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Any advice would be great,

Here's my predicament, After discovering a couple of small damp patches,  i am attempting to re-seal all of the rails to hopefully nip the problem in the bud...

Unfortunately, the van is stored outdoors for the winter and the rain is proving to be a real pain in the backside, - the more i mastic the more it seems to rain, and all i find on arrival to the site a few days later is slimey, white drips everywhere. 

I have spent a small fortune on different sealants, ie: silicone based, adhesive, home brands - B&Q's & Focus's own, etc, even tried the no-nails (against advice),  but if it rained with 4 or 5 days of application it would ooze out from behind the rails... :o( - i have browsed ebay for sealants, but they all seem to be basically the same things that i've tried.

I  make sure that the joins etc, behind the rails are clean and dry before application and take a lot of care to seal the area, so it should stick and cure...right? 

Can anyone recommend a good quality, fast drying sealant?

Covering the entire area with a huge tarpaulin for a week or so, or even storing her indoors would solve the problem, but alas both are not possible.

Grub.

Also, does anyone know of an on-line store where i could pick up some of the more basic of caravan accessories....ie: window latches, vent-air light bulbs, 7 pin connectors. hook up wall box, 12V adapters, fuses, etc etc, all the stuff like that?

Many thanks.

Grub.

I am not quite sure why you are having a problem but 'mastic on a roll' does not require any time to set or cure as it is already in this state. It comes in various widths, 40mm is ideal and you can get it from any caravan shop. It's only thin at just over 1mm thick but you use it twice? 

One strip you stick to the van and the other to the rail, rubbing both well in.Now use a matchstick to find the first and last holes in the van and then two of you guide the rail over the sticks and use screws dipped in white spirit in the next holes along keeping the rest apart. Once the two sides come together you will not get them apart so as long as you have rubbed the sealant (while still on it's backing paper) well into the van and rail...they won't come apart either.

Problem outside at this time of year is cold makes the sealant stiff and you should use a heat gun to warm the rail and soften the sealant while you finally tighten all the screws.

Many thanks for the information Dicky,

I have browsed ebay, B&Q and Homebase website's but alas cannot as yet find a supplier of SIKAFLEX 512

I don't think that there is an Outdoor World shop local to me either, and the nearest website address to it on google was the one below which i think is for a completely different company, but not to worry, if it's Sikaflex that i need, then that is what i shall seek! ;o) 

http://www.outdoorworld.org.uk/

Hi grub

I have just been told about SIKAFLEX 512 and it sounds like its a very good product but you have to be very carefull how you use it as i have been informed that you get one chance to get it right.

when i renovated my caravan I used the W4 mastic on a roll  ,

you can see how i did it by visiting my website and follow the caravan renovation project , you can see other fixed it club members work their too.

Try a car paint factors or a boat chandlers for Sikaflex,

Failing that your local accident repair shop might flog you some.

I really would not use anything other than mastic on a roll.

It's not massively thick, but it does provide a full presence and cannot be squeezed out of the joint.

Unless you are a professional you will almost certainly not be able to get one continuous bead of "squeezy" sealant out of the gun all the way along a caravan  - leaving potential joins and or gaps. Then, as you have found, until it cures completely liquid sealant can still obey gravity.

Sikaflex is good, I use it for a number of appications, but on caravan seals I use what the manufacturers use - mastic on a roll.

Many thanks for your thought's gents,

After reading up on the pro's & cons of using both the Sikaflex and the mastic on a roll,  i think i will opt for the latter.

I'm just hoping that this bloody rain stays off long enough for the stuff to set! - fingers crossed! 

Grub.

Hi

We were advised by our local caravan shop not to use the roll stuff but a non-setting mastic.  It cost us £2.10 a tube (normal sealant size) and cleans off with white spirit.  It's called seamseal CV.  We have gone for the option of putting absolutley loads of the stuff on then cleanning off with the white sprit to tidy it up.  After we had done one of our front rails it absolutley chucked it down with rain but we had no problems with it running out.  We got ours from F M Caravans in Hull they do have an eBay shop.

Leanne 

hi sikaflex 512....call crusader products,0115973 6939 or CAK Tanks 0870 757 2324 ,for your nearest stockest call 02476 466461,£5.99 a tube.i would try the mastic first W4.three widths ie.narrow 19mm code 00016/standard 32mm code 00017/wide 45mm code 00025.

Hi Grub, try this site. I got the Seamseal CV. It is a non setting sealent. They also do other caravan accessories and you can order it online from them to and they will deliver it. I too am trying to reseal the awning rails on my caravan but like you having trouble with the weather. You`ll need to get some white spirit if you get the seamseal to wipe off any excess. 

https://sslrelay.com/olearymotorhomeshop.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessionid=15436a70a87e14d/shopdata/index.shopscript

Http://www.kparsfan.bravehost.com

Just to add to KParsfans post regarding O'Learys - they have only recently put up the online shop and have masses of other caravan/motorhome spare parts that aren't on the site (from A-Frame covers to door catches!) - so if there's something in particular that your looking for its worth giving them a call.....