UHMW tape

Re:wear and tear on older units. Billybgame indicated you could put a strip of UHMW tape on the shell area where one half rubs againt the other to prevent black marks. Wat is UHMW tape and where might one purchase it. Thanks for your help. We are new owners of 2007 2720SL and tow with a2006 Ford 150 5.4 engine super cab.

Originally Posted by djlong150

Re:wear and tear on older units. Billybgame indicated you could put a strip of UHMW tape on the shell area where one half rubs againt the other to prevent black marks. Wat is UHMW tape and where might one purchase it. Thanks for your help. We are new owners of 2007 2720SL and tow with a2006 Ford 150 5.4 engine super cab.

I got mine online from McMaster-Carr .
Cheri

I found out that UHMW can be defined as: UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) is a hi-tech, self-lubricating plastic that lets one heavy thing slide on the other heavy thing with very little pressure (aka, friction is reduced significantly). My question is where do you tape it? On the roof that is getting the black rub marks (there already in my case) or on the piece it rubs on, or both?

I think the answer to Sneaky Frog's question is that you tape the shell which gets worn where the seals rub on it.

I read that this tape is 3 mils thick which is like paper. Will this withstand the wear and tear dealt out by the TM? Also, will this cover the marks, that is is it opaque and if so, what colors did you find? I am needing some of this, both outside and inside!

[B_and_D]

We ordered some of the rub strips from the TM factory (I think they're made out of some type of fiberglass) and glued them onto the sides of the TM where the rubbing was wearing off the paint. (Ours is a '97 and from what I've heard, the newer TM's have the rub strips installed there by the factory). This has worked well on the two camping trips we've taken since. The TM looks so much better and there are no more marks there. It's like night and day; no more scrubbing to keep it looking clean in that area.

We have another strip left over and are thinking about gluing it onto the roof.

[wbmiller3]

I installed the tape on the outside of the back shell and it has survived two one week trips (~1500 towing miles) so far. I am thinking about putting it on the inside but am not sure how it will work on the textured interior.

[B_and_D]

Bill - did you ever install the tape on the inside? If so, how did it hold up? After this last trip we got some bad black marks on the inside of our front ceiling and are thinking about trying some of this tape. The last place we camped was really dusty and we were in kind of a hurry to pack up (I was not feeling well ) so we didn't take time to wipe down the seals.

How has it held up on the outside?

D

[wbmiller3]

It has worked well on the outside as far as stopping the rubbing off of the paint. It has also stayed well attached through lots of wind and rain. However, it did turn a bit yellow which discouraged me from trying it inside. I still am not sure what the answer for the inside is. I need to get it clean first, then maybe try and paint it?

I used a long strip of McMaster-Carr UHMW tape along the inside, front shell where the outer rear shell rubbed. It sticks on the orange peel texture, but not exceptionally strong. It's been there a couple of months and I don't think it will go anywhere unless I take it off. It sticks really well on smooth surfaces though. There are a couple of spots inside and out that were getting rubbed. This stuff is very tough and has done a good job protecting these small areas and larger spots along the outer rear shell rub spots where the egdes rub the corner seals.

[B_and_D]

Well, maybe I should order some. It sound like it's a much better solution than to just let it go. Having the added rub strips on the outside has really helped.

Just when I think I have the TM projects finished, another one comes along! Oh, I almost forgot, I still have to do the water heater anode, and it's probably due for another wheel bearing greasing. Plus we're planning on taking out the carpet in the TM and replacing it with vinyl...

Our TM sits under an oak tree, covered. We have had an awful infestation of some kind of oak tree moths that have laid eggs that have turned into tiny little caterpillars, and they are all over the TM cover, with gossamer strands coming down from the tree. Before our last trip I took off the cover and scrubbed it with Clorox Cleanup, and now there's all these yucky little wormies all over. DH climbed up and cut some of the branches off, but it only helped a little. It never ends.