Anybody apply sealant to seams in newer AS wheel wells

[Landrum]

I was inspecting the belly of our 2011 and noticed seems between the molded plastic wheel wells and the belly pan (see attached photos). I assume the wheel well covers the edge of the plywood subfloor and doesn't sit on top of the plywood?? I was curious if anyone had attempted to seal these seams. Perhaps there are gaskets that cannot be seen, but it seems like a great opportunity for water to find its way into the belly pan??? I suppose it can't hurt to apply some sealant.

[dznf0g]

I sealed mine, and check it on a regular basis.

[PharmGeek]

seal with what exactly?

[Cyquest]

I used Vulkem. Easy Peezy!

Sent from my LG-E617G using Airstream Forums mobile app

[dznf0g]

Sikaflex, comparable to Vulkem.

Sent from my XT907 using Airstream Forums mobile app

[subfan1]

I was thinking about this as well. Our 2012 20 ft has larger gaps than what i see in your pictures. I guess I'll add this to my list of things to do

[Landrum]

I emailed airstream a couple of construction questions for my 23fb this being one of the questions. There response was: On the wheel wells, they are installed on the floor and then the shell with the floor is put on the chassis. The wheel well has a lip that is in between the floor and the chassis.

I didn't ask if there was a gasket between the lip and the chassis. I'm caulking mine before hitting the road again.

[streamer_a]

This is what it looks like.


We have a huge gap in the belly pan so you can see straight through to the sub floor, which is indeed resting on the lip of the wheel well.


This is a 2013 28' Airstream International. No comments on how we feel about this. One of many ridiculous discoveries.

[subfan1]

That is a big gap and I would take it back to dealership and have that taken care of ASAP!

[streamer_a]

Yes, we're taking it back to the factory with a list of things.

My bush fix is several layers of gorilla tape to keep water out.

What it does show is how the wheel well and belly pan are designed to work. I would certainly seal the join between the two in the wheel well.

[scamp]

That's terrible to see that kind (quality) of fitting ( large gap) to me when airstream says build the old way hand built,I think of rolls Royce all parts are custom fit to each other to keep the gaps proper , my opinion has changed quite a bit since owning my first airstream ,it's a beautiful looking trailer outside and inside quality is superior(inside) then most but once you look at wiring ,fittings ,gaps ,hidden under trailer or behind cabinets or panels ,water leaks,and corrosion problems (I guess airstream thinks were too old to look in wheel wells etc or crawl under to inspect under belly ,or we have tons of money and we won't bat a eye at spending tons of money on a 2-5 year old trailer you start to wonder what did I buy! Hope airstream reads this and does something today about it ,remember the internet spreads the word fast so airstream needs to get on this now! As to come back to your original post on caulking the seams sounds like a good idea as long as it's done right otherwise you maybe trapping dampness and not allowing it to dry fast . I'm thinking of a caulking such as flex 900 from mono it's silicone and last a long time it's the best caulking I have ever used on my home,it also comes off in one piece just grab it and pull slowly it doesn't break Easy and adhered very good to most materials, Rona building center sells it in canada and has lots of colour choices.I'm going to use it on my belt moulding they have aluminum colour and two other shades of grey plus many other colours