Monday, March 30, 2015

RoadAbode Repair - Fixing Cabover Window Moulding

RoadAbode Cabover
After our first trip of the season, I headed back this past Saturday to where we store RoadAbode. I needed  to fill her gas tank and try out our new Viair Compressor on her tires.While doing a visual inspection, I noticed the rubber moulding surrounding her front cabover window was pulling away at the corners, and coming loose elsewhere. Class C motorhomes are susceptible to water damage on the front cabover, so I knew this was something I could not ignore. By addressing the problem right away I had a better chance of not ending up with a weakened, rotted cabover structure down the road. I ran short on time Saturday to address, but returned after church services Sunday with tools and an idea how to repair. It went pretty well!
Closer look at one of  corners where the rubber moulding was pulling away
The only tools I used were some paper towels to clean the area, a rubber mallet, Some silicone adhesive/sealant (similar to what is used for aquariums) and an 18" long or so section of PVC 1/2" pipe.
Mallet, PVC pipe and silicone sealant

The moulding has a slight raised edge or lip. I wiped that down to make sure the area was relatively clean and dry. Next I applied sealant to the lip and back of the rubber moulding. Using the PVC pipe worked well. It helped extend my reach on the ladder, and direct my mallet strikes to pop the moulding back in place with a few gentle taps of the mallet on the end of the pipe. Amazingly, it worked! The moulding popped back in place and held. It does seem to have shrunk length-wise at the the bottom , as the gap where the beginning and end of the moulding meet seems wider than before. I made sure to put in that gap a generous amount of the adhesive/sealant, and pushed it in to seal to the moulding ends with my finger.
Afterward, I cleaned the moulding all the way around, and ran a bead of the sealant around the seam where it meets the metal frame of the window - for good measure. I ran my finger over to work it into the seam. Hopefully this takes care of the issue!
Moulding and frame corner before and after. Sorry not at the same exact angle of view
We had this issue previously about five years ago, and Amy took RoadAbode to a RV dealership to have repaired. Hopefully by doing ourselves I was able to learn more about RoadAbode, and save money in the process.
Whenever we get our next motorhome, it's been agreed, a cabover window would be one thing we would try to avoid. From reading other's posts in RV forums, this is one place where if not attended to, water can intrude and ruin your cab over structure.
Cabover Completed!
This job took about an hour to complete, from cleaning the moulding and frame, applying the silicone sealant, figuring out how to tap into place, sealing all the way around and cleaning up after. If I can do this, just about anyone can! Use caution and common sense when using a ladder. Be careful not to apply too much weight to the cabover skin. Try to distribute any weight over a wide area.

Have a tip that could help others? we'd love to hear how to make this, or other jobs maintaining our RVs easier. Post a comment below!




2 comments:

Unknown said...

Not only a nifty, "easy" repair but a great catch when you noticed the problem! This just reinforces the need to be aware of your rig and what may be happening that needs reapir/attention.

Maj and Sher said...

Not only a nifty, "easy" repair but a great catch when you noticed the problem! This just reinforces the need to be aware of your rig and what may be happening that needs reapir/attention.