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Topic: Rubber Seal Lubricant question (Read 21 times) previous topic - next topic
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Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Yahoo Message Number: 63071
The previous owner of our 2001 26.5 MB seems to have been meticulous about maintenance.  He advised us to lubricate all rubber seals with Vaseline, something he has done extensively.  I am wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this - is it something we should be doing, and if so, how often?  If it is not something we should be doing, should we try to remove the excess Vaseline now on our seals, and if so, any suggestions as to how we would go about that?  As always, any and all advice most appreciated.

Aetna & John 2001 26.5 MB
Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 63083
Quote
The previous owner of our 2001 26.5 MB seems to have been meticulous about maintenance.  He advised us to lubricate all rubber seals with Vaseline, something he has done extensively.  I am wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this - is it something we should be doing, and if so, how often?  If it is not something we should be doing, should we try to remove the excess Vaseline now on our seals, and if so, any suggestions as to how we would go about that?  As always, any and all advice most appreciated.

Aetna & John 2001 26.5 MB
Hmmm . . . what rubber seals are you talking about? If you are referring to the rubber weather strips on the cab doors (yeah, I know, maybe a stretch!) then it's best to spray a bit of silicone spray on a scrap of paper towel and wipe the rubber seals with that.
 If you're talking about those things that dump the holding tanks - - - Yuck!

bumper "Yonder" 26.5 MB Minden, NV
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 63084
Quote
Hmmm . . . what rubber seals are you talking about? If you are referring to the rubber weather strips on the cab doors (yeah, I
know,
 
Quote
maybe a stretch!) then it's best to spray a bit of silicone spray
on a

Quote
scrap of paper towel and wipe the rubber seals with that.

If you're talking about those things that dump the holding tanks -
- -

Quote
Yuck!

bumper "Yonder" 26.5 MB Minden, NV
Hi, thanks for replying, I am speaking of the cab door rubber, the side/entry door to the motorhome, and all the rubber seals around all the outside storage compartments.  No, no holding tank seals.
 I must mention that we are in Incline Village/Lake Tahoe, and our LD is currently parked in Washoe Valley, you can see it off to the left if you drive to Reno!  We can't wait for spring to come so we can bring it home where we can admire it hourly!  Now we are limited to weekly visits!

Thanks, Aetna
Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 63090
Aetna and John:
 Our 1998 MB Lazy Daze instruction book advises us to keep the storage door seals lubricated with vasoline (and the dump valve blades as well).  I still do it, lightly, maybe once a year.  I would think if there is too much on them, try removing with windex and paper towels.
Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 63094
nicefields  wrote: I am speaking of the cab door rubber, the side/entry door to the motorhome, and all the rubber seals around all the outside storage compartments.
---- I use 303 on all the "rubber" surfaces and seals; in my experience, Vaseline is sticky and attracts dirt, or "gunks" if it's used on the tank valve gates/slides and shafts of the pull handles. I use silicone spray for any tank parts lube, and also for all the locks and the step.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86376
I am having storage door sticking problems and would like to use something other than vaseline as the manual recommends.

When Joan mentioned 303, did she mean 303 Aerospace Protectant?
 Has anyone else tried using it since her Feb 2006 email (listed below) to the group? Are you still happy with  it?

Jed  (Group lurker) 2005 LD 23 1/2 FD
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86378
Quote
I am having storage door sticking problems and would like to use something other than vaseline as the manual recommends.

When Joan mentioned 303, did she mean 303 Aerospace Protectant?
Yes, that is the one.  Works great.
Joe Hamm-San Jose
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86382
For rubber seals, spray a small scrap of paper towel with silicone spray. Wipe the rubber seal surface with the wet towel. Works nicely, doesn't get overspray on stuff, doesn't waste the spray.

bumper Yonder Minden
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86389
wrote: When Joan mentioned 303, did she mean 303 Aerospace Protectant? --- Yes, she did mean "303 Aerospace Protectant". ;-)
 I use the stuff for any and all rubber or vinyl surfaces; it's pricey, but it works.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86392
Hi Jed, As others have noted, 303 Aerospace Protectant is a terrific product that I use on my tires and other stuff exposed to sunlight.  For a sticking storage door, you might also try "Lubemaster", a heavy duty silicone RV lube made by Roadmaster.  It's a very dry silicone lube Mike Sylvester introduced me; works great in lubricating my window tracks so they move more gracefully and just *might* help stuck doors too.  I got mine at a Camping World in the towing equipment section.

Good luck!

Lorna Headed for Live Oak
2003 RB
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86431
Joan wrote:

Quote
I am speaking of the cab door rubber, the side/entry door to the motorhome, and all the rubber seals around all the outside storage compartments.
---- I use 303 on all the "rubber" surfaces and seals; in my experience, Vaseline is sticky and attracts dirt, or "gunks" if it's used on the tank valve gates/slides and shafts of the pull handles. I use silicone spray for any tank parts lube, and also for all the locks and the step.

Joan
I see a possible chemical interaction issue here.  Silicone-based lubricants are fine on rubber materials but not on silicone-based gaskets or seals.  Similarly, Vaseline (petroleum-based) is fine on silicone-based gaskets but not on rubber.  Silicone lube degrades silicone and petroleum-based lube degrades rubber.  This is taught in the dive industry, where rubber o-rings must be regularly lubed and a failing o-ring can be fatal.  One does NOT use the wrong lube.
As the door seals are probably a synthetic rubber material, a silicone-based spray should work well.
The moral is to know the material before deciding upon what lube is best.  This is NOT a case of "one size fits all".
Ken
'08 MB
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86435
Joan wrote:

I use 303 on all the "rubber" surfaces and seals; in my experience, Vaseline is sticky and attracts dirt, or "gunks" if it's used on the tank valve gates/slides and shafts of the pull handles. I use silicone spray for any tank parts lube, and also for all the locks and the step.

Ken Fears  wrote:

"I see a possible chemical interaction issue here.  Silicone-based lubricants are fine on rubber materials but not on silicone-based gaskets or seals.  Similarly, Vaseline (petroleum-based) is fine on silicone-based gaskets but not on rubber."

Well, I don't use Vaseline on any seals or gaskets, so no worries there. Do you know *which* gaskets or seals on an LD are silicone- based?

"Silicone lube degrades silicone and petroleum-based lube degrades rubber."

AFAIK, 303 does not contain "petroleum distillates"; I thought that this was essentially the same as not being "petroleum-based"; is this an erroneous conclusion?
 "The moral is to know the material before deciding upon what lube is best."

Certainly good advice; maybe you could offer specifics on which seals, gaskets, stripping and anything else that appears to be vinyl or rubber-like are based on which compounds?

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Rubber Seal Lubricant question
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86459
Quote
Joan wrote:

Do you know *which* gaskets or seals on an LD are silicone- based?
I don't own one yet, so I don't know.  I doubt that there are silicone-based seals.  If there were, they would most likely be clear or white, rather than black.  You can probably use the color as a "rule-of-thumb" unless someone else has any input on this one?

Quote
AFAIK, 303 does not contain "petroleum distillates" ; I thought that this was essentially the same as not being "petroleum-based"; is this an erroneous conclusion?
No, I think you are right.

Ken

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'08 MB