ToyoGuy Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Spoke to Dean at Advantage RV in Napa,ca today to see if I could afford to have him re-seal my front wrap-arounds on my Sunrader. He said about 2 hrs apiece (best case scenario) @ $100 / hr. Don't currently have the spare $ weasel-hides $, so I have to take the plunge again,... ( been a good 3 years though) And no, he didn't volunteer info on what sealant.....etc. What is everybody currently using to seal the acrylic or Lexan or plexiglass or whatever the heck they (Rader front windows) are to the rubber gasket? Linda said her rig required no sealant at all. Holy-moly. I have some inquiry's out to various companies Sikaflex, ProFlex and EternaCaulk, because I now know that solvent-based sealers are supposedly not good for plastics. (dont ask how I know this) No word back yet. BTW, Dean says he actually "beds" the edges of the window and coach in the gasket grooves, which have been filled with sealant, then installs the locking compression bead and cleans it up all nice and pretty. Pretty tricky, but apparently quite leak-proof and long lasting. Would'a never have figured. TG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 The company that makes the replacement gasket material you plan on using will have a set of instructions for the installation either in the gasket material package or on their website. They will also likely have a specialized installation tool available to help with the job. Once you know what gasket you might may be able to find a step by step video for it on that company's website, possibly also posted on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 You can search but I guarantee you will never find a sealant recommendation from a company that makes the gaskets. Probably why they call them self sealing gaskets. Seal is obtained by compression when you install the bead lock. Dean never installed new gasket did he. I've heard from others who got new windows that he just reused the old stuff. My girlfriend Gail tried to buy new gasket from him cause she was having her new window shipped and he told her she had to find it herself. I don't understand his thinking on quite a lot. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 What is everybody currently using to seal the acrylic or Lexan or plexiglass or whatever the heck they (Rader front windows) are to the rubber gasket? There are only two types of plastic glass I know of. Acrylic (i.e. Plexiglass) and polycarbonate (e.g. Lexan). Both can be safely sealed with acetal-based siicone (the kind that smells like vinegar when drying). Most silicone sealants sold over the counter including RTV sealants are acetal based. Glass shops - to get a tight seal - use silicone and a primer to promote adhesion to plastic glass. One example is # 860 Silicone and # P-100 primer made by Pecora. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyoGuy Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 I will have to use the old gasket because I'm short on time, renting covered warehouse space by the hour. I'll research new gasket stuff "next time". Besides, I've never heard of anyone finding an exact replacement material yet. So, I'm looking at Marine grade UV resistant silicone-based stuff by 3M.(wow, that's a mouthful) West Marine Supply has some slightly over-priced offerings, but, because I'm under the gun for time, I'll pay the extra $4.00. Decided to use #08029 Marine Sealant and will trade longevity for being able to remove and restore material in the future. Something I have paid the price for on this rig from the PO. Ah well, lots of painters tape and rags and colorful expletives,..... just another day in RV / automotive paradise. Thanks to all for the input. BR, TG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I have found QUAD sealant to be the best all purpose sealant for most things on an RV. Home Depot sells it. MUCH better then any silicone I've used. It stays pliable and won't "ribbon out" like silicone does. It is what the two local RV dealers here use on anything other then roof repairs that need a self-leveling sealant. For that they use Dyco C-10 Flow Seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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