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tophog · 10-01-2018, 02:58 PM

We have a 2016 Arctic Fox 5th wheel with a 2 piece shower which I've read are called floating showers where the upper piece/walls overlap with the lower pan attached together with plastic fasteners.

We bought unit used and after purchasing I became aware of many owners having leaky showers that were supposedly fixed by dealers under warranty.

Our shower has never leaked since we've owned however I noticed the upper/lower pieces have been siliconed together and the silicon isn't even providing a good seal due to the flexible walls breaking the seal.

Furthermore I've read where the wall/tub sections shouldn't be siliconed at all based on the walls overlapping the tub which is suppose to allow air up behind preventing moisture?

Now I'm wondering if I should remove the Silicone completely? If so what's the best method.. Plastic scraper/credit card? Is that seem supposed to be siliconed at all like near ends where it meets the glass sections?

The seam in the pic may be difficult to see but it's even with top of seat and goes all the way around. You can see the round fasteners that pin the walls to the tub

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5er2life · 10-01-2018, 06:30 PM

I would almost agree with the method of not trying to seal this overlap, as long as the overlap is sufficient, 1/2" or more. Over time, temperature changes and flex by travel may create a separation on the up side of the silicone. Creating a shelf for water to gather and release moisture behind the backing. Just thinking out loud, but would leave the shower door open after showering for a bit to allow airflow. Knowing the amount of overlap would ease my mind but gravity should be your friend, in this case.

harleyjt · 10-01-2018, 06:36 PM

Not much different than the way a home bathtub is made. There is a lip for the wall to overlap. Then tile or whatever is applied.
jt

Gigattime · 10-01-2018, 08:18 PM

You are correct in that most are designed not to be sealed. Personally, I would ask other Artic Fox owners or even reach out to the manufacturer to see how their shower is installed. if you find Artic Fox doesn't seal, then I would use a plastic putty knife to remove the old caulk.

2Yung2 Quit · 10-02-2018, 07:01 AM

Silicone caulk is very difficult to remove.

egwilly · 10-02-2018, 07:09 AM

I think you will find that removing that silicone to be quite a challenge.
It is very tenacious. Wondering why someone sealed it? As long as there is a sufficient overlap of the wall, it will not leak unless you overfill it.

That said, I would clean it up if it's messy looking, and leave it alone.

There is too much flex at that joint when traveling and even when standing in the shower tray to prevent it pulling apart.

weredoingit · 10-02-2018, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tophog

We have a 2016 Arctic Fox 5th wheel with a 2 piece shower which I've read are called floating showers where the upper piece/walls overlap with the lower pan attached together with plastic fasteners.

We bought unit used and after purchasing I became aware of many owners having leaky showers that were supposedly fixed by dealers under warranty.

Our shower has never leaked since we've owned however I noticed the upper/lower pieces have been siliconed together and the silicon isn't even providing a good seal due to the flexible walls breaking the seal.

Furthermore I've read where the wall/tub sections shouldn't be siliconed at all based on the walls overlapping the tub which is suppose to allow air up behind preventing moisture?

Now I'm wondering if I should remove the Silicone completely? If so what's the best method.. Plastic scraper/credit card? Is that seem supposed to be siliconed at all like near ends where it meets the glass sections?

The seam in the pic may be difficult to see but it's even with top of seat and goes all the way around. You can see the round fasteners that pin the walls to the tub

Attachment 221062 Attachment 221063

If it Ain't broke don't fix it! My 2004 Montana is exactly like yours except no sealant . I think one of the other owners of your rig thought that it should have been sealed so they sealed it. I can't tell you how many times my wife has mentioned that their is something wrong with our shower. She see's that edge on the overlap and thinks it needs to be sealed.

tophog · 10-02-2018, 09:01 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to try and remove the Silicone the best I can and leave it alone. There is at least 2" of overlap so don't think Silicone is doing anything anyways as it's detached from the tub just do to all the flex/movement in the walls.

From my research the majority say the seam shouldn't be sealed at all, by design.

I'm guessing what happened is the showers leaked in specific places on many new units during this year due to improper installation at assembly. Then when people took them in to be repaired under warranty the dealers went wild with Silicone and repaired them using different methods.

I would assume many RV mfrs get the same showers from a common mfr and one would think they would all be installed using same procedure.

Goes to show the lack of QA and consistency in the RV industry.

On a side note that Silicone is a @#itch to get off. Nearly impossible.

MtCamper · 10-02-2018, 06:12 PM

The previous owner probably put the silicone there while caulking the door. That shower is notorious for leaking doors. I'd put the silicone there on my ignore list.