Visit our Popular Forums

DDickey · 04-17-2016, 04:07 PM

I'm starting to do the fully monty on a 1975 13 panel and I have all of the interior skins off. We had a good rain here today: 17 leaks and counting. It seems like every seam has a wet spot or a drip. Can these things really be sealed up from the inside?

AWCHIEF · 04-17-2016, 06:09 PM

Welcome to the real world of vintage trailers(any brand). They all leak at least some of the time. Just like real VW bugs and Harleys leak oil and boats leak water.

mccrosti · 04-17-2016, 06:14 PM

Probably because there are no 1973 13 panel Airstreams. You must mean 1953?

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

OTRA15 · 04-18-2016, 05:31 AM

1957 in his ID on the left.

Welcome to the forum DDickey, and Good Luck . . . !

I have no expertise about this, but am interested in knowing more. Some kind of penetrating epoxy for the seams? Drill out rivets at overlapping seams and caulk? With what?

Let the Summer Games begin!

Peter

DDickey · 04-18-2016, 07:00 AM

Whoops, my showing is dyslexia itself, I meant 1957

rugjenkins · 04-18-2016, 07:49 AM

I have found most leaks are from loose rivets and windows. I wait until a good rain and mark them with a sharpie. Then replace and reseal.

MarkR · 04-18-2016, 09:09 AM

the most "painless" and "realistic" solution is to move to:

https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...cipitation.php

;-)

Or - do like I do and keep it under a canopy at all times - it's kind of expensive paying for the 2 guys w/ the "Wide Load" Sign on their cars, that must drive in front and in back of us everywhere we go . . .

Maybe it's a combination of finding loose leaky rivets and replacing them and cleaning all the inside seams w/ Lacquer Thinner and then running a bead of Polyurethane Sealant like Trempro or Sika on the inside and then using your thumb to "push" it into the seams . . . short of taking the thing completely apart and putting it back together.

Aerowood · 04-18-2016, 09:24 AM

I drilled the rivets out of every seam on the trailer, cleaned, injected sealant, and then re-installed the rivets. It was a lot of work but it doesn't leak anymore.

Foiled Again · 04-18-2016, 09:42 AM

OUTSIDE IS BETTER. Lazy way - if you have access to two box trucks, park one on each side of the Airstream and make 2 X 10's into a laydown ramp over the roof. It's also possible to rent a few sections of scaffolding quite inexpensively, OR just use a nice long ladder with a brace (2x4 covered in carpet about 2.5 feet long - to keep the rails from marking up the side of the Airstream. I find the reach across too far for my short self.

Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure on every single rivet. Mark the ones where the liquid disappears inside, and re-treat them a day later. 99% won't leak the second time. On the seams, clean out all of the old sealant, then use Trempro or Sikaflex to reseal. For a NEAT seam, use two parallel strips of masking tape or painters tape, one on each side of the seam. Apply the caulk, finger smooth, wait briefly for the caulk to START setting, then remove the tape.

mccrosti · 04-18-2016, 10:02 AM

1957 - very nice! Pull out the interior skins and slather Vulkem all over the seams from the inside. Also check your window seals if they're rotted they will leak

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

splyb · 04-18-2016, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rugjenkins

I have found most leaks are from loose rivets and windows. I wait until a good rain and mark them with a sharpie. Then replace and reseal.

How do you do that with the interior skins on? Or is that just when you remove them and, if that's the case, how often do you do that?

Which begs a question: Has anyone ever devised a way to identify, locate and repair shell leaks with the relevant interior skin on?

rugjenkins · 04-18-2016, 01:50 PM

DDickey posted he had the interior skins off doing a fully Monty. I still have my interior off until I spray soon.

With interior skins on- captain tolley is good and reseal exterior seams an windows

Pressure testing is the way many check when all is together or apart

DDickey · 04-18-2016, 08:00 PM

So should Captain Tolleys be used from the outside, or the inside, or both, or does it matter? I just ordered some from West Marine...

guskmg · 04-18-2016, 10:51 PM

If you want to treat the wall/skin that is not visible against corrosion. Get some Zinc Chromate from an aircraft supplier. That is the old standby method used in aluminum aircraft manufacturing. Be sure and use a respirator, or you will get zinc poisoning in the lungs. Don't ask how I know.
guskmg

rugjenkins · 04-19-2016, 08:55 AM

Captain tolley on the exterior. Replacing the rivets is just as easy too.

