Seal wearing off paint on top of rear shell - Page 2

**Civil_War_Buff** · 07-29-2004, 08:17 AM

[quote author=Simon3xUD link=board=2;threadid=2178;start=msg15120#msg15120 date=1091110580]
It sounds like this abrasion is a given - not if but when :-(. I'm thinking that putting this tape on before any wear is evident would be a wise thing to do.

Thoughts?

[/quote]

Sally,

The newer units (2003 and up) already have a tape on them, so your's should already be protected!!

Larry

07-29-2004, 09:19 AM

[quote author=Civil_War_Buff link=board=2;threadid=2178;start=msg15121#msg15121 date=1091110673]

Sally,

The newer units (2003 and up) already have a tape on them, so your's should already be protected!!

Larry
[/quote]

Thanks for the excellent news, Larry! ;D

07-29-2004, 04:34 PM

Bill, et al, what mil thickness are you using (recommending)?

Hal

07-29-2004, 07:50 PM

RE: Color of Paint for TM, White is a hard color to match but I had some rusty spots on my new 3023 and touched them up with Rustoleum Bright White, seems to match pretty good,
get a smal can and try it on the underside of the trailer, I am pleased with the results. You can use either spray or brush

Bill

07-29-2004, 08:30 PM

Ray, it's generally quite difficult to get a top coat enamel paint to adhere very tightly to unfinished aluminum. Zinc chromate primer adheres very well to aluminum and a lot of it is used specifically for this purpose. Therefore, unless you apply both a zinc chromate primer and white enamel or use the TM factory's paint system, it's best to apply the UHMW polyeth. tape directly to the roof after cleaning the area with paint thinner or some suitable solvent. After all, you wouldn't want the tape coming off easily because the white spray paint underneath it failed to adhere well to the roof of your trailer. If you decide to apply a primer and white enamel, be sure to allow at least a week's drying time (for hardening of the paint films) before you apply the UHMW polyeth. tape.
Larry

RockyMtnRay · 07-30-2004, 07:07 AM

[quote author=Larry_Loo link=board=2;threadid=2178;start=msg15140#msg15140 date=1091154606]
Ray, it's generally quite difficult to get a top coat enamel paint to adhere very tightly to unfinished aluminum. Zinc chromate primer adheres very well to aluminum and a lot of it is used specifically for this purpose. Therefore, unless you apply both a zinc chromate primer and white enamel or use the TM factory's paint system, it's best to apply the UHMW polyeth. tape directly to the roof after cleaning the area with paint thinner or some suitable solvent. After all, you wouldn't want the tape coming off easily because the white spray paint underneath it failed to adhere well to the roof of your trailer. If you decide to apply a primer and white enamel, be sure to allow at least a week's drying time (for hardening of the paint films) before you apply the UHMW polyeth. tape.
Larry
[/quote]

Great advice Larry! Thanks.

You've confirmed a suspicion I already had about the wisdom of applying tape over paint that has dubious adhesion.

You've also confirmed that that Bill's approach is the best...since bare spots on the roof are not really an appearance issue...and painting introduces a whole new set of issues above and beyond getting a color match and an even application...I'm just going to follow you guys' advice. I already have acetone and MEK in my garage so a good wipe with one of those after a giving the trailer a bath will constitute my pre-tape prep.

**Bill** · 07-30-2004, 10:53 AM

Wow, Larry, you mean my laziness paid off for once?

Hal, I used the thinnest tape, but not for any particularly good reason. I guess I just figured that the bag seals don't put a lot of weight on the rubbed area. They rub gently but they rub for a long time - it took a couple years and thousands of miles for it to wear through the paint. So thin might be OK. If I'm wrong, well, I buy the thicker stuff and cover it up. But even thin stuff, because it is so slick, has to be an improvement over the bare paint, from an abrasion point of view.

Bill

**Civil_War_Buff** · 07-30-2004, 02:02 PM

While I see Larry's logic in his response, I have one question though...if you are going to just clean up the bare metal and put the tape down, what is being accomplished? Wouldn't it be better to just leave it alone and have the same effect? If the roof abraded the seal it would do that as well with the tape on it. I would think that the asthetics is the reason for adding the tape, and if you aren't correcting the look, why bother adding the tape? Just my thoughts.

Larry

**Bill** · 07-30-2004, 03:39 PM

Larry -

I put the tape down for three reasons.

1. To keep the seals from rubbing off even more paint (quasi-aesthetics).
2. To keep the paint from rubbing through the seals. Someone described replacing these, and it wasn't a fun job.
3. To keep the seals from eventually rubbing right through the aluminum. Now THAT would be an aesthetics problem!
4. To keep some of the black crud (oxidized aluminum) off the seals.
5. My wife told me to.

Bill

08-09-2004, 03:04 PM

just got the board up and running again at my end. i have had the same problem that is being described but earlier in the spring i called tm directly and for about $3.00 they sent me the same fiberglass edging that they are using on the new models in the same location. i bought some automotive adhesive for trim and in a short time i was in business, with the ugly wearing covered. worked perfectly as it should and i believe it is cheaper than what is being talked about. hope this helps.

dennis