Rubber Gaskets Around Porch Lights

[SeaDawg]

I will agree, to the extent, that Oliver has never let me down, in nine years of experience with this amazing family owned company.

 

I can't blame current and future owners for anxiety. That's totally understandable. And I would never minimize their experience. It's annoying, today the least.

 

An Oliver then, and now, is a significant chunk of change.

 

However, I can tell you that in nine years, I have never seen a problem left unresolved. Not one. And I m not talking about my own. I've been a mod for over nine years. I have seen it all.

 

It may not be as quick as we would like to see, but especially when it's not an Oliver manufactured subsystem, it can take some time.

 

I'm confident you'll get a resolution. The gaskets weren't theirs. They make an amazing trailer, but some components aren't theirs. That's true of any rv. I will go out on a limb, and tell you, I have never seen this company leave anyone less than satisfied. It's the way they work. Once you're in, you're part of the family.

 

Picked up my trailer nine years ago, next week. It's still beautiful, sturdy, good for several decades more.  Frankly, I had opportunies to sell it for my purchase price.

 

And , honestly, I have never worked with an RV company with more integrity, and heart. And, I've been involved with RVs since 1977.

 

I'll tell you another small story. My cousin's major brand 300k motorhome had a list of over 100 warranty items  just to put it into perspective.  None of them drivetrain or engine related.

 

PS, I too am thinking of dropping out of the forum for awhile. I love my 2008  trailer. I love many of the contributors, but I have a lot going on in my life besides virtual friends and forums. And, when I travel, keeping up with the posts is expensive for me. I travel a lot beyond the US borders. I would like to travel without spending my mobile data on the forum. That's if I can access data..... We love the wilderness. The Canadian Yukon is one of our favorite camping territories.

 

I honestly love the tranquility of no cell, no service. No offense. We will spend a month or two there again this year.

 

Sherry

 

 

[SeaDawg]

I will agree, to the extent, that Oliver has never let me down, in nine years of experience with this amazing family owned company.

 

I can't blame current and future owners for anxiety. That's totally understandable. An Oliver then, and now, is a significant chunk of change.

 

However, I can tell you that in nine years, I have never seen a problem left unresolved. Not one. And I m not talking about my own. I've been a mod for over nine years. I have seen it all.

 

It may not be a quick as we would like to see, but especially when it's not an Oliver manufactured subsystem, it can take some time.

 

I'm confident you'll get a resolution. The gaskets weren't theirs. They make an amazing trailer, but some components aren't theirs. That's true of any rv. I will go out on a limb, and tell you, I have never seen this company leave anyone less than satisfied. It's the way they work. Once you're in, you're part of the family.

 

Picked up my trailer nine years ago, next week. It's still beautiful, sturdy, good for several decades more.  Frankly, I had opportunies to sell it for my purchase price.

 

And , honestly, I have never worked with an RV company with more integrity, and heart.

 

I'll tell you another small story. My cousin's major brand 300k motorhome had a list of over 100 warranty items  just to put it into perspective.  None of them drivetrain or engine related.

 

PS, I too am thinking of dropping out of the forum for awhile. I love my 2008  trailer. I love many of the contributors, but I have a lot going on in my life besides virtual friends and forums. And, when I travel, keeping up with the posts is expensive for me. I travel a lot beyond the US borders. I would like to travel without spending my mobile data on the forum. That's if I can access data..... We love the wilderness. The Canadian Yukon is one of our favorite camping territories. I honestly love the tranquility of no cell, no service. No offense. We will spend a month or two there again this year.

 

Sherry

 

Sherry

 

 

[Mainiac]

Best response yet...

[Jason Essary]

I wanted to let everyone know that we are working with a rubber manufacturer and having them perform test for us, as we do not have the means to do this internally. We want to make sure that we resolve the black streak issue but not at the expense of creating a new problem. The concern with the white neoprene gaskets is that they will yellow over time especially if it is not rated for exterior use. We also have to make sure that it is rated at an IP66 rating and ensure that it won't leak. The quickest and easiest method would be to put some type of clearcoat protection over the gasket but how long will this last and how often would it have to be re-applied.

 

We want to do our due diligence to find the best solution for our customers and not just a quick fix that might create other issues.

