puttying under the trim

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Elbrucito

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Dec 9, 2005
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? ?I just bought a 1995 travel trailer. There are no leaks, however, I would like to pull the trim off and put fresh putty under them for preventive maintanence. The older putty is cracking, and I hear this should be done every few years. Does anyone know what putty I should purchase for this purpose. Also, any input reader's have on problems I might encounter will be appreciated.
 
I just did it to my 1998 Cardinal fifth wheel. I bought the putty from a guy that stores my RV and also services RVs. My guess is any reasonably sized RV suppy house would carry the putty - it comes on a roll with paper backing, and is very inexpensive (about $6 for 20'). As you remove the trim, clean it (I used paint thinner), and I chose to replace any trim screws that were rusted with new white ones. It really made a difference - coating the roof a couple times a year and waxing it (yep!) has kept it looking like new, also.

Good luck!
 
By "putty" I assume you mean caulk, a sealer that remains flexible for many years.  If under molding strips or window frames, you probably want what is known as a "ribbon caulk", which comes in a roll and is available in a couple widths. Mobile home supply places are a good source (and cheaper than RV stores) and many hardware stores will carry it.

You can also use caulking that comes in tubes for caulking guns. It's a bit softer than ribbon caulk and tends to drip a bit, but you could squeeze it onto the back of a molding and then push the molding into place.

When replacing screws, be careful not to strip the holes out with too much torque. Use an oversize (greater diameter) screw if one strips.
 
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