Front and Rear Caps

[jdanbowman]

I have a 2003 Winnebago Journey. I purchased this unit used and am not sure of its service history. I do not currently have any leaks in the roof but the seals on the front and rear caps appear to have aged to the point that there are small cracks in the sealant.

Is there a recommended time to have the sealant replaced or should I just wait until I have a problem?

If I do need it done, is there a recommended product that I should use to seal this?

Thanks,
Dan Bowman

[Indy Itasca]

Dan,

Take a look at: http://www.winnebagoind.com/resource...20Sealants.pdf

The roof seals are to be inspected every 6 months and repaired as needed. On our MH the front cap seal is a white caulk while the back is a thicker self leveling stuff. You amy also want to carefully check the area above the passenger and driver windows where the cap and sidewall come together as it is prone to seperation.
You should be able to find the call out sheet for your particular year and model that details the places and types of caulk to use. They are in the documentation available on the Winne web site or in the back of your user manual. Sealants Callout Sheets
My last effort at doing this I used the Proflex stuff from CW and so far it seems to be OK but it isn't on the list from Winnebago.

[Indy Itasca]

Forgot to welcome you to the form and add that Lichtsinn (a form sponsor) does sell the factory approved caulk.

[FDchief]

The side joints and the front cap use a polyurethane sealant, some folks use the 3M 4200 or 5200, Winnebago uses a Manus product. All the same stuff. Just make sure you use a polyurethane door and window sealant available at most hardware stores, not silicone. The top of the rear cap and all vents and such are sealed with Dicor. None of this is a big job, just take your time, prep is everything. Welcome to the forum.

[jdanbowman]

Originally Posted by FDchief

The side joints and the front cap use a polyurethane sealant, some folks use the 3M 4200 or 5200, Winnebago uses a Manus product. All the same stuff. Just make sure you use a polyurethane door and window sealant available at most hardware stores, not silicone. The top of the rear cap and all vents and such are sealed with Dicor. None of this is a big job, just take your time, prep is everything. Welcome to the forum.

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There are levels of prep. If I inspect the sealant and determine it needs to be resealed, is it advisable to just remove all loose sealant or should I put enough effort to remove all (or nealy all) the existing sealant? I am reluctant to do the latter for fear that I will create a leak when currently none exist.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan Bowman

[EngineerMike]

How much you remove is a judgment call. Certainly all that is cracked comes out. Beyond that, consider how it will continue to weather, and how often you wan to be in this business. A good job should be trouble free for years. If you want a super neat job, put down painter's masking tape before doing the goop, apply goop, smooth as desired, then pull the tape for a nice clean finished edge. The tape job is probably only important on the returns where it is visible from the ground, except for those who go to the roof when at the races.

[DAN L]

Originally Posted by jdanbowman

I have a 2003 Winnebago Journey. I purchased this unit used and am not sure of its service history. I do not currently have any leaks in the roof but the seals on the front and rear caps appear to have aged to the point that there are small cracks in the sealant.

Is there a recommended time to have the sealant replaced or should I just wait until I have a problem?

If I do need it done, is there a recommended product that I should use to seal this?

Thanks,
Dan Bowman

clean it well, tape it with ETERNABOND tape and be done with it.