Oops. An error during camera install

[rturriff7]

Well now I have done it. I just installed a backup camera on the back of the new rig, right below the middle of the three lights on the top middle of the back of the 5er. The mount fit perfectly, as did the camera...but not once the antennae was attached . So the camera needed to be moved down a few inches, leaving behind a 5/8 inch hole and 2 screw holes. Anyone have any ideas about how to "patch" this. The fix will be right above the camera and hardly noticeable from the ground. It will need to be something fairly thin so as to not interfere with the antenna again. Any and all ideas are welcome, and will be better than the current temporary fix (red tuck tape). And FYI the camera works great and reception is awesome (with the antenna on of course).

[chuckster57]

Fill the holes with silicone. If you can match the color,all the better. I have squeezed a very large amount into holes made by factory when customer supplied a different brand of camera. Haven't had any come backs yet.

[rturriff7]

Thanks. I will try that. Should work fine on the scew holes. More worried about the larger 5/8 inch hole. Any suggestions how to not just have the silicone falling into the back wall?

[chuckster57]

When I do it, I use a circular motion and start at the edge moving to the center.

[Dave W]

I would glue a backer strip in that 5/8" hole. It doesn't need to be much. Slide it in, holding it against the outer skin with a screw while your glue (epoxy is best) dries. I would then use a Bond-O type product then when dried, sanded and smoothed, paint with a closely matching color. If needed to hide that spot better, you can always find a decal or, in the case of the rear, some red reflective tape. I punched a 1" hole in a fiberglass boat and used that repair method and an American flag decal to cover my 'error' in boat docking judgement.

[chuckster57]

Excellent idea.

We don't have the luxury of time in the shop, so we do what we can with the time/materials given.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Excellent idea.

We don't have the luxury of time in the shop, so we do what we can with the time/materials given.

It probably wouldn't take a lot more time overall then the silicone 'method' but it would take several 10 minute 'stops'. For fiberglass, Evercoat 'Kitty Hair' is best. metal, their Rage Gold has worked well for me plus sands relatively easy as long as you don't glop it on indiscriminately. Unfortunately, quart cans are the smallest when all you would need is a golf ball size amount.

[PerryB]

You could always put a shot of expanding foam in the hole. Once it expands and cures, scoop out the hole a little and re-fill it with white silicone. That way the silicone would be supported and unlikely to leak or fall out.

[chuckster57]

Since we don't do any body/paint at our location, we are limited to what we can do. Sometimes I wish we could, as it would look much cleaner but I work In a state and county that monitors, tests, and inspects on an irregular unannounced basis. Having certain "supplies" can get dicey.

[Pmedic4]

For those who need to fix small holes in the siding of their RV, the best part about using silicon is it comes in about 20 different colors. They make all these colors to match tile/grout/aluminum/fiberglass tubs/etc, so they blend in on those surfaces. There is a light beige, which matches the color of our fiver. We had a ding on the side of ours, and unless I knew where to look, you couldn't even see the repair. Might have to look at a larger home improvement store for the most options.

[jlensi]

They sell plastic caps at Lowes for just that reason. They are in the drawers in the hardware section.

[Rockingnm]

What model of camera? I'm having a hard time envisioning the antennae interference and don't want to make the same mistake.

[audio1der]

I would use Eternabond tape on both sides (front/rear) of the hole so they adhere to the wall and each other. You could probably patch a submarine that way and go a long time without concern