Recaulking Winnie Sidewalls

[brian74]

I'm in the process on recaulking my 2016 Minnie Winne. Has little over a year of use (I bought it used and have owned it 6 months). Seems a little early that the sealant should be already showing cracks but nonetheless it is in a few spots. Part of it I found was due to a local dealership backing another RV into mine while it while it was in service and not telling me about it, as it was barely noticeable, but the body flex from impact was enough to crack the sealant in a few spots.

This post only pertains to the sidewalls. I am doing the roof (Dicor) later.

I am on weekend 2 of removing the existing caulk. I have about 2 full weekends left of caulk removal. It is NOT a fun task, lol. At least the weekdays give my sore hands time to heal.

I have scoured every forum I could find and have decided to go with Geocell Proflex for the reseal job. It came down to either this or the 3M 4000UV, but the 4000UV does not come in almond color and I am still skeptical of its performance on a Class C, as these things flex a ton.

These are my remaining unanswered questions:

1. Does anybody know exactly what sealant product Winnebago originally used on the sidewalls of their 2016 class C's? All they provide is a part number and it doesn't cross reference properly from what I can tell.

2. How long does the Geocell Proflex tend to last in your experience? I live in Az and keep my rig covered when not in use.

3. Is it really true that Proflex can be reliably re-caulked over itself later on (assuming it is properly cleaned first)?

4. Has anybody tried the DAP Caulk Be Gone product or others? I'm currently using mineral spirits, but a few areas would be easier with a more aggressive solvent.


Thanks

[jflood1274]

Heat gun may help. Cheap at Harbor Freight if you don't have one. Acetone is the "universal solvent" but test on paint in an unobtrusive area first.

[gladu2]

I used Geocell Proflex on the Winnebago we sold. The color was white and the sealant still looked good 6 months later when we sold it, it didn't turn moldy black like silicone caulking does it still was pure white. Now we have a 2016 Itasca Spirit (same as Minnie Winnie). When we were at Winnebago Industries in Forest City the parts lady gave me all the part#s of the sealants and a diagram where they are applied for our build and a ph# for ordering them when we were ready, she did require the motorhome serial number to look it all up. Our coach has more then one color sealant because we have the optional cap on the front.

[S Bradley]

Winnebago list all sealants for RVs on their site.
TResources - Manual - Diagrams - Sealants Call Out. Enter year and model for a diagram and parts list.
Type of sealant by compare the part number with the product description.

[2wiresdave]

I use the Winnebago sealant call out sheets on their website and then call Lichtsinn in Iowa to get the right ones. I do however use the Geoflex procell on the sidewalls as I feel it stays pliable longer than others I have tried. I use the Winnie specific part #'s for all the various roof sealants and the roof to sidewall seam.

I actually simply go over failing caulk until it builds up too much vs doing a complete removal each time.

[brian74]

Originally Posted by 2wiresdave

I use the Winnebago sealant call out sheets on their website and then call Lichtsinn in Iowa to get the right ones. I do however use the Geoflex procell on the sidewalls as I feel it stays pliable longer than others I have tried. I use the Winnie specific part #'s for all the various roof sealants and the roof to sidewall seam.

I actually simply go over failing caulk until it builds up too much vs doing a complete removal each time.

Thanks for that info. I called Lichtsinn as well (great people) and Winnie used some sort of cheap sidewall caulk on the call out list. The stuff was cracking within 18 months. Problem is, Geocell does not have that color (champaigne). I was dead set on Geocell, so I went with Almond. The only issue is that I had to make it look really pretty because it does not match the paint at all. Fortunately it was a cooler day out, around 65 degrees here in Az and the Geocell was very forgiving once I figured out how to run a smooth bead.

All sidewalls are caulked; turned out well and all who have seen it complimented my work, so now I guess its all about how long this stuff lasts.

Worst damn project I have ever taken on. Took 6 days alone just to remove the old caulk. On the bright side, I got about 12 other projects completed since then because that agonizing 6 days of removing caulk made those other 12 projects seem fun in comparison.

[gladu2]

[QUOTE=brian74;3398001]Thanks for that info. I called Lichtsinn as well (great people) and Winnie used some sort of cheap sidewall caulk on the call out list. The stuff was cracking within 18 months. Problem is, Geocell does not have that color (champaigne). I was dead set on Geocell, so I went with Almond. The only issue is that I had to make it look really pretty because it does not match the paint at all. Fortunately it was a cooler day out, around 65 degrees here in Az and the Geocell was very forgiving once I figured out how to run a smooth bead.

The parts lady at Winnebago Industries changed all the sealant part#'s that are found online in our part's manual for our 2016 Spirit 25B and gave me the revised list, hopefully they have gone on to a better product. Our original seals still look good so far though and haven't noticed any cracking. The RV was bought at an Alaska dealer and we just drove it down in October.