[olderthandirt]

Jason,

 

The important thing is that you are in the loop and thanks for your efforts in trying to find a solution.

[KarenLukens]

I wanted to let everyone know that we are working with a rubber manufacturer and having them perform test for us, as we do not have the means to do this internally. We want to make sure that we resolve the black streak issue but not at the expense of creating a new problem. The concern with the white neoprene gaskets is that they will yellow over time especially if it is not rated for exterior use. We also have to make sure that it is rated at an IP66 rating and ensure that it won’t leak. The quickest and easiest method would be to put some type of clearcoat protection over the gasket but how long will this last and how often would it have to be re-applied. We want to do our due diligence to find the best solution for our customers and not just a quick fix that might create other issues.

 

Like this one, it has good reviews for a spray

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Spray-High-Gloss-Clearcoat-Aerosol/dp/B0043B7UQY/ref=zg_bs_15709871_1?<span style="line-height: 1.5;">_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VMETQ5NKZRXKCTBNS2FF</span>

 

Or this would be a great brush on - https://smile.amazon.com/KBS-Coatings-8304-DiamondFinish-Clear/dp/B00DMIE20Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487366586&sr=8-1&keywords=diamond+finish+clear+coat

 

I don't know why this tablet won't link the 2nd... :) I did try a couple times...

[ScottyGS]

Hi Everyone,

 

Had this issue and was advised by Oliver to use Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure.  I used a very small brush to put this sealant on the black gaskets.  It solved the problem.  No more black streaks. You can get this at West Marine or on Amazon.  It was a pretty simple cure.  Did this last fall, so not sure if / when i need to re-apply.

 

When I spoke to Oliver on this I asked if there would be a problem taking the lights off to replace the gaskets.  My concern was that a nut might fall off the back of the screw and make things difficult to put the lights back on.  I was advised that this would not happen.

 

Good Luck,

 

Scotty

 

Flying Sea Turtle hull # 145

 

 

 

 

[Overland]

Bump - did Oliver ever change the gasket material or is this still a problem with new units?

[Hikegsm]

Bump – did Oliver ever change the gasket material or is this still a problem with new units?

We have not had any streaks from our gaskets and we have seen lots of rain since our end of April pickup date.

[topgun2]

To my knowledge the current gaskets have not been changed.  The "problem" with the bleeding gaskets didn't appear on my Oliver until 6 to 9 months after delivery.  At the Oliver Owner's Rally this past May, Oliver gave everyone in attendance a tube of clear Dow Aquarium sealant to be used on these gaskets to stop the bleeding.  Basically this is a silicone sealant and I was hesitant to use it because I had read that one should never use silicone on a fiberglass trailer.  In any case - I finally did use it (very lightly and carefully to not use anymore than necessary to cover just the exposed black gaskets).  It has now been approximately 6 weeks and the gaskets have not bled.  So, it appears that it "cured" the problem.  How long will it last before it is necessary to re-apply?  Don't know.

 

If I was to do it again, I think that I'd try the Captain Tolley's - for no reason other than it appears to also work to cure the problem and I don't think that it is silicone.

 

Bill

[Buzzy]

Bill,

 

Like yourself, my gaskets did not start bleeding until 6 month after I got home with Ollie.  They were bleeding whenever they got wet. A real mess!  This past April I applied Captain Tolley's.  No more bleeding, even after many rainstorms.  It was easy to apply as well.  Highly recommend.

 

Buzzy

[Overland]

Thanks for the replies.  Perhaps I shouldn't assume, but I'd think that if they haven't changed the gasket material that they're at least sealing them now prior to installation.  Next time I talk with Jason I'll ask and report back.

[Mike and Carol]

I cleaned and sealed my gaskets a few months ago and haven't had any bleeding since.  I actually removed the screws from the light to get better access to the gasket.  It didn't take long and solved the problems.  Mike

[John E Davies]

Basically this is a silicone sealant and I was hesitant to use it because I had read that one should never use silicone on a fiberglass trailer.

 

Bill, that is a fallacy. There is no problem using a good quality RTV silicone sealant on fiberglass. !!! HOWEVER !!!

