Repairing the escape hatch November 15, 2020, 09:07:15 pm The escape hatch above the cab bed has had a leaking problem for some time. For one thing, the lid would not close tight, I could see daylight under it and side rain would come in. When I checked this on the roof, the vent lid was old and cracked and needed replacing. I picked up a new lid from LD and began the process to replace and reseal the vent. I followed the advice from Thomas at “I’m not lost, I’m RVing” and picked up an oscillator and wire wheel to remove the old sealant, they both worked great and made short work of the job. Working together, my husband and I cleaned the frame off with acetone and resealed the outside with Dicor Lap sealant. We still need to reinstall the new lid and arm crank replacement. I’ll give an update once we have everything back together. I hope this takes care of the problem. I also bought a Maxx Fan to replace the vent in the lounge that failed in the recent rain and flooded 1/3 of the coach, it will be next.Update 11/21/20 Installed the escape hatch lid and arm today. Working together, my husband and I first taped around the frame on top of the dicor with 4” Aluminium Foil Film Waterproof Butyl Duct Strip just to make sure it is sealed tight and then slid the hinge into the track and screwed the lid and a strip of door draft metal and rubber onto the hinge (see pics) and connected the rest of the hardware. We still have the problem where the lid does not close tight so we're going to take the lid off again and drill the screw holes lower in the lid to allow it to come down further. Hopefully that solves that problem. I'll do another update as we progress. 3 Likes
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #1 – November 16, 2020, 08:11:03 am For those seeking to delay/avoid replacing the vent lid, spray it with UV resistant paint every year.
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #2 – November 16, 2020, 09:19:44 am I just ordered a can of this stuff to try out. Krylon K01305 Gallery Series Artist and Clear Coatings Aerosol, 11-Ounce,... As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #3 – November 16, 2020, 11:20:18 am Quote from: brewersarcade - November 16, 2020, 09:19:44 amI just ordered a can of this stuff to try out. Krylon K01305 Gallery Series Artist and Clear Coatings Aerosol, 11-Ounce,...Ours was already fading to a light yellow before I learned this trick, so I used white. Would not want the truckers to see a faded hatch. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #4 – November 16, 2020, 01:51:11 pm DonDid you use the Krylon Product (in white)? Or another brand?I would like to use it on my A/C cover that I just replaced.Thanks,Tony (aka codefour)
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #5 – November 16, 2020, 05:24:43 pm Quote from: codefour - November 16, 2020, 01:51:11 pmDid you use the Krylon Product (in white)? Or another brand?I would like to use it on my A/C cover that I just replaced.My experience is the type of paint isn't all that important, almost any rattle spray can of white paint will work fine.Home centers sell spray paint for plastics, if you want a more specialized paint. Specialty Paint For Plastic Spray Product PageKrylon K02322007 Fusion for Plastic Spray Paint, Dover White - - Amazon.comLarry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Repairing the escape hatch Reply #6 – November 17, 2020, 03:14:21 am I painted my new escape hatch cover well, after I got it, but before I installed it. The paint is now peeling off in big patches. I did wipe all of it down with acetone, and water. In retrospect I should have roughed the surface up with scotchbrite, and gotten a paint specifically for application over plastic. The mold release compounds are easy to remove, usually water soluble, but also not removed, because the manufacturer isn't contemplating that anybody would paint it. Any residue will prevent paint from sticking, so maybe I didn't clean it well enough. Unsightly, but not easily seen from the ground, so it's on the long list of projects. RonB
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