Best exterior window / Seem sealer?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Posts
15
I am repainting my 1998 Tropical 6350 and the sealer / caulking has failed pretty much everywhere to some extent. So we are removing the old sealer around all the windows and seems / trim moldings, I and thinking I will paint and then recaulk with clear on the seems and clear or black around the black aluminum window frames. And recommendation on the best sealer (s)?

Thanks in advance
 
The recommended sealer is butyl caulk. Non-sagging,remains flexible, and is paintable. Do not use silicone. A search of RV forums will give you many horror stories of dealing with the aftermath of silicone sealant. Good luck!
 
About 10 dollars a roll the butyl tape is cheap, lasts nearly for ever and works.
 
The visible "sealer" around the top & sides of the window frames is plain old silicone caulk. Strip it off and apply new. Butyl tape is used behind the metal windows frames, between them and the sidewalls. That's the primary seal - the visible exterior caulk is just extra insurance.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
The visible "sealer" around the top & sides of the window frames is plain old silicone caulk. Strip it off and apply new. Butyl tape is used behind the metal windows frames, between them and the sidewalls. That's the primary seal - the visible exterior caulk is just extra insurance.

NOT!  Exterior caulk on an RV is almost never silicone.  Nothing will stick to silicone.  ProFlex,Dicor are NOT silicone based. 
If a person wants to do the job right, he needs to take the window out, clean the old putty tape off, clean everything thoroughly. Apply a new strip of BUTYL putty tape all around the window, instal the window.  Clean up the putty tape that oozes out.  A couple of days later, clean up again and apply a bead of Dicor around the top and sides of the window.  Leaving the bottom undone to an excape of any moisture that may get in.
 
A lot of windows don't use butyl putty, but use a foam gasket instead. Geocell proflex around the windows after a real good cleaning works well, and the same works well on seams, again after a good cleaning. Wiping down the area with denatured alcohol helps a lot in getting the surfaces clean in preparation for the Geocell.
 
NOT!  Exterior caulk on an RV is almost never silicone.

That is true for roof seams and vertical body joints, but silicone is often used on window frames.  The factory sealant lists from manufacturers such as Winnebago and Fleetwood all show at least one silicone sealant in use, and often more.  Personally I prefer Geocel Proflex (a urethane type), but silicone is fine for this purpose. It has the advantage of fairly easy removal.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
That is true for roof seams and vertical body joints, but silicone is often used on window frames.  The factory sealant lists from manufacturers such as Winnebago and Fleetwood all show at least one silicone sealant in use, and often more.  Personally I prefer Geocel Proflex (a urethane type), but silicone is fine for this purpose. It has the advantage of fairly easy removal.

I agree. But I used some stuff by the name of Ultima. It is made by Geocel, but they had it at my local Menards for cheaper than I can get Geocel for. It is rated for 30 years residential, so I should get at least 10 years on an RV. The stuff is great.
 
The Ultima specs look excellent for that and many other applications.  I will look for it next time I need a general purpose sealer.

https://hw.menardc.com/main/items/media/GEOCE001/Prod_Tech_Spec/UltimaWDRTech0610.pdf
 
Back
Top Bottom