trailer and mildew problems

smoke-n-my-i's

smoke-n-my-i's

is Blowin Smoke!
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I hope I am putting this in the right place. I was debating on where to put it, but since it is bbq kinda related I put it here. If it needs moving, go ahead.

I went in debt last summer for an enclosed trailer. I got it new as the used ones were going for almost the same price or more. And it came with a 5 yr warranty.

It is approx 8 months old and all of the outside sealant that was applied has mildewed terribly. I called the factory and was told that the sealant was not covered under warranty. :eek:

It has been stored outside in full sunlight the whole time. Not under any trees which is terrible for causing that problem.

I took it to the place where I bought it and showed it to him. He told me that he has never seen that happen, and to call them back and explain that it has not been under any trees and see if there wasn't something they would do.

Here is what it looks like:

Above the side door



rear side clearance light



door holder



tag light housing



bottom left rear door hinge



Every place that the sealant is looks like this. Some worse that others.

The pictures are right after I washed it for the 3rd time..... You should have seen it before I did! ! !

I finally agreed to removing the old sealant and applying new that they are going to send me. So, I will be stripping all of the old sealant and applying new. Has anyone else ever had this problem? And if so, what did you do to correct it?

Bill
 
My best guess would be that someone used the wrong sealant originally.

I would be real sure that whatever they sent me was spec'ed for outside application.

If not sure, I might go buy my own sealant--the labor has to be the big part of the job, and you are doing that anyway.

just my .02
 
Seems like the wrong sealant was used. On trailer they use two types. One type is like bubble gum and is used to hold things like lights etc in place and then screws are put into place. This stuff is used on the backing side only. Seems like the stuff on yours is the thick backing sealer and it seeped out the edges of everything. They should have then removed all the excess that ooozed out. From there they should use plain clear silicone sealer to go around all the lights, hinges, windows etc. I'd make sure to clean the old stuff real good and maybe even apply some bleach/ water mix and let it dry off completely. If any of the mildew stays alive it may start growing under the new sealant later on. I watched the guys prep our 5ht wheel before we took it home. All they used was regular home grade clear silicone outta the tube. To this day there is no mildew on it. Hope it helps Bill.
 
They used the wrong stuff and they know it.


The cost of fixing there mistake is to much for them so there answer if to say,'that's nothing to do with us but here is a tube of stuff as a friendly gesture now hit the road'
I would stay on them till they set the problem straight.

Look into the claims about what is covered and what is not. You see they may not cover the seals if there has been damage to items inside the unit but it is not at that point yet. They and you should press the fact that there will be damage in the years to come if it fails so take the mold as a early sign and work together so you are both happy.
 
Sealant from CHINA........................If they send you a tube of some chit you never heard of throw it away, you'll be doing that the rest of the time you own the trailer. I had the same problem on our boat, the manufacture sent me some more chit and I went to West Marine and bought 3M 5200 marine adhesive and sealant that was guaranteed never to yellow, mildew or come off for that matter! Problem solved....And it actually worked!
 
No expert here on sealants but I would be very unhappy with that company.
We get mold on the back side....shady side and wife brought home something called Concrobium.sp?.
They sell it at the Home Depot store and we sprayed it on and the mold dissapeared.
Sounds like you may have to reseal your trailer w/better grade sealant.
I would give your dealer lots of free advertising for sure.
 
My suggestion would be to have an attorney write a few letters.
 
if you are going to replace the sealant,, when taking the old off,, be sure it is completely off and no residue left behind,, silicone products won't stick to other silicone products. and when applying silicone, I like to use a rag with denatured alcohol on it, makes for easy cleaning the excess silicone off,,,
 
My guess is that not only did they use the wrong stuff on your trailer... They did it to others too... I would press them to fix it or pay to have it fixed... Have a friendly lawyer drop a note or two to help you out... swap him the notes for BBQ...
 
What a pain in the butt that is!
Bill, I have had better than excellent experience with Lexel.
http://www.sashcosealants.com/Home_Improvement/Lexel.aspx
You won't be disappointed. It will even adhear to wet surfaces.

