intro and sealing vents

[Airshow]

Hello everyone,
We purchased a 2004 HR Vacation (10,000 miles) in March after many years of tent trailers, class B and C. I have performed all of the light maintenance on the coach and have had Redlands RV do the heavy and warranty work. It came with an extended warranty until 02/2011. This Christmas break we are going to hit the road for a couple of weeks. We have enjoyed many 2-3 day trips since the purchase and are looking forward to the road trip.
I am a pilot by trade, an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic by default and an auto restorer by choice. I am in the middle of replacing the TVs with 1080p flat panels, 32” in the living room, 22” in the bedroom and 28" in the basement in addition to replace DVD player.

See photo
Question, The seal around the vents have cracked in some areas. The outer edges of the seal are fine it is just in the middle area where there is some separation. Can I chalk the separation to get me through this month and what would I use?

Thanks, Jim, Diane and Miss Emmy the graybrador

[lthrnk]

Jim,

Welcome to the forums, much good info here on all to do with motorhomes and their systems.

Take a look at www.bestmaterials.com they are the distributors for Eterna Bond. This material has been used extensively on roof joints. It is the best solution for caulked joints.

[MonacoMama]

Airshow...Congrats on your "new to you" Vacationer! HRVacationer has done some modifications on his...you should do a search for some of his posts.

You definitely need to seal the vent area before you head out. (I know you are in Southern CA...but it does rain in SO.CA at times ) There will be a few threads here about sealing that area.

Many of us have done updates on TVs too. Can you squeeze a 26" into the bedroom? The 22 will seem really small after the first week on viewing it.

Will you be able to squeeze a little time over at Quartzsite with the group next month? You are certainly welcome to join us. It is a great way to get other ideas and tips of things to do from other similar rig owners!

We are glad to have you hangin' out here with us on the Monaco Owners Forum! We hope you visit & post often!

[Sixpack98]

Another option would be Dicor or 3M 5200 lap sealant. Both are self leveling and will do a good job and available at any RV dealer parts store. Eternabond would also work but might be a little bit of a challenge in the tight space around the vent. Most RV shops don't carry Eternabond and might be a bit of a challenge to buy online and do the job before your scheduled trip.

Whatever you do DON'T use silicon. Nothing sticks to it and subsequent repairs will require a lot of effort to remove existing silicon.

mark

[Theberrys]

Airshow

Does your handle have anything to do with Rockwell?

My wife and I both retired from the IFE company they aquired from Hughes.

Dick Berry