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Old 12-09-2015, 04:07 PM   #441
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I use Tempro For all of my seams. I've used Parbond as well as Acryl-r & don't like either one of them. I also think Tempro remains supple longer than either of those products. I use the painters tape method too. Put your bead on, smear it in, pull your tape. It works great! (I've had the pleasure of sealing a total of 105ft of aluminum trailers, so I've been around the block a time or four.)
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Old 12-10-2015, 12:46 AM   #442
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Thanks Becky! Today I tried the tape method with the parabond and although I feel I was pretty quick to pull the tape off, it had already skinned over and the edges of the bead were ruined. Back to the drawing board. I'm going to track down the product you recommended. Thanks!!!!


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Old 12-10-2015, 05:29 AM   #443
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Marco View Post
Thanks Becky! Today I tried the tape method with the parabond and although I feel I was pretty quick to pull the tape off, it had already skinned over and the edges of the bead were ruined. Back to the drawing board. I'm going to track down the product you recommended. Thanks!!!!


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Vulkem116 lasts longer than tempro, but it also is grittier. You use the exacto knife only on the corners and after you make the cut, you would move the outer portion away from the seam. Foamy glass cleaner on your fingers keeps the vulkem from sticking, if you don't want to use paint thinner.
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Old 12-10-2015, 07:23 AM   #444
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Marco View Post
Thanks Becky! Today I tried the tape method with the parabond and although I feel I was pretty quick to pull the tape off, it had already skinned over and the edges of the bead were ruined. Back to the drawing board. I'm going to track down the product you recommended. Thanks!!!!


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They carry Tempro at Vintage Trailer Supply. That's where I always get mine.
TremPro 635 sealant

While you put in your order, you might want to get a tube of Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure. It's great for around leaking rivets & very small leaks (which you will probably have when you get finished...it's sometimes a frustrating, long job trying to track down all of the leaks, and believe me, there will be leaks!)
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Old 12-10-2015, 12:00 PM   #445
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Vulkem116 lasts longer than tempro, but it also is grittier.
I'm not sure it "lasts longer," but it does have a much (much, much) longer cure time (48-72 hours). Vulkem 116 (exact same as TremPro 626) can take days, depending on conditions, while TremPro 635 says 90 min, but even here in the super-dry Colorado it seems to stay "wet" for hours on end. TremPro 636 says 4 hours --I haven't tried it.

Trempro 635 is my poly-caulk of choice. It's smooth (not textured like 116). It's gray. It's low VOC. Unlike Vulkem and 636, it's solvent free (silane terminated poly). You can spread it with your finger like latex caulk (though, it's tougher to wipe off). It's got a really nice cure time (not nearly as long as 116, but much longer than "regular" caulk). It remains flexible forever.

The Parabond is in a toothpaste like tube, thus probably easier to take on the road (though if you've got a giant camper, you're probably OK to carry a caulking tube), but the TremPro 635 is the best "stuff," in my opinion. I've heard people complain about the price, but at $7 a tube from Vintage Trailer Supply, it seems perfect to me. p.s. Stop using the gutter sealer! I know using what you've got is often the way to get it done, but you'll be a lot happier in the long run with the TremPro.

Sikaflex 221 is another "caulk-style" choice some people like. It is a decent "close" color match to aluminum and has a one hour cure time.

FWIW, you can buy Vulkem 116 from Home Depot for $6, but you'll have to order it (I've never seen a store stock it). They have it listed incorrectly as "Tremco" so you might have a difficult time searching for it under TremPro (the manufacturer).

I haven't tried the Acry-L yet, but it sounds great because it "wicks" into tiny seems and voids. Sounds like a really good choice for sealing up small things on the outside without leaving visible residue. From what I understand, you can even seal up a leaky rivet. It's a bit on the expensive side though, and requires a special applicator.
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Old 12-10-2015, 07:36 PM   #446
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Thanks for the tip on Tempro 635. I've used the Vulcum 116 quite a bit but I didn't like the texture. I like the caulks for "gaskets" like installing my new water heater or the patch I put over the old furnace outlet.

Acry-l has also performed well for me as a "seam sealer". It does tend to wick in a bit, and the applicator allows you to direct the material right into the seam. I do use a drop under my Olympic rivets to help them seal. We'll see how long it lasts. But I have some beads I ran several years ago and they are still pliable and holding up.

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Old 12-11-2015, 12:54 AM   #447
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Holy Moly Kidjedi! Thank you so much for the post, you really went above and beyond there. And thanks everyone else, I guess

Next question would be:
Since I have all my inner skins off, would you recommend caulking over the back of every single rivet? That should solve any "leaky rivet" problems right?


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Old 12-11-2015, 11:11 AM   #448
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I tried replacing the shower pan. Please help.

