Fixing Corners

This week we tackled the second largest project on our camper. The previous owner had made some repairs on the rear corners of the camper, and due to the poor job of caulking, I was worried about the repairs being correct. After some initial examinations I learned they where not. So this week we tackled repairing the rear corners correctly.

This was what they looked like when we started. You can see the caulk smeared around the seams. What worried me was not only the overall look, but the caulk was pulling away from moulding and permitting water to get behind it.

Then first step was to remove the mouldings.

This is what the corner looked like with the moulding removed. Notice the large gap between the side and end panels.

Next we removed all the old caulk on the sides with a plastic putty knife, this way we didn't scratch the paint on the Rv. Then we repaired the corners, there was some water damage so we had to use longer screws and in a couple of places had to replace a small piece of 2 x 2 lumber. The 2 x 2 stock was purchased at the local Home Depot and cut to fit. Be careful when pulling back the sides, to get it into place, or you will bend the siding. After the bad wood was replaced the siding was screwed back into place. 





This is what the corner looked like after the repairs had been made and it is ready for the moulding. Notice the new wood visible on the corner, and there isn't much gap between the panels.

Next we prepaired the moulding by scraping off the old putty and caulk.

Then we put new putty tape on. I used the grey putty tape, make sure you put on enough to cover the moulding. This is what seals the joints and makes them waterproof.

The next step is to reinstall the moulding, starting at the top and working down. Be sure you keep the moulding tight to the sides as you put it on, since there are not screws in the sides to pull it up.

Finally you install the vinyl trim that covers the screws, and the project is finished. This just snaps into place and is trimmed to length with a razor knife.

This project cost us about $25 dollars in materials, and took about 4 1/2 hours to complete. We no longer have any water damage to the framing, and no worries of leaks, as well as the improved looks of the camper.
Considering the cheapest mobile repair in atlanta is 85 dollars an hour, by doing it ourselves we saved at least $382.50, not bad for half a days work. This is something anyone can do with a few simple hand tools, and the rewards are more than the savings. There is a lot of satisfaction at seeing the fruits of your labors.
Till next time,
Have fun and Happy RVing.