Escapees May-June 2023

mark, my words

Black Ants

Window Leaks Q. I live out West and, of course, it’s the rainy season. The last few trips I noticed a few window leaks and did attempt to seal the frame to the RV body with a qual ity silicone. This didn’t work. Searching the web, I found a couple of suggestions being applicable to RV or boat. The work looks time-consuming, involves remov ing the frame, cleaning it and shimming it to apply and form a rubber gasket, then reinstall. If that doesn’t solve the problem, the next step is removing the window, remove and replace the seal and reinstall. Is this accurate? So the question: In your experience should I take this on or hire a pro? Some projects just aren’t worth the time and expense of materials. Scott A. While I can’t be positive without looking at your rig, the majority of water leaks that are occurring around the window frames do require that the frame and/or window be pulled to properly renew the seal. Just adding silicone around the outside where the frame meets the sidewall will be a temporary fi x at best. It’s not a fun job and requires that all the screws that secure the window assembly to the rig be removed. Then, the window assembly is carefully pried out and the old caulk is removed from the window opening and the window frame. New butyl-rubber caulk is applied to the window frame, and the whole thing is reinstalled. Sometimes, prying the window out (without damaging it) and cleaning off the old caulk can be a major pain, so unless you are feeling “handy,” you may want to take it to an RV repair shop and have it done. Fiberglass Repair Q. I always appreciate your articles, and I have a question: There is a thin cut (slice) that is two-inches long in the fi berglass of my Thor Palazzo. Is there a good (and easy) way to seal this cut? Mike A. I’ve had the same problem, and discovered that you really only have two choices for a repair method. If sealing the damaged area is your primary concern, then there’s nothing better than eternabond tape. www.amazon.com/DP/B00AYPCJ9G It will be a permanent water-tight repair, but will not be esthetically pleasing. If the spot is highly visible, and you’re concerned with how it looks, then it gets a bit more dif fi cult. Putting a clear sealant on the crack sounds like a good idea, and it blends in nicely with the paint or fi nish, but I haven’t found any clear liquid sealant that won’t yellow or discolor over time. One possibility is to seal the crack with a good polyurethane sealant, smooth it out carefully, then put a decal or small light fi xture, or other exterior accessory over the repair once it’s set up. This hides the repair from the eye. It’s also possible to repair the crack with automotive body repair materials, sand it down, fi ll and prime it and then paint it. However, paint matching is best left to professional repair shops, as it’s really hard for a do-it-yourselfer to paint match and feather a repair and get it to blend in.

Q. We park our RV under a cover, and the last time that we took it out and put the slide out, we noticed that it had black ants under the roller. Some of them did come inside the motorhome. What kind of treatmen can we use to get the ants out? A. You can use most household ant killers and pest control products in your RV to help control insects. You can also use various barrier products (Borax, Boric acid, Diazinon) to prevent the ants from getting into the RV in the fi rst place. You should call a local pest control company to assist you if you are having trouble controlling ants. They are usually equipped with much stronger chemicals than those you can purchase as a consumer. However, I’m concerned when you say that you have black ants. If these are large ants, they are probably carpenter ants. I have experienced a carpenter ant infestation in one of my RVs, and they can be dif fi cult to control. Carpenter ants nest in wood structures. They don’t eat the wood like termites, but bore through the wood to nest and can cause structural damage. They will typically infest a rig while it is in storage. If the ants you see are large and black (or reddish-black), or if you see any signs of sawdust or wood debris in infested areas, get a pest control specialist involved as soon as possible!

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR MARK? Submissions must not contain commercial advertising or consumer advocacy issues. Due to the large volume of material and correspondence submitted, we may be unable to reply or acknowledge receipt of your material. Material will be edited. Questions and answers with the highest general interest may be repeated in subsequent issues. Questions can be sent by mail to “Mark, My Words” Column, 100 Rainbow Drive, Livingston, TX 77351-9300 or to techquestions@escapees.com.

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May/June 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine