Separating end caps. October 02, 2018, 01:57:47 pm I’m in the process of getting my LD ready for a cold winter storage. After examining my rig I noticed the rear corner end caps are starting to separate. All screws appear to be secured. I ordered several tubes of the motherships recommended caulk. Will caulk be good enough to seal and protect the corners and to stop further separations?Thanks in advance!Mark
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #1 – October 02, 2018, 02:47:15 pm "I noticed the rear corner end caps are starting to separate."You can expect a certain amount of separation due to normal expansion and contraction. It depends on how much you are comfortable with. Were you to peel those end caps away you would find massive amounts of caulking in place, far more than any water penetration could breach.My horizontal seams, which on my 2004, are covered with a ½" filler. I have and continue to expect separation, both above and below. Vince has convinced me that this is normal and should cause no concern.But if it makes you more comfortable, a bead of caulk would not hurt anything!
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #2 – October 02, 2018, 03:18:05 pm Thank you!!I have the caulk so i’ll Go ahead and seal it up. Glad to hear this is normal. Mark
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #3 – October 02, 2018, 03:28:21 pm "I ordered several tubes of the motherships recommended caulk."I'm getting ready to caulk the seams too. What brand did the mothership recommend?Thank you,Langton 1 Likes
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #4 – October 02, 2018, 08:25:21 pm I have read that the 'extreme caulking' began in the early 2000s. Is the start date known for sure? Is there a way to tell without popping them off? 1 Likes
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #5 – October 02, 2018, 11:23:39 pm Quote from: NADAZE! - October 02, 2018, 01:57:47 pmI’m in the process of getting my LD ready for a cold winter storage. After examining my rig I noticed the rear corner end caps are starting to separate. All screws appear to be secured. I ordered several tubes of the motherships recommended caulk. Will caulk be good enough to seal and protect the corners and to stop further separations?Thanks in advance!MarkMark, I just did the same areas on my '02 last weekend and removed the old caulk, which was the 3M sealant many use, but I had made a mess of it. I used Big Stretch, recommended by another forum member, and it went on very easily. I find the 3M sealant impossible to use because I don't have enough patience to deal with the mess. Sashco 10016 10.5oz 10016 Big Stretch Caulk 10.5-Ounce Cartridge, White:... 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #6 – October 03, 2018, 12:08:01 am The mothership recommended Loctite PL S40 for Windows, doors and siding. It’s hard to find in the hardware stores. I ordered mine online.
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #7 – October 03, 2018, 01:06:28 am Quote from: Langton - October 02, 2018, 03:28:21 pm"I ordered several tubes of the motherships recommended caulk."I'm getting ready to caulk the seams too. What brand did the mothership recommend?I have repaired dozens of separated end caps over the last 15 years.My preferred sealant is a 3M's 5200 Fast Cure. It can be messy to work with but it holds better than any other adhesive sealant I have tried. Searching my user name will provide many postings concerning the repairs.To deal with the potential mess, after cleaning the gaps, masking tape is applied around the the cap and body, allowing squeeze out to be removed immediately after applying and smoothing the sealant. Wearing old clothes and using disposable gloves is a necessity.I use #8 X 1-1/4" stainless steel sheet metal screws to pull loose end caps into place. It's the same method the Mothership uses on uncooperative end caps. Pre-drill the screw holes for applying the adhesive.The same method of taping is also useful for neatly resealing windows. The adhesive used to secure the windows in place shrinks over time and can leak.Window and seam sealing | FlickrLarry 1 Likes
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #8 – October 03, 2018, 04:46:10 am I followed Larry’s advice on my end cap repair and replacement. What he writes is definitely the way to go. 5200 is the best, and messy. Adding one tip: don 2-3 pairs of disposable exam/mechanics gloves in layers. As one glove becomes messy, pull it off and continue. Also, a board or some stiff cardboard makes a nice palette to scrape excess onto. Have a roll of paper towels handy.
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #9 – October 03, 2018, 07:43:47 am Quote from: paul banbury - October 03, 2018, 04:46:10 am5200 is the best, and messy. Adding one tip: don 2-3 pairs of disposable exam/mechanics gloves in layers. As one glove becomes messy, pull it off and continue. Also, a board or some stiff cardboard makes a nice palette to scrape excess onto. Have a roll of paper towels handy. Paul ... are you able to smooth out the bead of this sealant in the same way as ordinary caulking?
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #10 – October 03, 2018, 09:27:07 am This subject was being discussed when I first came into this forum earlier this summer and immediately got my interest. My 1997 really doesn't have this issue and it seems like people in here discussing it as a problem have a post 2000 LD. On a couple of trips this summer I ran into other LD owners in campgrounds and while looking their rigs over saw this problem first hand and also the cracking end caps issue. They were all 2000 and later. I'm wondering if I'm just lucky so far or did LD make some cost saving change around 2000 in order to keep the price of their motorhome from going up. Maybe end caps from a different source and or a cheaper form of adhesive? Maybe some other pre 2000 LD owners can chime in and say if they are experiencing these same issues or not.
