Is This Silicone

[countryhick]

Can somebody tell me what type of caulk/sealant this is and what I can use over this? I tried some stuff called dyco 20/20 that was given to me by the dealer, but it just peels right off. The red points to the factory stuff and the yellow points to the stuff I put on that peeled right off. Does the factory use silicone?

Reason for doing this is I found the carpet in the corner of the slide a little wet after the monsoon we had last Friday. The unit is a 2022 Puma 28 DBFQ. It is still under warranty, but in the interest of time and because I just like to work on my own stuff, I would prefer to fix it myself.

[01blueox]

Looks like it to me and whoever put it on must found a heck of a sale.

[arcaguy]

That certainly looks like silicone to me. It is very, very tough to get anything to stick to silicone. As to removing silicone I had a leak on a motorcycle gas tank one time that removed all of the silicone that had squished out from a valve cover gasket. Other that gasoline you may want to talk to your local automotive paint store to see what they have. It's a tough nut to crack. Good luck.

[Ldubs]

X3 - it is silicone. You will have a hard time putting anything over it.

Remove as much as possible by cutting/scraping it out. Wide as that gap is it should come out in chunks. For whatever is left, there is a silicone remover product. The stuff works kinda sorta but it is a gooey PITA.

Is that a hatch? If it is leaking, I might look at how hard it would be to remove the hatch frame and reseat it.

[arcaguy]

Here's some stuff that Home Depot sells. I'm going to get some because I need to remove some caulk from a vanity. I'll try and report how it works but it may be a while.

[Tomahawk]

What Ldubs said.
If it is a hatch, I would look at taking it off and removing all the silicone. I would use Butyl Tape between the frame and side wall and then go around the frame with Dicor. Pro tip, mask everything, apply a bead of dicor, Smooth with finger of hand in Nitrile glove, a little acetone can be used to improve smoothing. Have paper towels and acetone handy if the dicor gets on anything. Take the masking tape off PDQ. Last time did this, I masked about 10 feet, put down the bead, smoothed down the bead, took off the glove, and started pulling off the tape. When I was slow getting the tape off it was almost too late.

[arcaguy]

Originally Posted by arcaguy

Here's some stuff that Home Depot sells. I'm going to get some because I need to remove some caulk from a vanity. I'll try and report how it works but it may be a while.

Sorry I forgot the link last night so here is it. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Motsenbo...f&gclsrc=3p.ds

[wolfe10]

And, to apply any caulk neatly, tape above and below where you are a applying it with blue painter's tape.



Apply a bead.


Smooth with finger (disposable glove recommended).


Immediately remove tape and re-smooth with finger.


Now it is neat and has been pressed into the area it is sealing.

[Winemaker2]

Agree looks like silicone and the problem is NOTHING sticks to silicone even more silicone. It has to come off. Remove hatch cover and clean completely.
Wire brush in a drill works for backside of the flange. Siding it tricky and worth masking around to minimize damaging siding.
Remove as much as possible mechanically and use acetone or a silicone remover. I've done all of the above and ran some fine wet/dry sandpaper over the area and was surprised how much more came off what looked like a clean surface.
I'm a big fan of butyl tape. Apply to back side of flange and reassemble squeezing out any excess, trim with a plastic scraper or wood popsicle stick.
After hours or a day tighten screws a bit and squeeze & trim again. If may take a few cycles to get excess off and warm Wx help (not great in cold Wx).

[Soppy]

It sure looks like silicone. It has to be totally removed before applying new sealant. I used a rag soaked in gas to remove the silicon on my RV. The gas will soften the silicone and make it easier to remove. Gas vapors are very flammable. Do this outside in a well vented open area . Make sure all appliances and power sources are turned off / disconnected first. DO NOT use gas indoors .
Do a test first to make sure the gas does not affect the finish on your RV. I used a marine sealant called " Sudbury" which skins quickly and remains flexible .

[Yosemite77]

To get a clean, smooth bead, dip your finger in a bowl of soapy water before smoothing it out. Works great!
For a clear sealant, I would recommend using Geocel Pro Flex.

[rrsutherland]

A little over a year ago we purchased a used toy hauler. Almost any area that needed caulked was.....generously.....with silicone We knew this going in and, not being our first rodeo, stocked up on plastic double edge razor blades and this stuff.




RE-MOV ADHESIVE AND SILICONE REMOVER 8oz

Pricey but it works well. We use it to soften silicone then use the plastic scrapers. Follow up with denatured alcohol. Tedious work but worth it to us! Best of luck

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by Yosemite77

To get a clean, smooth bead, dip your finger in a bowl of soapy water before smoothing it out. Works great!
For a clear sealant, I would recommend using Geocel Pro Flex.

I keep a spray bottle with a water/dish soap mix. Spray it on the bead before smoothing with my finger. Works great on silicone and other caulk.

[vroom_vroom]

Razor blades and denatured alcohol. Takes a bit but gets it done.