That's what I did, as well as all the inner seams and it worked--kinda. The issue was I got the backs sealed, but that didn't seal between the two sheets the rivets were holding together, so I had some weeping along the seams. Your best bet is to test your rivets from the outside using a suction cup (if it doesn't stick, the rivet's not air-tight) and totally replace the ones that don't pass.
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Old 12-12-2015, 11:34 AM   #449
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Marco View Post
Next question would be:
Since I have all my inner skins off, would you recommend caulking over the back of every single rivet? That should solve any "leaky rivet" problems right?
Man... I'm not sure I'd be willing to put in that much time/effort. I have sealed all the seams from inside with TremPro 635, but I didn't go over the rivets. I DID notice that the vast majority of the rivets in the rear end (behind where the rear shell would be) were just barely riveted (like someone at the factory didn't have the riveting gun turned up high enough and the rivets were practically just sitting in the holes), so I've gone over all those with the pneumatic rivet gun to mushroom them out a little more. I definitely noticed the skin pulled tighter when I did this (reminds me of that scene from "Brazil"), so I was worried a little bit about having actually created leaks by doing this (after the skin shifted), but after a good long water test, everything still seems ok.

The only downside I see (other than time and cost of materials) to TremPro-ing all the rivets is if, god forbid, you ever have to remove any of them. I think all that goo all over everything might make things tricky.

...now back to insulating!

p.s. I forgot to mention Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure in my "goo" post. I've never used it, but I've heard people mention it. I think it's similar to the Acryl-R in that it "wicks," but it doesn't require the applicator (just comes in a little 8 oz. bottle with a little pointy tip). Sounds like it's good for single rivets and small cracks in seams and window seals. Again, a little pricey at $23 for 8 oz. Amazon says it delivers in two days (Prime), but I've heard people complain that it takes up to 30 days (shipping from UK).
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Old 12-12-2015, 05:41 PM   #450
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I've got a bottle of Captain Tolley's sealant. I can see it wick in around rivets. It is quite viscous and difficult to apply on vertical surfaces. Just a half a drop is too much. But I have not tested it in a controlled manner before and after application on a known leak.

I think I told The Marco before, but I find pressurizing the trailer and spraying soap on seams and rivets seemed to work well for me. Big bubbles form at the leak source. A moisture detector probing along the interior wall to floor intersection is also helpful after a hard rain.

The Airstream factory prefers the water test.

David
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Old 12-13-2015, 10:52 AM   #451
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Someday Ill be able to do the pressure-soap-bubble-test. Right now my shell is just barely attached to the frame, though. I can see daylight around pretty much the entire perimeter at the floor. Soon I will figure out where or how to fabricate some banana wraps though, and then she'll be ready to seal up air tight!
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Old 12-13-2015, 11:16 AM   #452
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Ugh, don't get me started on banana wraps! Mine are so dinged, dented and rippled. They look terrible on an otherwise beautiful trailer. I'm pretty sure they are gonna drive me so crazy that I will eventually bondo them and paint everything below the lower trim black. Kinda like the newer ASs (Airstreams). As far as I know, you can't buy new metal banana wraps. Doubt they would fit right anyway if you could.


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Old 12-14-2015, 06:57 PM   #453
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Most vintage Airstreams have dented banana wraps. While replacing the belly pan, I wiggled off the dented banana wraps. Then I got a bag of sand, position the piece on the sand bag, and gently tapped with a small hammer. I was surprised how most of the dents smoothed out. But they are not perfect, patina they call it.

My 86 has plastic banana wraps. Much easier to make and much easier to replace.

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Old 12-15-2015, 11:07 PM   #454
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I was able to get the dents out from road damage for the most part, and didn't even end up with that patina look, but somewhere during the process of putting them back on made them ripple at the top. I'm hoping the trim hides a lot of it! The polishing definitely made it far more noticeable


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Old 12-16-2015, 05:28 PM   #455
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I recommend you go out and smear some mud on those banana wraps. Then you won't notice small flaws and will feel much better.

It might be your polished Globetrotter is developing water spots already. I find my polished trailers get spotted, dirty, and splattered. I no longer worry about it. They are built for traveling and that's what they do; in the rain, in the bugs, and parked under trees. I think they look better than the faded clearcoat I stripped off.

Polished trailers makes it obvious why Airstream applies a clear coat to their aluminum. It is much easier to maintain.

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Old 12-16-2015, 05:43 PM   #456
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banana wraps

Banana wraps can be straightened on an english wheel.

You may be able to get Colin Hyde to straighten them for you with his.

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Old 12-17-2015, 11:42 AM   #457
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I still haven't found someone to make mine, but I'm hoping to use as thick an aluminum as possible for the banana wraps. You can buy plastic ones from the Airstream places on line, and I think I've even seen aluminum ones from one of the places, but they are SUPER pricey (like, buying enough to go all the way around my Airstream would cost considerably more than what I paid for the entire Airstream).
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