 

It should never ever be used on stainless steel fittings and hardware, because it does not bond to that material well. For stainless you should use a good marine sealant like 3M 4200 or one of the other variants. ... http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/891179O/3m-marine-fast-cure-general-purpose-adhesive-sealant-4200fc.pdf

 

True story: Back when we were DINKs (Double Income No Kids) we bought a 1988 SeaRay 250 Sundancer power boat, brand new. I wanted a boat with a warranty, and I knew that SeaRay was a top quality manufacturer. LOL. We ran it on Puget Sound and lakes through the summer, stored it under cover on its trailer through fall and winter. In the spring I discovered that the fiberglass deck was bulging and mushy, and water oozed from multiple screw holes when you walked on it. The windshield frame, life rail stanchons, deck hatches and every single item were sealed with silicone sealant, and the water got past it and into the balsa core.

 

The dealer farted around, the service rep attempted a repair by injecting resin from underneath, destroying the headliner, and finally they admitted that it had to go back to the factory in Arizona for a deck replacement. That blew the _entire_ summer, and I insisted that they use the 3M sealants for the rebuild. When I finally got it back, the water leaks were gone for good. The boat was a constant nightmare in other ways, but that is another story.

 

My credo for the Oliver is: if the part penetrates the hull, it gets coated with 4200. You must clean the parts with MEK or similar, not alcohol (that will prevent it from curing). If it does not penetrate, then white silicone is fine and much more affordable, since you don't have to discard the unused contents of a tube 24 hrs after opening.

 

I would have no hesitation whatsoever about using silicone to fair in the edge of a rain gutter or window, or to seal the rubber gasket on a light.

 

Use the correct product, use as directed, and then don't worry about it. Water leaks on an Ollie are a nuisance but they won't hurt anything, unlike on a balsa core deck.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

John - thanks for the information.  I think that you know that the issue here is not with water leaks but with the black gaskets "bleeding" onto the nice white fiberglass.  The object of both the Captain Tolly's and the Dow sealant that Oliver handed out is only to keep the gaskets from this bleeding.  That is why I was very careful in only applying this stuff to the gaskets.  From what I've heard and read about the Captain Tolly's product, I'm guessing that it is a bit easier to apply (assuming that you only want to get it on the gasket).

 

Bill

[Yukon]

Anyone get a final fix on the bleeding light issue'', we have hull number 311.......thanks Yukon

[topgun2]

Yukon -

 

While on a factory tour recently I noticed that there are "new" lights being installed that do not have this black gasket visible like the ones on my hull #117.  I'm guessing that this gets rid of the "streaking problem" once and for all.  I do not know when the factory started installing these.

 

With regards to the "old style" that have the black gaskets - mine have done very well since I applied the sealant that Oliver gave for this purpose at the 2017 Owner's Rally.  And, since I've not heard complaints about it from those folks that used Captain Tolly's I have to assume that it has worked for them as well.

 

Bill

[KarenLukens]

If they have changed the gaskets, that's a good thing ?

 

They started putting the new lights on the 2017's and the gaskets were leaking then. I looked at the pics of the new 2019's and it still has the same lights. It takes a few months to a year for it to start but being that this has been a known issue, you can call Jason and ask if itsi been fixed. Captain Tollye's is a quick easy fix either way and even though the new gaskets leaked some, the real big black streaks from the old lights and their gaskets is long gone.

 

Reed

 

http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/its-raining-its-pouring-all-the-windows/page/3/

[Yukon]

Jason responded and said they do not use Gaskets on the new Trailers'' as you guys noted. Also he said some people were removing the Gaskets and using silicone sealant . So i guess thats the Fix.  I will try that Capt. Tollye's stuff first. Thanks for the info''................Yukon

[Bruce W]

Jason, how is this being resolved in the 2019’s?

[Townesw]

Jason responded and said they do not use Gaskets on the new Trailers” as you guys noted. Also he said some people were removing the Gaskets and using silicone sealant . So i guess thats the Fix. I will try that Capt. Tollye’s stuff first. Thanks for the info”…………….Yukon

 

Would someone with a new trailer with new porch lights (or porch lights without gaskets) please post a picture?

 

Bill

[Mainiac]

So, there are not using gaskets on the new trailers? Are they the same lights, without gaskets, as they were using? If so, how are they sealed?

[topgun2]

They appear to me to be the same lights except they have left the old black gaskets off.  How they seal them is described in a previous post - silicone caulk.

 

Bill