Minno · 04-19-2016, 09:12 AM

Also be aware that water can travel a long ways from the actual leak site before it finds it's way into the trailer. That's why treating everything above and to either side of the leak is important. Our windows were the biggest leakers when we got our trailer, but we had a couple upper skin ones too. We sealed outside and inside, and have had only one since (this spring). I think we've got that one stopped now too. We used Captain Tollys, sikaflex, and Vulkem.

Kay

asv2 · 06-13-2016, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

OUTSIDE IS BETTER. Lazy way - if you have access to two box trucks, park one on each side of the Airstream and make 2 X 10's into a laydown ramp over the roof. It's also possible to rent a few sections of scaffolding quite inexpensively, OR just use a nice long ladder with a brace (2x4 covered in carpet about 2.5 feet long - to keep the rails from marking up the side of the Airstream. I find the reach across too far for my short self.

Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure on every single rivet. Mark the ones where the liquid disappears inside, and re-treat them a day later. 99% won't leak the second time. On the seams, clean out all of the old sealant, then use Trempro or Sikaflex to reseal. For a NEAT seam, use two parallel strips of masking tape or painters tape, one on each side of the seam. Apply the caulk, finger smooth, wait briefly for the caulk to START setting, then remove the tape.

Great tips - I'm getting ready to reseal for first time, and am learning. We used Sikaflex 715 to install a new Maxim skylight , and are trying to determine the best sealant for the rest of everything. How much Capt Tolleys would you recommend? Seems it would go fast. We used acetone to clean when removing the old caulk on the skylight, so I guess that would be good for the rest(?) Do you recommend the Sikaflex 221 (since it's grey) and which Trempro - the 635 or 636? And are these also good for around tail lights, bumper, eyebrows above windows, or do you use something else for any of those areas?

carl2591 · 06-19-2016, 08:51 PM

I also used Sikaflex but the RTV 7000 series when installing the maxim skylight. decided not to use any screws in side of curb as that is a good adhesive and sealer.

used,or are using capt tolleys as well. I just stuck the tip on the gaps and let it flow moving it like a caulking gun. It would run down the gap around windows soaking in cracks as needed. I would wipe the excess off best as i could but some slipped by. the places it sucked up the most i would make a mental note and go back to that one after a while to let it suck up more.

when i replace the skylight i would use a sharp wood chisel and remove the curb edge old caulking and resealed with dicor. i ran a nice bead on top of curb with the rtv7000 and put new skylight on getting it centered and let sit.

I went inside and wiped the excess silicon off the inside of the curb letting it sit overnight. the next day I tried to push it off and after using some good muscle power decided it was good without screws.

took a 200 plus mile trip this weekend and no leaks, no flyoff etc..

plus they look good for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asv2

Great tips - I'm getting ready to reseal for first time, and am learning. We used Sikaflex 715 to install a new Maxim skylight , and are trying to determine the best sealant for the rest of everything. How much Capt Tolleys would you recommend? Seems it would go fast. We used acetone to clean when removing the old caulk on the skylight, so I guess that would be good for the rest(?) Do you recommend the Sikaflex 221 (since it's grey) and which Trempro - the 635 or 636? And are these also good for around tail lights, bumper, eyebrows above windows, or do you use something else for any of those areas?

asv2 · 06-20-2016, 09:05 PM

You are bold going without the screws on side curb. That must be a good sealant. Glad nothing flew off or leaked! For Capt Tolleys, did you use 2 oz. or 8 oz.?

carl2591 · 06-21-2016, 07:47 PM

the silflex rtv7500 not 7000 is a good sealant/adhesive. I use it a lot so I am aware of it strength to hold stuff. Now if i was to get a pry bar and some wood i could pop it off but short of that ,, it on there till its need to come off which will not in my lifetime.

i get a 8 oz bottle of capt tolleys and man that stuff is the deal. went out today to finish up scraping off sealant on the top rail between the white and non white metal. got a nice bead of dicor on it and good to go.

also did some CTing around the top windows and they did suck some stuff in.

it is good stuff to use around windows, doors etc on the exterior if the OEM stuff is in decent shape. If not you need to scrape and redo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asv2

You are bold going without the screws on side curb. That must be a good sealant. Glad nothing flew off or leaked! For Capt Tolleys, did you use 2 oz. or 8 oz.?