Aquablue mentioned 3M 5200 which is also a good product, I happen to like this better and, it is easier to find. About five bucks a tube.

Weiser
 
We are looking for a trailer also.
Can you tell me who the manufacturer is so i know how they deal with customers?
Thanks,
jon
 
UPDATE:

I sent them a very detailed and very empathic email of what I did not like abt the situation. After much thought and reading the posts, I made up my mind I was not going to redo the sealant myself. The reason, and I explained it them, is that if for some unknown reason I developed a leak, it would be my fault and then it would void the warranty and they would not repair the trailer. So, they told me that if brought it to them, they would strip all of the sealant and reapply it. The only draw back, is I have to take it to them in GA., an eight hour + drive each way. He told me it would take abt 2-3 hrs to do the job.

So, I am going to see what I can get worked out and take it down there in a few weeks.

Other than that, I love the trailer. It is WELL built, and very sturdy, tows and handles great. I have recommended it to a lot of people, and now I am the one having a problem... so I hate to publice their name right now. I am going to give them a chance to make it right.

I will keep you posted.

Bill
 
qman said:
My best guess would be that someone used the wrong sealant originally.

I would be real sure that whatever they sent me was spec'ed for outside application.

If not sure, I might go buy my own sealant--the labor has to be the big part of the job, and you are doing that anyway.

just my .02
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that Bill.
I agree, wrong caulk used. :roll:
 
I'll look at mine tomorrow. Plan a que trip and try to meet up with a Brethren or 2 on the trip.
 

Bill , you have received some very good advice, now for mine . I think that cool green color is awesome. Add some lime green pin striping and some flames of say a snot green color fading into a yellow…………WOW ! On another note , I do know who built it , I hope they do the correct thing . No more than that stuff cost they need to make good on this. For now , if anyone ask me I know who I will tell them Not to buy from........

Rick
 
Well, being the nice guy that I am, I am going to give them a chance to correct the problem.

They have agreed to do that, but I have to take it to them. It is road trip, much that I dread, but I will do it. I start my 10 straight days next Tuesday, and have decided to take it down on Thursday night after I finish my 10th day.... :eek:

I figured what the heck, no worse than going to a comp. Leave out on a Friday, stay up most all night, and drive back on Saturday....

I think that a couple of power naps on the way down like I do at a comp, and I will be there when they open... then they can do their thing, and come on home...

I was going to do it myself, but if for some unknown reason a problem occurs down the road, you know who they will blame and void the warranty. This way, it is on them.

If the mold comes back because they did not clean it good, it is their fault, not mine... and we will pursue it a little deeper and stronger.

I do believe it is the caulking that they used as well. I used some latex silicone one time, and that is exactly what happened. I think they bought cheap latex silicone to cut costs, and this is what happened. He told me that no one else has complained about having this problem, so I am wondering if, and how many others are out there and nobody has complained.....

Anyway, they have agreed to "fix" it, so we will see what happens. Wish me well.

Again, I love the trailer for a lot of reasons... well built, tows great, and built stronger than others with a lot of extras as standard features.

I will let you know how it comes out....

BTW Rick, they had a nice 7x16 tandem axle sitting on the lot when I was at the dealer on Monday.... it looked sharp. The only draw back was it has the double barn doors..... and I believe it was the standard 6ft high..... I didn't look much more so don't know what else was there.



Bill
 
Hey Bill, want to pick up a couple of cookers for me while you are in GA with a trailer?
 
smoke-n-my-i's said:
BTW Rick, they had a nice 7x16 tandem axle sitting on the lot when I was at the dealer on Monday.... it looked sharp. The only draw back was it has the double barn doors..... and I believe it was the standard 6ft high..... I didn't look much more so don't know what else was there.



Bill
Click to expand...

Bill,
Thanks for keeping an eye out . I saw a nice one about a mile from the house last week end ,16 or 18 foot. First thing I did was measure the side "top to bottom"........6' .........man it is no fun being tall.


Rick
 
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