Degradation of the Panel Join Silicone Seals

Davy

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I have a 2015 Elddis with SoLID bonded construction with a 10-year water-ingress warranty.
At the last habitation check, an Approved Workshop engineer, produced a written report that there was no damp but “Silicone – a lot of areas coming away”
And it is true that most of the white silicone sealing between plastic mouldings and the body has split. Some of the sealant appears to be just cosmetic, for instance to fill the gaps where the plastic rear lightboard and wheel arch mouldings are attached to the side walls, and not as a seal against damp entering the motorhome. But its difficult to know what is decorative and what is not.
I fear that there is a distinct possibility that the condition and habitation report will invalidate my 10-year warrantee.
Is it normal to see some cracking of the silicone in a 5-year old motorhome?
The motorhome is now due for the 2020 habitation check. So I think I need to have the silicone dug out and replaced. Probably a long and expensive job and I have no guarantee that the replacement wont also split as the panels move. The hollow mouldings are only a few millimetres thick and meet the side walls at right angles – very difficult to fill and the slightest flexing of the moulding will break the seal apart.
I would appreciate any thoughts on this.
 
Check to see if it is covered by the warranty .the sealer may be of poor quality .
 
I have to agree with Molly 3 certainly would not expect 5 year old silicon to crack and split if it was decent quality.
 
I think I am missing something in the description?
I am reading that a bonding component of the vehicles construction is failing which could lead to water ingress, but you are concerned the failure could void the warranty for the construction?
Surely thoughts of digging out and replacing runs of silicone is premature and the first step is to contact the dealer/manufacturer to ask them to resolve the fault?
 
I am reading that a bonding component of the vehicles construction is failing which could lead to water ingress, but you are concerned the failure could void the warranty for the construction?
Sorry if I did not make it clear. The Solid construction bonding is done with Henkel adhesives. But all round the vehicle, what appears to be white silicone, is used to fill gaps.
 
Sorry if I did not make it clear. The Solid construction bonding is done with Henkel adhesives. But all round the vehicle, what appears to be white silicone, is used to fill gaps.
If Elddis applied that as part of the build then I still think it is down to them to sort it out.
 
I looked at quite a few brand new Auto Trails at a dealers last year and every one had faulty sealant, could hardly believe the dealer had them on show. Not certain but I think I may have pointed a couple out to Lee and Linda but we may have met them after we moved away from the marque.
 
Silicone isn't a suitable sealant, but I'm not all that surprised to hear they used it. Butyl sealant that doesn't set is a far better way to do it, but that's no help to you.
If you have the sealant replaced, I guess you will lose the remaining five years of guarantee. I'd take it back under warranty rather than get someone else to mess with it
 
Silicone isn't a suitable sealant, but I'm not all that surprised to hear they used it. Butyl sealant that doesn't set is a far better way to do it, but that's no help to you.
If you have the sealant replaced, I guess you will lose the remaining five years of guarantee. I'd take it back under warranty rather than get someone else to mess with it
Your'e absolutely right about silicone, there should not be any on a motorhome. the right stuff is Polyurethane adhesive/sealant of which there are different grades for different parts of the motorhome.
 
I would certainly question the expertise of an "Approved Workshop engineer" who thinks that silicone has any place as a sealant on a motorhome. Or perhaps he just referred to "sealant" in general terms rather than silicone?
 

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