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Old 02-14-2017, 08:35 AM   #1
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Auto Seam Sealer - This Is Jeopardy!!

So this is weird, but I know the answer, I'm just not sure that I've asked the correct question!

The answer is "Autobody Seam Sealer, available at O'Rielly's and other fine retailers.?"

Well, Alex, I'm going to have to go with "What do I use to stop the water from coming in between roof panels?"

I've removed all of my ceiling panels, exposing the inside of the ribs. Every other rib has 75 holes on the inside/bottom from where the rivets were.

I've got a few rust spots that I'm currently treating and patching in the floor and the where the chair rail meets the floor.

However, I have noticed that after it rains or the snow melts there is a slight amount of moisture where the ribs meet the floor. I have also noticed that when there is a little bit of moisture inside the rib, which I can feel through the opened rivet holes.

These are the same ribs which have the seams between two roof panels riveted to the top (outside) of the rib. My thought is that the water is either coming in at the seam between the two roof panels, or maybe even around the outside rivets.

Now I have realized that I want to prevent anymore water from coming into my bus before I finish treating and patching rust holes in the floor.

Is this where people are saying that I should use Autobody Seam Sealer? The product I have found at ORielly's is in a caulk tube at about $10 per tube, I think. Do I just follow the instructions and use it to seal up the seams on the roof?

Do I need to seal around all of the rivets?

If it matters, once the temperature warms up (maybe over spring break), I am going to paint the roof with white BusKote.

(Pictures to follow later today)

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Old 02-14-2017, 08:51 AM   #2
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$10 tube is steep- did you try to source online?

A bunch of people have had luck with PL products- myself included. Some use polyurethane Premium Constructions PL adhesive. This best used in unseen areas.

Get a tube at Lowes/HD and try it out- wear rubber gloves, is messy. Look on the bottom for date codes- is important to get freshest stuff and keep it warm for better application (not out in cold bus).
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:58 AM   #3
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If you are going to use seam sealer, pay a little extra for an OEM grade urethane product. Big difference in quality and durability. I use...

3M™ Urethane Seam Sealer



You can find it online and occasionally at professional auto paint & body supply houses. Typically runs around $15 a tube. Just saw some on ebay. Another nice thing about this one is that the tube is all metal and has an air tight seal which gives it an extraordinary shelf life. Comes in black, gray and beige and is paintable. But read the instructions. As I recall they advise you NOT use alcohol to dress the finish. I use acetone.
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:20 AM   #4
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Seal your creeping crack

I re-read your post- you want to seal existing joints, not new ones.

Try this stuff- airstream guys swear by it:

Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure
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Old 02-14-2017, 10:04 AM   #5
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If you are patching from the roof, have you thought about using Eternabond tape?
EternaBond

I've heard good things about it.
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Old 02-14-2017, 11:14 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Piersg View Post
If you are patching from the roof, have you thought about using Eternabond tape?
EternaBond

I've heard good things about it.
I second this. It works GREAT...just make sure you put it on right the first time...it will literally tear plywood apart
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Old 02-15-2017, 07:12 AM   #7
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And the area to be patched or taped has been scrubbed clean with Comet and a stiff brush. And well dried before installing the tape.
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Old 02-17-2017, 07:33 AM   #8
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Another vote for EternaBond tape, having tried many other caulking-type of solutions prior. They would eventually give out. Albeit the tape is not pretty.
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Old 02-22-2017, 08:11 AM   #9
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Is it paintable? The website did not seem to address this.
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Old 02-22-2017, 09:34 AM   #10
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The 3M stuff is paintable. All of the "automotive" seam sealers are. No idea what the other stuff is.
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Old 02-22-2017, 11:49 AM   #11
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Is it paintable? The website did not seem to address this.
"Paintable" is a relative term. All the choices can have paint applied to them, but will it stick?

Some are painting with rattle cans, house paint, car paint, Rust-Oleum, etc. You should prime it first for best results, as primer has more bonding agent (glue) and less pigment(color), which explains why it doesn't fair well in sunlight.

