Removing Sealant from Airstream Roof

[shlemon]

I've got a leak, possibly multiples. I've found a few places that could be the culprit.

My question is: Do I need to remove the old sealant before applying the new? If so, how should I go about that without damaging the roof? Plastic scraper and mineral spirits? Heat gun to help remove it?

I bought the sealant kit from Airstream so I should have good stuff for the appropriate sections. Maybe not the best, I've seen the 14 page thread on sealants so I know there are plenty of opinions of what lasts longest etc.

What I couldn't find is anyone talking about how to remove the old sealant safely, if necessary.

The specific areas I'm planning to address are the fat white lines of caulk that run along the entire edge of the roof, the aluminum seams, and possibly the fans etc. Strangely enough, the sealant around the fans seem to be in the best shape.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!!

[68 TWind]

I found careful use of a heat gun and plastic scraper did a great job on removing old cracked vulkem around my AC unit.

[shlemon]

Originally Posted by 68 TWind

I found careful use of a heat gun and plastic scraper did a great job on removing old cracked vulkem around my AC unit.

Great, thanks!

[InterBlog]

I'm also having to do this job... any tips for protecting the roof in the process of using the heat gun? From looking at online photos, some of the AS trailers look like they have roof coatings (at least partial) and some don't. Mine is a MH so the roof is coated.

[romeb]

No wisdom to share, just adding my name to the thread so I can read the responses. Thank you!

[blickcd]

I have used paint thinner, a plastic scraper, and steel wool.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by shlemon

... how should I go about that without damaging the roof? Plastic scraper and mineral spirits? Heat gun to help remove it?

...

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!!

If the sealant is a Polyurethane based, like 3M™5200, 4200 and 4000 & Sika™ 291 adhesives, then you might want to buy from West Marine, or other marine store, some DeBond Adhesive Spray Cleaner. I have used it on tough marine adhesives and it takes time, but works really well.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by romeb

No wisdom to share, just adding my name to the thread so I can read the responses. Thank you!

Just as an FYI, near the top of each thread page is a blue banner. One of the clickables says 'Thread Tools'. You can click this and either subscribe or unsubscribe.

[Philip498]

This summer I finished sealing all vents, etc. on the roof of my 1972 Sovereign. Previous applications from previous owners left a sizable amount of caulking that, for the most part, was still fairly pliable. I removed what I could, particularly around the edges of the previous applications. When I realized that removing all old sealant would result in countless hours of labor, I decided to re-caulk around the edge of previous applications and, in some situations, on top of the old caulk. I have to say I was quite liberal in applying new polyurethane caulking. Does it look like did when it came right out of the factory? Probably not but who is going to see what is on my roof or for that matter even care? I am confident that I no longer have any leaks whereas before I applied the sealant, I had noticed water seeping in along the metal "seams" on the ceiling inside the trailer, something I had never noticed before in all the years I have owned the trailer. I have checked the ceiling after every rainstorm since and have seen no sign of any leakage. Anyway, that is my two cents' worth.

[Re-Pete]

Just removed my refrigerator cover to run a wire from the roof for a Wi-Fi antenna. The old sealant was looking like it was time for a redo. I CAREFULLY used a metal painters five in one tool and a flexible 1" putty knife to scrape it off. Finishing up with some stainless steel wool and a brass wire brush along with mineral spirits to help soften and clean up. My finish is shot so I was not too worried about it. I'm contemplating stripping off my clear coat, possibly this winter.

[RFP]

I've found that the plastic auto trim removal tools work great for removing old sealant (along with countless other uses). Harbor Freight (as well as most auto supply stores) have sets like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece...set-67021.html

[Becky B.]

I mainly used a straight edged razor & mineral spirits to remove old sealant. I used Tempro 635 to recaulk. I don't believe adding more globs over old globs is effective.

[kds]

This is a great thread, lots of good info. I'm about to crawl on top of my AS and seal a few areas. I watched the you tube on where to walk and NOT to walk, or in my case--crawl!
My husband is on stand by in case I need him---he's says I crazy to get up there but hey, I figure with all the great guidance from the forum, I can do this.

Just curious if any of you have used that stuff in the can called Flex-Seal? I actually have the Tempro 635 to caulk but also bought a can of Flex-Seal, "just in case". Meaning in case I get tired to trying to apply the Tempro.

Anyway,hope to stop the few leaks I am experiencing.

Kelly

[Bubba L]

On the 66 we used Goof-Off to soften the old stuff then mineral spirits with double edged plastic razor blades to clean it up. Seemed to work well for us. There's no telling what a PO may have used. Experiment with aluminum friendly solvents to see what cuts the old stuff. Good luck.

[shlemon]

Originally Posted by Bubba L

On the 66 we used Goof-Off to soften the old stuff then mineral spirits with double edged plastic razor blades to clean it up. Seemed to work well for us. There's no telling what a PO may have used. Experiment with aluminum friendly solvents to see what cuts the old stuff. Good luck.

This is basically what I ended up doing. Got mineral spirits, plastic scrapers and went at it.

BTW, I bought the whole sealant kit from Airstream. The Acryl-R came with this special pump for fine lines, but I ended up buying a syringe from Walgreens since I wanted to be as precise as possible to avoid a big clean-up of the pump etc. It worked surprisingly well.