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Old 07-11-2016, 10:43 PM   #1
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(pictures) Skylight Replacement or Just Re-Caulk?

Got up there yesterday for a quick inspection and noticed one of my skylights had some cracks at the the screw points and also one of the corners had come up a bit causing a hole in the caulking. There IS some small amounts of water under the skylight at those cracked areas.





I was thinking of just caulking over the cracks at the screw head locations and also caulking the heck out of that hole but then I started to think maybe I should just replace the skylight. Not sure which route to take here. If I replace it, are these rectangle skylights pretty much a standard size? I found one on Amazon that says it measures 18" x 26" (flange edge to flange edge) but when I measured mine, it appears to be 17.5" x 25.5"





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Old 07-12-2016, 12:01 AM   #2
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If they are 1/2 inch larger the flange would cover the old screw holes, that's a good thing.
I would guess that the larger measurements are the 'call out' measurements, like a 2x4. Not actually 2x4 as you know.
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Old 07-12-2016, 03:10 AM   #3
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RJ,

Absolutely needs to be replaced, the sooner the better. those cracks are letting water in and you could have water damage in your ceiling already.

On the plus side for replacing it, you know where your at and can properly maintain. Apply 303 four times a year and it will last the life of the camper.

Now for my rant on buying and using on a Moisture Meter. Use it after heavy rains and as part of your quarterly routine maintenance. Check around everything that penetrates the outer skin, windows, doors, fans, etc.

Your camper is one great big incubator for mold and mildew and you want to stay ahead of it. Once mold gets a foothold in the ceiling and wall cavities it can be a disaster. Get it in a laminated wall and would very expensive to replace,
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:09 AM   #4
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So ordered a replacement skylight today from a guy on ebay who makes them from his own machinery. Good price and seems to be of good quality. After work today I went inside the trailer and removed the inner liner of the skylight to check things out. All day at work I was worried about black mold. Anyhow everything looks fine up there except for a nest of ants that had found their way in. Peeled back some of the material that is stapled to the wood frame of the skylight to check for any kind of moisture and/or mold and couldn't find anything.

Will for sure get a moisture detector, very good idea indeed, and will get that outer part of the skylight replaced as soon as I receive the part.

Thanks for the help!
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:14 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by hddecker View Post
RJ,

Absolutely needs to be replaced, the sooner the better. those cracks are letting water in and you could have water damage in your ceiling already.

On the plus side for replacing it, you know where your at and can properly maintain. Apply 303 four times a year and it will last the life of the camper.

Now for my rant on buying and using on a Moisture Meter. Use it after heavy rains and as part of your quarterly routine maintenance. Check around everything that penetrates the outer skin, windows, doors, fans, etc.

Your camper is one great big incubator for mold and mildew and you want to stay ahead of it. Once mold gets a foothold in the ceiling and wall cavities it can be a disaster. Get it in a laminated wall and would very expensive to replace,
Can you elaborate a bit on the 303? I'm assuming you're speaking of 303 Aerospace Protectant? Exactly where should I be applying it 4 times per year?
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:25 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by RJ of Oregon View Post
So ordered a replacement skylight today from a guy on ebay who makes them from his own machinery. Good price and seems to be of good quality. After work today I went inside the trailer and removed the inner liner of the skylight to check things out. All day at work I was worried about black mold. Anyhow everything looks fine up there except for a nest of ants that had found their way in. Peeled back some of the material that is stapled to the wood frame of the skylight to check for any kind of moisture and/or mold and couldn't find anything.

Will for sure get a moisture detector, very good idea indeed, and will get that outer part of the skylight replaced as soon as I receive the part.

Thanks for the help!
I think it would be fine if you posted the link to the cover. Mine was broken three years ago when I smacked a tree. I slathered the self leveling caulk on it then and it's still holding back water but some day it'll need replacing.
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:34 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
I think it would be fine if you posted the link to the cover. Mine was broken three years ago when I smacked a tree. I slathered the self leveling caulk on it then and it's still holding back water but some day it'll need replacing.
Sure thing...

the seller I went with: 17 x 25 RV Trailer Clear Thicker New Skylight Lexan Polycarbonate 14 x 22 ID | eBay
and here is another for a tad cheaper: 17 x 25 OD Trailer New Skylight Plastic Lexan Polycarbonate RV 14 x 22 ID Clear | eBay
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:35 AM   #8
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I think it would be fine if you posted the link to the cover. Mine was broken three years ago when I smacked a tree. I slathered the self leveling caulk on it then and it's still holding back water but some day it'll need replacing.
Posted the ebay link but says it has to be approved by moderator first.
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Old 07-13-2016, 12:43 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by RJ of Oregon View Post
Posted the ebay link but says it has to be approved by moderator first.
Cool, it'll get approved soon.
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Old 07-13-2016, 02:11 PM   #10
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Can you elaborate a bit on the 303? I'm assuming you're speaking of 303 Aerospace Protectant? Exactly where should I be applying it 4 times per year?
He's probably talking about the new skylight. 303 has excellent UV protection, I spray everything on the roof that's plastic, vent's, air conditioning cover, ect.

I even use it on my trucks headlight covers, it will keep them from yellowing in the sun.
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Old 07-13-2016, 03:19 PM   #11
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He's probably talking about the new skylight. 303 has excellent UV protection, I spray everything on the roof that's plastic, vent's, air conditioning cover, ect.

I even use it on my trucks headlight covers, it will keep them from yellowing in the sun.
Yep, that's the stuff, 303 on plastic or anything that is adversely effected by UV will save them from turning to dust.

