How do you seal and prevent water damage?

[derekxcole]

What do you guys use to seal the camper?
Roof surfaces? Wall surfaces? Edges where roof and sides meet? Doors? Ceiling vent/fan?

[IraRat]

This is kind of a loaded question, and not one that can really be answered in a single thread:

It depends on what you're trying to seal.

Roof surfaces? Wall surfaces? Edges where roof and sides meet? Doors? Galley hatch hinge? Hatch sides? Ceiling vent/fan?

Do you want to start with where you are right now in your build, and take it from there?

[metoady]

duck tape lots and lots of duck tape

[Cutterpup]

ziplock bags: very large ziplock bags



Dan

[SteveH]

What do you guys use to seal the camper?

derekxcole,

I will try to answer your question. First, I sealed the under side of the floor with asphalt roofing emulsion....it's like 5 bucks a gallon at HD. Then, I sealed all the wood with spar varnish, even the wood that would be under the aluminum. The way I figured it, even covered with aluminum there would eventually be some seepage at the joints and there would also be some condensation under there. When I installed the aluminum molding, I sealed all the joints with aluminum colored silicone.

I'm shure there are many other ways to do it, and some will disagree with my methods, but that's what I did.

[randy chesnutt]

i agree with the way steve does it. i found a good sealant at hd. called PL roof & flashing sealant. it sticks to evrything i,m on my third tube. i put it under all my metal trim.

[IraRat]

Today I worked with 3m's 5200 marine sealant for my outside corner edges. The stuff is highly touted, but the next time I have to use it, I won't buy the 1-hour quick cure version:

It starts to cure while it's still in the tube! (Put the cap on and bring it back to room temerature, and you're cool.)

This is a flexible poly adhesive specifically meant for high moisture (can be used below the water line on boats), and since it's flexible, won't crack like other adhesives may pn "moving" parts.

[Steve Frederick]

I used epoxy on any wood that is likely to get wet. I epoxied the underside of the second 'Diner, then applied a couple of coats of spar varnish. I really like a product from Raka Marine I use the 350/127 thin no-blush system. It's priced so that you could coat the entire Tear and not blow the budget!! Epoxy on ply edges under aluminum would be manditory IMHO.
For fixtures/trim, I use the caulk/tape that you find at rv shops. It's not messy, seals well, and can be removed to repair or replace the fixture.

[Steve_Cox]

Epoxy is truly the best way to seal out water IMHO. I used to live on a sailboat with plywood decks, I could lay in the v-birth at night and hear the decks above delaminating. When I rebuilt them all the plywood endgrain was coated in epoxy and bedded in thickened epoxy, joints were filled with thickened epoxy, screw holes had wood plugs sealed in you know what. The only sure way to prevent plywood and board endgrain from absorbing water is to encapsulate it.