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #11 – October 03, 2018, 10:38:43 am Quote from: Ed & Margee - October 03, 2018, 07:43:47 amPaul ... are you able to smooth out the bead of this sealant in the same way as ordinary caulking? Not Paul but I can answer and it's no. That's what frustrated me with 3M and why I gave up. I agree that 3M is probably the best. Larry does great work with it. Obviously he has more patience than me. 😊 The Big Stretch can be smoothed with a finger. I suspect it will last as long as I have the LD.Chris
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #12 – October 03, 2018, 12:30:56 pm Quote from: Sawyer - October 03, 2018, 09:27:07 amThis subject was being discussed when I first came into this forum earlier this summer and immediately got my interest. My 1997 really doesn't have this issue and it seems like people in here discussing it as a problem have a post 2000 LD They were all 2000 and later. I'm wondering if I'm just lucky so far or did LD make some cost saving change around 2000 in order to keep the price of their motorhome from going up. Maybe end caps from a different source and or a cheaper form of adhesive? Maybe some other pre 2000 LD owners can chime in and say if they are experiencing these same issues or not.Bases on a lot of personal experience, it's wishful thinking that your 1997 LD isn't subject to cap lifting, they all do it eventually, no matter when they were built.Some rigs are much better at retaining the caps, while other, same year models, have multiple spots that loosen . A few years ago, a fellow with a 1998 LD handed me two end caps that had completely popped offLD has tried various adhesives but never found one that is absolutely foolproof.The corners of walls are subject to high bending and thermal stresses that can cause the caps to pop loose.Larry
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #13 – October 03, 2018, 02:51:34 pm Quote from: Larry W - October 03, 2018, 12:30:56 pmBases on a lot of personal experience, it's wishful thinking that your 1997 LD isn't subject to cap lifting, they all do it eventually, no matter when they were built.Some rigs are much better at retaining the caps, while other, same year models, have multiple spots that loosen . A few years ago, a fellow with a 1998 LD handed me two end caps that had completely popped offLD has tried various adhesives but never found one that is absolutely foolproof.The corners of walls are subject to high bending and thermal stresses that can cause the caps to pop loose.LarryAs I said "I'm wondering if I'm just lucky so far" and if you have personal experience with pre 2000 LDs with this problem it answers my question. Guess I'm just lucky so far.Edit: How about the cracking issue? Have you also seen that in pre 2000 LDs?
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #14 – October 05, 2018, 08:08:18 am Sorry to be so long in reply, WiFi is hard to get here.I taped along both sides of the seam as Larry recommends. Then I cut the tip of the tube small, and squeezed as much as possible into the gap. Note, mine was a replacement and I had already put plenty underneath the caps. I then cut the tip bigger on a bias, and used the tip and pressure control to run the bead as nicely as possible. Where I needed, I used the corner of a hotel key card to work the material. I find my fingers are the worst tool for working caulking. In my case, to clamp, I used sticks and straps in a Rube Goldberg contraption and left it a few weeks. Avoided the need to use screws. The 5200 is strong enough when cured, as long as the substrate is uncompromised. 1 Likes
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #15 – October 05, 2018, 10:26:32 am "I used the corner of a hotel key card to work the material. I find my fingers are the worst tool for working caulking."---I use wooden "craft sticks"; these are basically popsicle sticks. They're available at any craft store (and online), usually in packages of 25-100, are very inexpensive, come in a variety of widths, don't mark or scratch, and work for many applications on the motorhome, from cleaning out weep holes on the window frames to "pointing" caulking. A couple of examples:Creatology™ Wood Craft Sticks, 100 CountCreatology™ Wood Craft SticksI keep a "sharpened" (blunt point) craft stick rubber-banded to the tire pressure gauge; handy to release air from the tire if I happen to overfill. 1 Likes
Re: Separating end caps. Reply #16 – October 05, 2018, 12:38:58 pm Quote from: paul banbury - October 05, 2018, 08:08:18 am Where I needed, I used the corner of a hotel key card to work the material. I find my fingers are the worst tool for working caulking. I always used my fingers to smooth caulking, particularly polyurethane.Wearing disposable gloves, dip your finger in water and then smooth the caulk. The water acts as a lubricant and will not harm the polyurethane, poly uses moisture to cure.I usually wear two or three pairs of gloves when sealing a big section or window. As a glove(s) become contaminated, pull it off, exposing a fresh glove.Polyurethane is messy, wear old clothes, have plenty of disposable gloves, rags and solvent for cleaning.Larry
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