When you are ready to replace the cover getting the old sealant off is a pain as it sits on the roof. But you can make it alot easier if you use a heat gun or hair drier to warm it up. Don't point the gun straight down at the roof, because you are also heating the rubber membrane and can stretch or get cut. Blow the air across the seam, warm about 6-12" then scrape the old sealant off with a putty knife, metal or plastic dosen't matter as long as you round off the corners.

Once all the old sealant is off the outer surface, let it cool down as you remove the screws. When the membrane has cooled down, run your putty knife under the old skylight flange and gently lift to break it free from the membrane.

You may have to use the heat gun to soften the any remaining self leveling caulk. You are almost ready to install the new skylight, but before that scrub the membrane with a mild dish soap to get the gunk and grime off. Let it dry, then do a final cleaning to remove any remaining soap residue. For this, I use denatured alcohol.

Lay a strip of butyl rubber tape on the new skylight flange and install. Finally apply the self leaveling sealant and you good to go.
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Old 07-13-2016, 04:08 PM   #12
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Thanks! Anywhere except dropping mega bucks at a dealer.
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Old 07-13-2016, 05:31 PM   #13
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He's probably talking about the new skylight. 303 has excellent UV protection, I spray everything on the roof that's plastic, vent's, air conditioning cover, ect.

I even use it on my trucks headlight covers, it will keep them from yellowing in the sun.
Excellent! Just the other day I saw a trailer with yellow plastic that use to be white and I thought to myself, "wonder if there's a way to prevent that"
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Old 07-13-2016, 10:11 PM   #14
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Another couple of tricks: Wait for one of those hotternhell days and the sealant will be plenty soft! Also I have seen guys lay down a set of strips of Eternabond over the edge of the opening to cover up the old crap, then bed the new fixture on top of it. I would have never thought of that. It gives you a great seal against he old roof and a nice smooth surface to seal the new fixture to.

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Old 07-14-2016, 01:30 AM   #15
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Yep, that's the stuff, 303 on plastic or anything that is adversely effected by UV will save them from turning to dust.

When you are ready to replace the cover getting the old sealant off is a pain as it sits on the roof. But you can make it alot easier if you use a heat gun or hair drier to warm it up. Don't point the gun straight down at the roof, because you are also heating the rubber membrane and can stretch or get cut. Blow the air across the seam, warm about 6-12" then scrape the old sealant off with a putty knife, metal or plastic dosen't matter as long as you round off the corners.

Once all the old sealant is off the outer surface, let it cool down as you remove the screws. When the membrane has cooled down, run your putty knife under the old skylight flange and gently lift to break it free from the membrane.

You may have to use the heat gun to soften the any remaining self leveling caulk. You are almost ready to install the new skylight, but before that scrub the membrane with a mild dish soap to get the gunk and grime off. Let it dry, then do a final cleaning to remove any remaining soap residue. For this, I use denatured alcohol.

Lay a strip of butyl rubber tape on the new skylight flange and install. Finally apply the self leaveling sealant and you good to go.
Fantastic advice! I do have some of this stuff in my garage. Wonder if it's basically the same as 303?
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Old 07-14-2016, 01:33 AM   #16
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Another couple of tricks: Wait for one of those hotternhell days and the sealant will be plenty soft! Also I have seen guys lay down a set of strips of Eternabond over the edge of the opening to cover up the old crap, then bed the new fixture on top of it. I would have never thought of that. It gives you a great seal against he old roof and a nice smooth surface to seal the new fixture to.

Aaron
I'm trying to picture what you're describing regarding the Eternabond but not quite sure. Probably because I'm tired and need to go to bed. Will re-read it once rested and see if I can figure it out. Thank you!
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Old 07-14-2016, 10:10 AM   #17
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Picture for ya!

Snagged from the FR board.

Aaron
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Old 07-14-2016, 03:42 PM   #18
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RJ,

Your marine stuff looks to be about the same as 303. Being the curious type, I would get a bottle of 303 and due a side by side comparison. It wouldn't surprise me if the marine stuff was just 303 dressed up for the marine market and priced accordingly. It's a common practice to tag something as a Marine or RV product and jack the price up. When I come across stuff like that it's like someone throws down the gauntlet and challenges me to search for a product that hasn't had the specialty tag added on.


Aaron,

That roof in the picture sure has a nice sun tan, how long does it take to get a nice even tan like that.

I never would have thought of doing the Eternabond thing either. With my luck I would be the 1 out of 100 that would manage to get a wrinkle in the Eternabond and create an underground river into the ceiling cavity.

He's another wrinkle for you (pun intended) Inland Coatings makes a Brush Grade Seam Compound and a mesh that you imbed in the compound. I've still got the samples that the roofing guys gave me, I just haven't found a reason to try it on anything yet. Next time I need to add sealant to a seam I'm going to give it a try.
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Old 07-14-2016, 07:22 PM   #19
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That roof is 18-24 months old. It is on a Coachmen Concord similar to mine. Belongs to a guy out of Texas. He was adding a second A/C unit in the bedroom area. Apparently the heat in Texas is pretty brutal and the single 15,500 couldn't keep up. So he pulled a Fantastic Fan and put a 13,500 A/C unit in place. He ran the cord down the chase and uses a separate 20 amp drop cord to the power box at the campgrounds. Another guy with a similar unit did the same thing but upgraded his unit to 50 amps, replaced the breaker panel, etc.

Aaron
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Old 07-14-2016, 11:32 PM   #20
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Picture for ya!

Snagged from the FR board.

Aaron

Thanks...now I get it.

Do you have the link to where it was posted?
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