Installing Trim-Lok Drip Rail on the Oliver

[jd1923]

This came up in another thread recently, but I didn't post my installation there since the title of the old thread was "DO NOT use this product." 🤣 Turns out with the help of @ScottyGS the best product is the Trim-Lok Drip Rail:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CJRH19Y/

We've had streaking down the hull exterior mainly from nightly condensate (not much rain here). Our nights year-round are a 30F drop in temps and condensation collects on the roof and after dawn it will trickle down the fiberglass making dirty striping all down the body. It seems even worse after we made the investment in a full detailing and ceramic coating (we just notice it more).

The first picture is from 2023 when we purchased out Oliver. Prior owner had remove the original gutter from behind the awning and installed this drip rail, curbside only under the awning and this thread will show installing one on the other side. The new Trim-Lok I purchased looks to be the same.

The issue is, except for the the curbside where drip rail was installed there is dirty striping, not easy to clean. The next two pictures show examples of the striping and the final picture shows a picture of the curbside which stays clean!

Next posts will detail the installation...

Edited September 21 by jd1923

[jd1923]

First step was to talk to my ceramic coating guy. I knew that 3M VHB tape will not stick well to ceramic coating.

It's 39" from the bottom of hull belly seam to the bottom of the drip rail in the original installation. On the scaffolding, the floor set only 3 ft high to work at eye level, I measured 39" up about every 18" left to right and placed a 1" piece painter's blue tape just where the new drip rail will be (this step not pictured). Then I ran the masking tape the entire length of the hull.

Next step was to sand off the ceramic coating. I carefully hand sanded just <1" above the masking tape, first using a worn sanding sponge and then 400 and 800 grit paper. Smoothing it with acetone you could see the yellow ceramic residue on the rags. Final clean with 90% rubbing alcohol. I was careful, but should have been more anal, laid a second line of masking tape so to sand exactly a 7/8" strip.

Then, game on, VHB tape doesn't fool around! I cut the ends angled back using a hose cutter. Stuck down the first few inches just above the masking tape. You pull the red backing tape off only for the next length. You keep the 25 ft length coiled ahead of you. With an 8 ft scaffold, you also move it 3x as you work left to right. The product is a very soft PVC that can bend in any direction and stretch. You have to stretch it to get it in a straight line and then you have to let some tension off as you lay it down.

It's not that easy keeping a straight line that long. I think it came out pretty good. I'm happy. From the ground it looks straight as an arrow! I took the final picture from up on a ladder so we can see the line. It is straighter than the "professional" who did the there other side and it's a good product which allows for a straight installation. 😎

Edited September 21 by jd1923

[Tony and Rhonda]

@jd1923 That looks really good! Nice and clean.

It's on my very long list of things to do on our Ollie. I'm deciding whether to put the drip rails on over the windows or along the roof edge. We're in Kentucky so slightly more rain than Arizona. Maybe both locations since the roof edge isn't very noticeable.

Also deciding whether to install before or after we have it ceramic coated but your post has helped me decide.

Thanks for the post!

Tony

[jd1923]

7 hours ago, Tony and Rhonda said:

@jd1923 That looks really good! Nice and clean.

It's on my very long list of things to do on our Ollie. I'm deciding whether to put the drip rails on over the windows or along the roof edge. We're in Kentucky so slightly more rain than Arizona. Maybe both locations since the roof edge isn't very noticeable.

Also deciding whether to install before or after we have it ceramic coated but your post has helped me decide.

Thanks for the post!

Tony

You're welcome, Tony and thank you! 😂

Yes, anything to be VHB taped must be done before ceramic coating or go through the steps I've listed above. Anything new to be screwed mounted, do afterwards. I removed a lot of exterior trim to get an overall better ceramic coating job. As-is you may still need a light scuffing of the gelcoat, acetone to remove residue and rubbing alcohol to clean prior to taping. If in the future any portion of the drip rail comes lose the whole job would need to be reworked!

Don't want to do all this work? Ask your detailer if they would install the roofline drip rail when you get your ceramic coating work done. Covering the individual windows is a much easier job, no scaffolding required.

The roofline drip edge should eliminate streaking if you have what I have. This could be regional or climate dependent. A lot of rain in your travel climates, perhaps covering the separate windows makes more sense. It's a choice. If I remember a picture of Bill's "Twist" correctly, it has drip rails over the windows. @topgun2? 

