Opposite of "You get what you pay for"

[bweybright]

Soooo stupid me. Lots of recommendations about what tape to use, which I am learning a lot about and is helpful.
Buttttt how to prep the application site would be helpful from real life people who have used it? Not looking for technical sheets, but real life experience on an Airstream that is not necessarily brand new.
Thanks for any insight.

[abqdor]

As I am currently replacing the lower trim moulding, the best advice I can give is to make sure the rail that the trim sits in is clean from debris and dry. If you are just re-installing the existing trim, I would remove the loosened double stick where you plan to place the new adhesive.

I made the mistake of using about 6 ft. of the 3M adhesive when the trim became loose a couple of years ago. Now I am fighting the residue left in the channel, to get it all off before putting in the replacement trim. I wish I had used much less and applied it only where needed.

[Dtrentr]

I used 409 and a toothbrush to get the crud out of the channel. You’ll have some gooey residue that can easily be removed with 3m specialty adhesive remover. It’s $30 or so a can at NAPA or Amazon but worth every penny.

[kscherzi]

When, in the future, you want to replace the molding, do it on a hot day. The old piece will more easily pull off, and leave behind less sticky residue. I took pains to clean out the extruded aluminum until it was shiny, smooth, and dirt free. As others mention, a lot of dirt can accumulate behind the chrome molding and you better believe the replacement piece will not stick to a dirty surface.

I used either rubbing alcohol or Good Off to remove any nagging bits of old sticky residue. As you apply the new piece make sure to press it firmly into the extruded aluminum channel once placed to ensure the sticking backing is well attached.

[zapper]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

I got mine at Woodland Airstream. They're listing the 1" material today at $3.63/foot. It goes around the base of the trailer. Here's the link.

https://www.woodlandairstreamparts.c...ert-201763-100

I think the rub rail that surrounds the middle of the trailer for some trims is 5/8" wide.

Good to know. THNX

[Escape_Plan]

Originally Posted by DCPAS

An Airstream is still an RV. It is not realistic to expect things to be perfect once you take it out and shake it up by travelling. Once you get it right, though, it will likely be good for a long time because the construction is time tested.

I know, right? The trim kept falling off my new Mercedes so I fixed it VHB tape from Ace Hardware. Oh wait, that never happened.

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by bweybright

Just curious what from your picture shows a funny "wobble" in the narrow panel above the trim line adjacent to the door. Wondering if it is a bad photo or some other things going on?

Yes, that strange "wobble" immediately got my attention as well. Looks like something occurred that may be related to the loose trim piece. (Though I have countless examples of poor construction on both of my new Airstreams).

[Knotflying]

Originally Posted by xpcdoojk

Million dollar globetrotter?????

Ya, I think for some folks they save, save and save some more for one of these things because of the "Iconic" reputation they have. When it literally starts to fall apart as is the case with the OP, ya get kinda pissed.

Safe travels out there!

[Life is a Highway]

Your fun is just beginning. That trim us not a big deal. Just sone 3M weatherstrip tack glue available at any parts store.

[J-Dog]

In about 7-8 years the sun is going to fade that faux chrome and you will be replacing those strips. So don't go overboard refastening that body molding, or you may be cursing a lot later. The only reason it fell off was that it wasn't properly cleaned before it was installed. In the scheme of things this is kind of minor it just looks bad.

[Boxite]

Some details are simply unimportant to me…. These double-sided/stick-on vinyl strips inside the trim channels usually depart (lose their grip) at the ends of the strips…. and I don’t care if it turns grey instead of brite-and-shiny… so I ran a PK screw (sheet metal screw) thru the vinyl insert and into the aluminum channel about a half-inch from the ends and it’s a permanent fix.

Gettin’ on down the road…..

[JeffKim]

Originally Posted by Dtrentr

I used 409 and a toothbrush to get the crud out of the channel. You’ll have some gooey residue that can easily be removed with 3m specialty adhesive remover. It’s $30 or so a can at NAPA or Amazon but worth every penny.

I'll look into the adhesive remover. I tried acetone with limited success and it's probably not very good for the trim. I ordered some plastic picks from Amazon too. I figure it will be a life-long project - every trip I'll pick off a little more.

We took a trip this weekend and the strip is still holding on tight. Unfortunately, the bathroom door handle fell off. It's just the set screw, and I'll put some locktite on it.

