Silicon happy

[patmj33]

Hi,

we are interested in a trailer that someone got silicon happy with. We were thinking that maybe there was a water leak and the previous owners put the stuff on all the rivets they could reach and also around the window seals. Or the owners just got a little paranoid. Do these skins have a problem with working rivets? It is a '55 after all..... & I suppose that the fix is to reskin it??

Any helpful tips would be welcome.. We have two pics if anyone needs them.

Pat and Bill

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by patmj33

Hi,
we are interested in a trailer that someone got silicon happy with. We were thinking that maybe there was a water leak and the previous owners put the stuff on all the rivets they could reach and also around the window seals. Or the owners just got a little paranoid. Do these skins have a problem with working rivets? It is a '55 after all..... & I suppose that the fix is to reskin it??
Any helpful tips would be welcome.. We have two pics if anyone needs them.
Pat and Bill

Pat & Bill,
People do these things..myself included. (I didn't know better)
First of, "re-skin it??" No~nothing quite that drastic~!!
The fix is laboring but simple..remove the silicon using 'spirit of mineral' turpentine, plus have a large amount of alcohol on hand..Use the two interchangeably for results. The hand tool for those tight spots, tooth pick or, better yet..go to WalMart, buy one of those SS toothpicks that you can carry with you in your pocket. The thing here is, to be very careful in whatever you touch the surface with..You don't want to scratch it..Just get the nasty silicon off. You'll see what I mean after you get started.
After-wards, buy some Vulkum and parbond..Reseal all opening on the top, around windows, doors etc. Numerous threads on what to look for and how to do this are posted on the forum~
All of this sounds like work and it is, but...MUCH easier than re-skinning the unit~!!
Yet another reason why "ppl" should never use silicon~!! It almost always has to be taken off in the end..The work involved is daunting to say the least~(plus all the cuss words thrown at "PO's" ghost-shadows~}
ciao
53FC

[InsideOut]

We used Permatex's Gasket Remover from Pep Boys and sharpened popsicle sticks with labourious but good results. There's no easy way to get it off...but reskinning would be a bit drastic.

Shari

[Over59]

No magic solvent? The laborer is not going to like this.

[Stefrobrts]

I have been removing some weird sealants the PO used on the exterior of Bambi. In addition to the Mineral Spirits, I found a set of sharp tools in the welding section at the feed store. They look like dentist pick tools. Be careful with them not to scratch anything, of course, but they are very good at getting down into the cracks. Once it's all gone you can reseal with the right stuff. Good luck if you decide to get it.