Bringing it home - Page 2 - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

robobd · 05-20-2013, 09:44 AM

when was the last time your (body)seal was changed?(the top to bottom seal) tney now have a newer type seal, just call j & r and they can fill you in

bcorbett · 05-20-2013, 10:27 PM

I'm going to have to assume that nothing has ever been changed. I know that the prior owner noticed pitting in the roof and when they contacted Hi-Lo for advice they were given information on a thick coating that they applied.

I see many references to J&R but haven't found any information on how to contact them or where they're located.

RichR · 05-20-2013, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcorbett

I'm going to have to assume that nothing has ever been changed. I know that the prior owner noticed pitting in the roof and when they contacted Hi-Lo for advice they were given information on a thick coating that they applied.

I see many references to J&R but haven't found any information on how to contact them or where they're located.

Home - JR REPAIR

bcorbett · 05-30-2013, 09:08 AM

We've now been working on this for a few weeks. We removed the old materials and determined that the leaks appeared to be around the seam under the top trim. Camping World recommended Dicor Lap Sealant for all of the seams. I took off the trim, removed all of the old caulk and tape, applied a very thick bead between the aluminum roof material and the frame, and the reinstalled the trim which seamed to evenly distribute the sealant and create a good seal. I also used the self leveling sealant on the roof seams which appeared to level out very well. Monday night we managed to work extra late and get the first wall back up and the windows and door reinstalled and sealed with the lap sealant as well.

We had a steady rain on Tuesday and all looked good. Last night we had a quick very heavy rain and when I checked this morning there are a few wet spots on the new wall boards. Extremely frustrating at this point and I think I'm going to need to seal the entire roof. What have other people had luck with? I see that Dicor makes a paint type sealant but not sure if that is the way to go. I'd assume that it would take 2 gallons which would be another $100. I've already spent $200 on the lap sealant and $300 on new wall materials so the price tag is adding up fast! Any advice would be appreciated!

sam · 05-30-2013, 07:02 PM

I must have been in the hospital when these repair postings were done. Here is the link and description of our restoration. 3SamTLPX's Library | Photobucket
We do not claim to be experts however we received advice from our HiLo dealer and JR in OHIO. It has been two yrs. since our restoration and everything is nice and tight. High and dry. Ours is a Classic. Never ever use silicone caulk. Lexell caulk is $8.00 a tube and can be purchased at Ace hardwear or on line. We removed all the water damaged upper walls. Pull everything out to the fiberglass. Use rustoleum primmer and paint on the metal supports. Use 3M bondo on the interior fiberglass. This will seal up any holes you can't see. Replace all insulation then 1/8th underlay and then 1/8th paneling. We used heavy duty liquid nails,some poprivets and white paneling nails. We caulked and used expanding foam any place we could. Every inch of exterior caulk was removed and Lexell used. Every window needs to be taken out and reinstalled with butyl tape and then Lexell caulk on the exterior. In short a proper restoration takes lots of time. The payoff is a water tight properly repaired HiLo that will give you many more good yrs. of service.

bcorbett · 05-31-2013, 11:18 AM

Thanks, Sam. Someone had used regular silicone caulk in the past and it was all dried out. I've replaced every bit of caulk with Dicor Lap Sealant. Leveling on the roof and non sag everywhere else. It seems that there may still be some leaks from the roof under heavy rain so I'm looking at the Dicor sealant that you paint on. It's a bit pricy but at this point we've invested quite a bit into it so it's too late to turn back.

We're hoping to get a year or two out of it and then sell it to get something a bit newer.

sam · 05-31-2013, 09:22 PM

We also had some rainy times during our restoration. The walls were still open to the fiberglass and we could see where we had to use additional spray foam insulation or more Lexell caulk. My guess on your roof is that you will have to use externabond tape on the entire roof. Some one posted a reasonably priced source to order this from. I believe it was JCurtis 95. I strongly recommend Lexell caulk be used every where possible. I will be in the Syracuse area in June. Let me know by PM if you need an in person house call. It is easy to get discouraged. Keep keeping on. The older HiLos are solid quality.

bcorbett · 06-01-2013, 10:51 AM

After doing a little homework yesterday I found that people have had good luck with Kool Seal. It has all the same properties as the Dicor coating at half the cost and it comes with a 7 year Garuntee. Scrubbing the roof clean now and hoping that I'll be able to get the first coat on today. Our garage doors aren't tall enough to sneak it inside overnight but the direction say that as long as it starts to cure then the water shouldn't hurt it.

I'll be in Niagra Falls next Saturday, Hunter Mountain the following weekend, and then working out of town for most of the month. Hoping to get as much done as possible this weekend as we already made reservations at our favorite park (limekiln lake near Inlet) for July 4th weekend. If the camper isn't ready by the. We'll be putting up the tent one last time.

RichR · 06-01-2013, 01:30 PM

My former HiLo dealer friend uses Kool Seal and has for a long time.

JackandJanet · 06-01-2013, 07:19 PM

We use it on home roofs in the Southwest deserts too. It is VERY durable, except it will fail if there is an area where water is allowed to "pond". You can buy "pond repair" filler to fix that problem.

The other thing I've seen it used for is as a coating on outdoor awnings. It stops the breakdown of the fabric due to UV action. It can be dyed to match a color other than white also.

- Jack

sam · 06-01-2013, 10:26 PM

Send me a PM if you want to see anything on our HiLo while you are in Niagara Falls. I hope your HiLo is ready for the July 4th campout. What a bummer to use a tent vs a HiLo. Doing the Kool Seal should seal up your roof. We also need to reseal up our roof again this year. Sat. evening and Sunday afternoon it is raining. DH is having a time trying to get the garden in when the soil is so wet. Our lawn mowers are getting a workout also the weed wackers. I don't regret getting a ridearound or the bagger.

bearshrum · 06-03-2013, 01:20 PM

Hello aznd welcome to you new guys and girls. It's especially nice to have another good ol' Texas owner on the forum. We're from Sugar Land, just outside Houston (down here in the Sauna area) and know about the heat. We have a 3389b affectionately known as the beast. The best calking material I have found (as suggested by my friends on this forum) is Lexel. It seals real good and doesn't get hard like silicone. Good luck with your repairs and happy camping. Maybe us Texas guys can start a yearly get together somewhere and get to know each other.

Bear

bcorbett · 06-03-2013, 08:58 PM

The Kool Seal seems to have done the trick. After hours of scrubbing the roof clean and removing the loose parts of the old coating I put two coats of the Kool seal on. It dried just in time for the storm to move in Saturday night. After a night of heavy rain and on and off showers on Sunday it was dry as a bone. I still have a gallon left so after touching up around the AC and roof vents I'm going to put on a third coat for good measure.

sam · 06-04-2013, 01:24 AM

Glad to hear the Kool Seal worked for you. The only slight mod DH is going to do when he reseals our roof is to use blue painters tape. This will be applied where the roof meets the side and you want a real crisp paint line. Remove when done coating. Sounds like you had the same rain storm we had in Niagara Falls.