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Topic ClosedCaulking the 'spoiler'

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lostagain View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Caulking the 'spoiler'
    Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 11:14am
If you are not capable of reaching the center area of the leading edge of the spoiler due to physical limitations, then the solution is to hire someone who is big and/or agile enough to do it.  Whether to use dicor, caulking, or Etarnabond is a decision you will have to take.  You asked how others handled the situation and many people, in good faith, offered their solutions.  Sadly, no one can help you with the fact that you cannot reach the center of the spoiler, but at least everyone tried.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 10:04am
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 9:27am
This is all fascinating but doesn't help my original 'problem'. 

If I put an 8 foot extension ladder alongside, my short arms keep me from reaching the center of the spoiler. I am not going to come from above, that looks like a good way to do a nosedive onto the pavement below. A long ladder from behind past the spare tire looks unstable and might still involve a long reach.

So, ... ?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 8:35am
I'm contemplating the same process and your photos are really helpful.  thank you.
Julie
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 8:29am
You are right, Wirat, the original "recall" spoilers were soft squishy vinyl plastic that was impossible to seal with calk and screws.  It was really junk that FR came up with to get out of trouble with the NTSB for failing to put clearance lights on the trailer.  Calk wouldn't adhere to the spoiler and it was so flexible that you need screws about every inch just to keep it flat.  It was a leak designed to happen.  It would have been better to have made a molded fiberglass spoiler and bond it to the fiberglass of the roof, but that would have required a lot of labor/cost to install.

I am glad you found some black Eternabond tape.  I think you'll be real happy with the repair.  It looks, from your foto, that you have a metal strip across the aft side of the spoiler to hold it flat.  That shouldn't need any tape and it's probably best to leave it open.  On the vinyl one I had, the gaps were as big as 1/4" even with screws (leak potential) every 2"  which is probably why I put tape across the bottom too.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2020 at 7:04am
Originally posted by lostagain

Extend the two side pieces about 3" inches above the top of the spoiler, then cut the piece that goes across the top about 8" longer than the spoiler so that it overlaps the two side pieces.  The glue on that tape is so sticky, that you need to use care in placing the tape as you don't get a do over.  It doesn't hurt to draw a straight line across the roof forward of the spoiler edge that will guide you in placing the tape.  That way you have a nice straight finished edge in case someone goes up on top of your Pod to criticize your work.  

Just pulled the trigger on some black Eternabond tape. Lostagain - I was looking at your photo of the white spoiler on your R-Pod. The black one on my camper seems a lot beefier. It's made of hard plastic. Was the older version a soft rubber or something? I'm still going to tape it as a preventative measure because you can see the Dicor caulking in my photo, I don't like how the front edge of the spoiler creates a channel for water to collect in.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2020 at 7:38pm
Originally posted by lostagain

Extend the two side pieces about 3" inches above the top of the spoiler, then cut the piece that goes across the top about 8" longer than the spoiler so that it overlaps the two side pieces.  The glue on that tape is so sticky, that you need to use care in placing the tape as you don't get a do over.  It doesn't hurt to draw a straight line across the roof forward of the spoiler edge that will guide you in placing the tape.  That way you have a nice straight finished edge in case someone goes up on top of your Pod to criticize your work.  

Thanks @lostagain that's what I plan to do. I measured it today and I can get by with 10'. I can buy a 4" X 10 foot roll. The spoiler is about 6 feet long and about 1 foot wide, so 8 feet plus a little for overlap.

From the side of the spoiler to the edge there's only about 2 inches so I'll have to cut a strip in half lengthwise. Is that what you did?






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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2020 at 11:23am
Extend the two side pieces about 3" inches above the top of the spoiler, then cut the piece that goes across the top about 8" longer than the spoiler so that it overlaps the two side pieces.  The glue on that tape is so sticky, that you need to use care in placing the tape as you don't get a do over.  It doesn't hurt to draw a straight line across the roof forward of the spoiler edge that will guide you in placing the tape.  That way you have a nice straight finished edge in case someone goes up on top of your Pod to criticize your work.  
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2020 at 8:23am
I would install both side pieces of the tape and then overlap the third top piece of tape, should make a good seal at the corners
Jay

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2020 at 5:44am
Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like I will doing it the same way as mcarter and lostagain describe here. I have never used Eternabond tape.

I wasn't sure if it was workable enough to start at the bottom left side of the spoiler then lay it up and over the top of the roof then continue around to the bottom of the right side in one continuous piece. Would that cause wrinkles in the corners maybe? So cutting it in pieces gives smoother surfaces?

Thinking that a continuous piece might have more integrity than three pieces. I see on searches I did though that this stuff overlaps and seals itself off really good. 

I have looked at the roofs a few big busses before and they had Eternabond or similar along the front and back cap seams as well as around the perimeters of roof vents and other fixtures that had screws along the edges. Again, thanks for letting me know how you did yours.
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