RV Sealant Removal

RVs are more like houses than cars in the respect that they have seams. Those seams are typically sealed either with caulking or with a tape-style sealant. Such RV sealants wear out, and when they do it is often necessary to remove the old sealant before applying a new layer. While the procedures for removing RV sealants are simple, they involve a considerable amount of tedious scraping.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Razor blade
Flat-headed screwdriver
Putty knife
Scrub brush
Car wash detergent
Hair dryer
Acetone-based solvent

RV Caulk

Step 1

Inspect the old sealant and decide how much you wish to remove. If you are not removing the entire bead of old caulking, cut into the bead roughly 2 inches down from both ends of the worn-out caulking. Pry up the ends of the old bead of caulk with a flat-headed screwdriver.

Step 2

Pull out by hand as much of the old caulking as you can.

Step 3

Scrape off any remaining bits of caulk. For RVs with fiberglass shells, a disposable razor blade is required. For all other surfaces, a putty knife will do.

Step 4

Wash the caulk with car wash detergent and a scrub brush and clean out any grime in the seam.

Tape-Style Sealants

Step 1

Heat the end of the tape with a hair dryer set on maximum for two or three minutes.

Step 2

Pry up the end of the tape with your fingers and gently pull the tape off. Cut the gooey adhesive/sealant underneath as you go with a razor blade. If you reach a stubborn section that refuses to come up, stop and heat it with the hair dryer. Do not continue pulling and risk tearing the tape.

Step 3

Remove the residual bits of adhesive/sealant on the RV by either scraping it off with a razor blade or applying an acetone-based solvent and wiping it away.

Article Written By Edwin Thomas

Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.

Editor's Pick

5 Top North American Wildflower Hikes

Springtime brings a sense of new beginnings and new life as flowers begin to bloom and fill the air with their sweet and pleasant fragrance. Luckily we can see wildflowers all summer long, since spring hits at different times throughout North America. See flowering cactu...
More National Parks...
Popular Article

National Park Substitutes: Great Spots Without the Crowds

Coping with crowds at national parks can get tiresome, especially during the peak tourist season. If you want to escape from the herd, or just take a breather from the bustle of bigger attractions, the United States has plenty of less-visited but still worthwhile spots t...
More National Parks...
Featured Destination

Prevent Yourself from Getting Lost While Hiking

When you're hiking you're going to want to make sure you stay found. What I mean by that is that you've put an itinerary in the car, you know the area that you're hiking to, you know the route and the trail you plan on being on, you know what the trail markers are going ...
More Camping Basics...