The 25 ft roll I received was 2" short. My roofline installation is 15 1/2 ft long and I have 112" leftover. The main windows are 4 ft. At most you would need 52" for each window. One roll will cover all windows or do one roofline drip rail and cover 2 windows. Two rolls will cover both rooflines and all windows.

I'm going to use some of what's left over to create a roofline drip rail under the OLIVER taillight in the rear. You can see all the streaking we have there in the picture below. I'll show this installation soon. 

Edited September 21 by jd1923

[topgun2]

36 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

If I remember a picture of Bill's "Twist" correctly, it has drip rails over the windows. @topgun2? 

Yep - Twist was treated to the window gutters a number of years ago.

There are numerous threads here on the Forum concerning these window gutters - from installation to length of gutter for each window.

Bill

[ScottyGS]

3 hours ago, jd1923 said:

I'm going to use some of what's left over to create a roofline drip rail under the OLIVER taillight in the rear. You can see all the streaking we have there in the picture below. I'll show this installation soon. 

 

I put trim lok over  the lighted Oliver sign.  Thought it would be good insurance against leaks from the seals aging on the sign.  Many folks have had that problem. 

Scotty 

[jd1923]

Next was to create a roofline drip rail to eliminate the streaking down the rear. This time I took pictures of my early steps.

First thing to assure the drip rail will be straight and parallel to the hull is to measure heights. I use the hull seam, the belly bar or hull waistband so to speak. It protrudes quite a bit and holds the tape measure nicely. I used 39" on the side rail (bending it around the top curve) and 33" for the rear. I cut a bunch of 1" pieces of blue tape and stuck them to the scaffolding to have ready. On the side rail, I placed them about every 16" and about every 10" on the rear.

You place these at the height you want the drip rail. Then you place one STRAIGHT long length of masking tape which becomes the lower edge of the rail. Then measure 7/8" spacing to place a second line of tape. I marked the center using the Oliver sign and the 3 little marker lights and taped the end points 28" each way, 56" of drip rail for the rear. I made both drip rails 1/4" lower on the ends. Then sand the gap smooth, use acetone to remove the ceramic residue. Then remove the top line of tape and use rubbing alcohol to clean the area.

Now it's time to place the Trim-Lok drip rail. After Bill's mention above, I read some of the "Window Gutter" threads. There was talk about installing on a hot day and maybe a heat gun, but none of that is necessary with the Trim-Lok product today. This product is great. It was 76F when I finished yesterday and the product is very flexible, keeping the straight line is the deal.

BTW, our Furrion Chill Cube has never overflowed condensate since it is designed to use it in cooling the condenser fins, but if we are to camp in a hot humid location, you can see where the condensate would now be channeled. Our nose is always up a little higher and lift the curbside jack 1/2" taller than the streetside and any dripping will go down the corner area pictured. The massive Pinion Pine on the edge of our property makes the Chill Cube look even taller! 🤣 

If you're on the highway one day, following an Oliver that has a rear drip rail and a matching rear porch light, that would be us in Hull #113! I like how the two drip rails come together in both rear corners. The back corner surfaces will get dirtier but an easy area to clean. And the old girl still looks nice and shiny now 10 months after ceramic coating! 😎

Edited September 22 by jd1923

[jd1923]

So I had 52" left-over of drip rail stock, so what's a guy to do? Thinking some of you will hate this, but who knows! 🤣

I didn't want "Window Gutters" like in the several posts of old. Our windows have not leaked (knocking on hardwood, dead-center of forehead) and we live in a dry area.

It is a shame though that while it's raining we can't even crack the Oliver windows open 2" without getting the bedding or dinette seat wet. I'm thinking this might be the answer to the need, Oliver "window drip-rail eyebrows!" 😎

So I cut the 52" of stock in 3 equal pieces. I decided to mount on the window frames, not on the fiberglass, out of the way of caulking and ceramic polishing. I prepped the same way; very lightly sanded, acetone rub, alcohol clean. This time with the tight radius 90-degree turn, it was a day in the mid 70s but leaving the pieces laying in the strong sun for an hour made them fully pliable. I started at the bottom, measured 5" from the top edge of the window, then worked them up and over, to make all 3 identical.

Hardly noticeable from a distance. I believe this will keep a light rain from coming inside. I'll let you know next time it rains!

Edited 5 hours ago by jd1923