[brian74]

[QUOTE=gladu2;3398140]

Originally Posted by brian74

Thanks for that info. I called Lichtsinn as well (great people) and Winnie used some sort of cheap sidewall caulk on the call out list. The stuff was cracking within 18 months. Problem is, Geocell does not have that color (champaigne). I was dead set on Geocell, so I went with Almond. The only issue is that I had to make it look really pretty because it does not match the paint at all. Fortunately it was a cooler day out, around 65 degrees here in Az and the Geocell was very forgiving once I figured out how to run a smooth bead.

The parts lady at Winnebago Industries changed all the sealant part#'s that are found online in our part's manual for our 2016 Spirit 25B and gave me the revised list, hopefully they have gone on to a better product. Our original seals still look good so far though and haven't noticed any cracking. The RV was bought at an Alaska dealer and we just drove it down in October.

I cannot remember the specific name of the sealant. All I know is that it all began to crack at the same time within the course of a month. It cracked even more around the back when LaMesa RV ran another RV into mine while it was in service there. Of course they didnt tell me about it, hoping I wouldnt notice it.

[Mr. Dave]

Has anybody tried the DAP Caulk Be Gone product or others? I'm currently using mineral spirits, but a few areas would be easier with a more aggressive solvent.

Hi Brian74,

I've been resealing the sides of my Rev. I fully understand this is not a fast or fun job!!

I've tried the DAP Caulk Be Gone. Really didn't seem to help much. Maybe I was too impatient.

What I found that has worked for me is to first moisten the old sealant with mineral spirits. I let it it sit for a few minutes and then scrape off the majority of the old sealant with this non marring scraper:



It runs about $13 at Harbor Frieght. Here's a link to it.

It has worked well. When you need to 'sharpen the edge" I turned my belt sander upside down and was quickly able to put an edge on it. This works much better than using a file as suggested on the scraper packaging.

I follow that up again with good old mineral spirits. I moisten the area I'm working on and let is sit for a few more minutes and hit it again with the scraper. I repeat it a couple of more times if needed.

Next, I kinda scrubbed the area with cheesecloth moistened with mineral spirits. The rough texture of the cheesecloth really helps to remove the remaining sealant without harming the surface.

Last step is another section of cheesecloth moistened with denatured alcohol. This helped get the mineral spirits and anything else off the surface.

Let it air dry before I moved on to resealing it.

I was dead set on Geocell, so I went with Almond. The only issue is that I had to make it look really pretty because it does not match the paint at all. Fortunately it was a cooler day out, around 65 degrees here in Az and the Geocell was very forgiving once I figured out how to run a smooth bead.

I, too, decided to use geocel. I'm using black and clear depending on the underlying surface color. The clear works well.

I've been taping off the joint on each side, apply the geocel, and then used a caulk smooth tool like this from Lowes. However, since I purchased it, Lowes discontinued the item. You can get a similar tool from Home Depot.



That said, would you share your technique on how you're achieving a smooth bead?

Thanks!

[brian74]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dave

Hi Brian74,

I've been resealing the sides of my Rev. I fully understand this is not a fast or fun job!!

I've tried the DAP Caulk Be Gone. Really didn't seem to help much. Maybe I was too impatient.

What I found that has worked for me is to first moisten the old sealant with mineral spirits. I let it it sit for a few minutes and then scrape off the majority of the old sealant with this non marring scraper:



It runs about $13 at Harbor Frieght. Here's a link to it.

It has worked well. When you need to 'sharpen the edge" I turned my belt sander upside down and was quickly able to put an edge on it. This works much better than using a file as suggested on the scraper packaging.

I follow that up again with good old mineral spirits. I moisten the area I'm working on and let is sit for a few more minutes and hit it again with the scraper. I repeat it a couple of more times if needed.

Next, I kinda scrubbed the area with cheesecloth moistened with mineral spirits. The rough texture of the cheesecloth really helps to remove the remaining sealant without harming the surface.

Last step is another section of cheesecloth moistened with denatured alcohol. This helped get the mineral spirits and anything else off the surface.

Let it air dry before I moved on to resealing it.



I, too, decided to use geocel. I'm using black and clear depending on the underlying surface color. The clear works well.

I've been taping off the joint on each side, apply the geocel, and then used a caulk smooth tool like this from Lowes. However, since I purchased it, Lowes discontinued the item. You can get a similar tool from Home Depot.



That said, would you share your technique on how you're achieving a smooth bead?

Thanks!

I just try and get as even and smooth of a bead out of the gun as possible, and then very, very lightly smooth over it with a fingertip that I dipped in soapy water. Takes some practice but got easier after a few tries.