Full Re-Seal needed on windows ?

[W7PSK]

Had rig at repair center and they quoted me 2000.00 to spot seal roof and reseal all windows. Do I really need to reseal them at 10 years old?

How hard is it if I attempt it myself?

[JRTJH]

Resealing the windows is easy, they are "frame type" and the interior ring holds the windows in place with a large number of screws. To remove the windows, remove the screws, push GENTLY from the inside to loosen the putty under the exterior flange. Clean the old putty, replace with Butyl putty tape (put the starting point on the bottom of the window) and reposition them on the trailer. Go inside to reinstall the ring and screws. Tighten the screws incrementally to prevent bowing the window. It takes two people, one to do the inside work, one to hold the window in place from outside so it doesn't fall/break/shift position.

As for the roof. If you get on the roof, clean all the DICOR you see with a cleaning agent, remove any damaged, loose sealant and let that dry, then cover all the sealant with new DICOR, you'll be "good to go" Be sure to use an approved cleaning agent, DICOR self leveling sealant and extend the new sealant layer beyond the existing edges (so the new sealant is in contact with the roof membrane and the items protruding from the roof.

It's time consuming but not particularly difficult or technically challenging. Dirty, back breaking at times and lots of time. Otherwise, most "handy with their hands" people find it a "do it yourself" kind of job. No need to pay $2000 if you feel up to the task. GOOD LUCK !!!

[travelin texans]

The 2 grand is bad enough, but did they say how many months it would take to get it done. From reading on most any forum, that sounds like a minimum of 6 months while they ordered/shipped all the caulking. Sorry, that, hopefully, is sarcasm!
If you do it yourself you'll have accomplished 2 things, #1 you will have learned a new skill, #2 you'll know it's actually been done & how well.

[flybouy]

I would agree with above advice and add one thing. Take your time and tackle one thing at a time. Pick the smallest, most accessible window to try first. For the roof, do a small section first, like around the tv antenna or vent stack pipe, then move on.

[Nomadicchefs]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Resealing the windows is easy, they are "frame type" and the interior ring holds the windows in place with a large number of screws. To remove the windows, remove the screws, push GENTLY from the inside to loosen the putty under the exterior flange. Clean the old putty, replace with Butyl putty tape (put the starting point on the bottom of the window) and reposition them on the trailer. Go inside to reinstall the ring and screws. Tighten the screws incrementally to prevent bowing the window. It takes two people, one to do the inside work, one to hold the window in place from outside so it doesn't fall/break/shift position.

As for the roof. If you get on the roof, clean all the DICOR you see with a cleaning agent, remove any damaged, loose sealant and let that dry, then cover all the sealant with new DICOR, you'll be "good to go" Be sure to use an approved cleaning agent, DICOR self leveling sealant and extend the new sealant layer beyond the existing edges (so the new sealant is in contact with the roof membrane and the items protruding from the roof.

It's time consuming but not particularly difficult or technically challenging. Dirty, back breaking at times and lots of time. Otherwise, most "handy with their hands" people find it a "do it yourself" kind of job. No need to pay $2000 if you feel up to the task. GOOD LUCK !!!

I know this is an old(ish) thread, but the tape I have is butyl putty, and I'm redoing all the seals on the windows after seeing gaps. But some have said putty and some said not to use putty type but the rubber type instead. Which is best for the windows?

[JRTJH]

There are two types of "putty tape". One is a clay putty and the other (preferred) is a "rubber based butyl putty". Both are available in multiple thickness and width rolls. I prefer 1/8" thick, 1" wide rolls. If I need thicker or wider putty, I lay down two overlapping layers.

Butyl putty tape lasts longer, adheres as well and doesn't dry out/crack like the clay putty tape. It's available at most RV stores, all trailer supply stores and usually is about $3 a roll. On my trailer, I use white, but on many of the newer trailers with gray/brown sidewalls and black metal framing, the black or tan butyl tape looks better.

On items like tail lights, clearance lights and other plastic items such as range vents, etc, which can't be tightened enough to completely seal and "squish" the putty tape, I tighten them gradually over a couple of days, trim the exudate around the fixture and then run a bead of Sika-Flex polyurethane sealant (NOT SILICONE) around the fixture to "seal the butyl tape" so it won't continue to squeeze out from under the fixture. I haven't found that to be necessary on the metal window frames, but I do keep a plastic razor blade handy for the first couple of weeks after resealing windows to trim the butyl as it exudes from under the framework.

Remember that after you've cleaned all the old putty off the window flange, applied your strip of butyl putty tape (start at the center bottom to prevent leaks) and reinstalled your window in the opening, be sure to hold it "CENTERED" in the opening. It's not as critical on smaller windows, but on larger windows, if you allow the window to "sit on the bottom of the opening" it may have a gap at the top that won't seal. So have someone hold the window in position "CENTERED" in the opening to prevent a "short overlap" on the top of the window flange.

[CrazyCain]

If i do not want to reseal the whole window, what can i, if a can anyway, use to touch up any suspicious spots where the butyl tape looks suspicious.

[chuckster57]

If that picture is your window, then you can use a plastic putty knife. Cutoff the excess and use that to press back into the “voids”.

[CrazyCain]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

If that picture is your window, then you can use a plastic putty knife. Cutoff the excess and use that to press back into the “voids”.

Yep, that is one of the windows in the TT, thanks for the advice Chuck