad with the soap in it okay for this or would it be better to rinse all the soap out from the pad first and maybe use spic n span instead, or whatever?

Second, I know silicone is a no-no (Donna is permanently in my brain on this matter -- grin) for re-sealing the band after I remove the old stuff. So what's the very best sealant to use on the bellyband, that's also not too messy?

Thanks gang.
Sharon

[Donna D.]

The belly band on a Scamp is aluminum. You don't need to polish it to get the reflective tape to stick, it just needs to be clean and wax free. I'd use a plastic tuffy and a soap that removes wax... like Tide. Just know, it will probably remove the wax from the trailer too.

You're removing the caulk that's currently on the trailer? I guess that's what you're meaning...

All caulk is messy, it's the nature of the beast. But you can make it less so by using blue painters tape close to the belly band and on top of the belly band with just enough space between the two to run a bead of caulk. Only run a bead that's adequate for the space. Depending on what you use, you can wet your finger to smooth it out... or use the back of a plastic spoon, etc. Remember, less is more when it comes to caulk in this area, it's for asthetic purposes, not for sealing possible leak points.

I like this stuff: Geocel Pro-Flex 10 oz tube sealer

[SharonM]

Thank you very much Donna. Now I have a specific task to accomplish this weekend.

Sharon

[partslady9]

Speaking of belly band, I too am going to add reflective tape. I also want to mount one of those giant ball levels on the front of my trailer. Dare I use two L- shaped brackets and drill thru the band to mount this?
Elaine