I'm resigned that there will always be something. Like owning a house, there's always something to fix or improve.

[SeeMore]

The product is Cowles' Proteckto trim # 37-715 and it is available from a slew of providers. An automotive outlet will usually be the best source price-wise. RV outlets really bump their margins into the petty larceny range. I suggest a web search to locate the best current offering which should around $1.50 a foot. TrimBrite might also make a comparable size in an acceptable solid color like black which some owners have chosen.

https://cowlesproducts.com/body-mold...100-p198233299

[abqdor]

I finally finished the lower rub rail trim having previously removed all of the adhesive from the factory install and here are a couple of the observations I've made using the 1" chrome trim that I found on Amazon for about $1.25 per foot.

After thoroughly cleaning the aluminum channel with isopropyl alcohol, I attached the trim which went fairly easy. The problem was that I didn't remove the blue material covering the trim until I got it in the track thinking it would protect the chrome better while I worked on the trim. Unfortunately, the blue cover wasn't aligned down the center of the trim, so some of it got stuck beneath the edge of the trim. It was a pain using an Exacto knife along the channel to get the blue covering off.

If I had it to do over, I'd probably remove the covering first and take my chances. I wanted to press the adhesive down as much as possible, so I used a small roller (the kind that sets window screening into the channel). Something wider would have been better, but I couldn't come up with it.

We'll see how this stuff holds up, but i probably won't buy this product again. I'm thinking of the Cowles Automotive trim for the middle rub rail, but was wondering if anyone else had tried it. I feel like 5/8" would be a better fit than the 1/2" that they sell. Maybe I'm just picking nits here.

[kscherzi]

I used the 1/2" from Woodland Airstream (below). Noticed that its about doubled in price from 3 years ago.

https://www.woodlandairstreamparts.c...ing-201912-100

[skyguyscott]

What's so vexing about this particular issue is the trim itself. It serves no purpose other than hiding the rivet line where the top and bottom shell panels met. That might be a worthy purpose if not for all the other exposed rivet lines covering the coach. Indeed on the "cheaper" (and I use that term aware of it's irony) trailers, Airstream does not include the cheap plastic trim, and IMHO, that looks better and is more honest and true to the brand identity.

Let's face it, the plastic trim is the tin can equivalent of a cheap comb-over. Airstream should learn to be proud of it's use of early 20th Century rivet technology in the construction of the coaches, or, follow the advanced technology of the aircraft industry which inspired the Bowlus, Spartan, Airstream, et.al. trailers and friction-weld a completely smooth, seamless coach.

I would see if it was possible to remove the trim piece altogether, or, to make lemonade out of such a lemon, see if I could be creative with it and install a color-changing LED ribbon there just to be different.

[kscherzi]

The extruded aluminum trim channel is attached by sheet metal screws every foot or two. Removing it would be worse. Those of us with it are committed to replacing the plastic chrome strip every few years if we want to keep our trailers looking nice. Something they didn't make clear when we purchased it.

[Tim A.]

About six years ago I covered our faded plastic chrome strips with automotive grade chrome tape: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's all still shiny "chrome" and none of the tape has come unstuck. Cheap cosmetic solution.

Tim

[abqdor]

For the mid rub rail, I finally went with Cowles like previous posters had suggested. I went with the 5/8" rather than 1/2" which fills the rail channel perfectly. Hopefully, a tighter fit will keep some of the dirt from getting behind the trim. They also use 3M adhesive which was different from the Amazon stuff that I used on the lower rail. $150 for 150ft. was about as inexpensive as I could find, so I'll have some left over for when the trim oxidizes again.

Process was to clean the channel with isopropyl alcohol after removing the old trim. The trim pulled much easier in this hot weather. I also got smarter and pulled the blue protection before installing the trim, since I had problems with the lower rub rail and getting the blue protection stuck under the trim.

[abqdor]

Today I installed the mid-rail trim on our 25'FB and after removing the old trim and cleaning up the rail, it only took two of us about 30 minutes to do the whole 58 ft. of trim. I absolutely would recommend going with 5/8" because it gives a nice snug fit in the channel that will hopefully keep more of the dust from penetrating the backside of the adhesive.

I used Cowles Automotive No. 37-815 5/8" silver or chrome, with enough left over to do it again, hopefully that is way down the road.

The tack on the back of the trim was definitely stronger than the stuff I bought on Amazon to do the lower rub rail.