Read the material sheets, or do test patch on piece of scrap made of bus.
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Old 10-11-2019, 09:18 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MiLochiNya View Post
I second this. It works GREAT...just make sure you put it on right the first time...it will literally tear plywood apart
How well would Eternabond adhere over the seams. I’m torn between overlapping 4 inch tape with 2 inch on both sides for a total of 6 inches of coverage or spreading 3m seam sealer with a putty knife. What would you suggest ?
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Old 10-11-2019, 09:32 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by ReleaseTheKraken View Post
Another vote for EternaBond tape, having tried many other caulking-type of solutions prior. They would eventually give out. Albeit the tape is not pretty.
I'd imagine it looks sorta like a bandaid every couple feet?
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Old 10-11-2019, 09:45 PM   #14
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I got this stuff. I cannot attest to long term durability, but I’ve worked with a lot adhesives and caulks and it seems like good stuff.
Attached Thumbnails
4E07DAEC-61EC-4347-8D6E-772D9A537A6D.jpg  
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Old 10-11-2019, 09:59 PM   #15
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I got this stuff. I cannot attest to long term durability, but I’ve worked with a lot adhesives and caulks and it seems like good stuff.
I've been using this stuff since I started on my bus back in January. There have been a couple of places where I had to go back and remove my earlier applications in a few places, and Dynatron-550 is damned hard to get off of whatever it's stuck to.

It works best with a spray bottle of mineral spirits to keep it from forming a skin too quickly. Autozone has it for $15; everybody online seems to charge $20 + shipping, so I occasionally make a run to all my local Autozones and pick up the tube or two each place has in stock.

There's also Dynatron-570 which is white instead of gray (never used it or seen it, though). I'm willing to bet there used to be a Dynatron-560 (or maybe -530) which was black although it seems not to exist any more.
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Old 10-11-2019, 11:10 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
I've been using this stuff since I started on my bus back in January. There have been a couple of places where I had to go back and remove my earlier applications in a few places, and Dynatron-550 is damned hard to get off of whatever it's stuck to.

It works best with a spray bottle of mineral spirits to keep it from forming a skin too quickly. Autozone has it for $15; everybody online seems to charge $20 + shipping, so I occasionally make a run to all my local Autozones and pick up the tube or two each place has in stock.

There's also Dynatron-570 which is white instead of gray (never used it or seen it, though). I'm willing to bet there used to be a Dynatron-560 (or maybe -530) which was black although it seems not to exist any more.
Yep, Autozone. That made me skeptical because their auto body section is so sparse.

Totally agree with the mineral spirits. Also works with getting a nice feather edge and cleanup.

Thanks for the tip on the white. That could come in handy after painting if I need to seal any fittings.
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Old 10-12-2019, 11:51 AM   #17
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I have used 550 for years... its tried and true as long as you use it right and dont ask too much of it.. thin layers, dont try to fill huge voids with it, thats not what its designed for.. there are other products for filling large voids.. I wear plastic gloves and a cheap plastic poncho when im working it , I also may mask around areas or hang paper if i dont want to drip it on something.. but usually when im using 550 its away from finished surfaces so im not worried..
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Old 10-12-2019, 03:40 PM   #18
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I have used 550 for years... its tried and true as long as you use it right and dont ask too much of it.. thin layers, dont try to fill huge voids with it, thats not what its designed for.. there are other products for filling large voids.. I wear plastic gloves and a cheap plastic poncho when im working it , I also may mask around areas or hang paper if i dont want to drip it on something.. but usually when im using 550 its away from finished surfaces so im not worried..
What happens if it's too thick? I sealed all my roof seams back in April and I put it on thicker than how I do it now. Does it tend to shrink and crack over time?
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Old 10-12-2019, 04:24 PM   #19
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it seems if its too thick it wont harden.. it gets a good skin but can be gooey inside.. not sure if over time it eventually hardens or not.. but a couple body guys I know have also iterated its seem sealer not gap-filler
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Old 10-12-2019, 10:09 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
What happens if it's too thick? I sealed all my roof seams back in April and I put it on thicker than how I do it now. Does it tend to shrink and crack over time?
Just harder to work with. WOn't hurt to have it that way it just won't look quite as nice. I wouldn't worry.
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