Camper top problems

[buckshotz43]

I bought a camper top for the Ranger last winter, and it has been awesome! other than the slight leakage in water in the corners. I used the thin stick on weather sealant from Lowes last year and when i went to take it off this summer it had peeled the paint off of the top of my bed! Does anybody no a good weather proofer to use on the top itself? my idea was to use weather stripping from the bottom of a garage door. Any better ideas?

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Take it apart as far as you can clean it real good and use a good bead of RTV black when putting it back together. Do all the prep first and when you go to seal it the rtv sets up real fast so dont waste any time putting it back together and use stainless screws to take it snug dont strip them out and use a little rtv on the threads as you put them in. If it is riveted drill them out and screw it together proper. A rag with acetone will degrease the surface good just be careful not to mess up the finish of the exposed parts.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm assuming your fixing leaks on the topper, not sealing between the topper and the bed rails. Personally, I prefer a paint-able sealant such as a thermo-plastic sealant. It's been a while since I've done any work needing the stuff so I can't recommend a brand name. But somewhere on the tube it should say "thermo-plastic". Once cured, it stretches very good and will peel off leaving no residue. Do as kimcrwbr1 said and clean the surfaces well with acetone or alcohol works too. Any lumber yard should have it.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[fyre82]

For the care of your shell, a good wax should be ok to keep it beading off, for the most part shells are paintable.

There are several types of sealing for shells. I use a double tube type that sticks to the underside of where the shell meets the bed rail. This stuff is the same as your door weather strip and will not stick to the paint.
The front bed rail and corners are the trickiest part and must be aligned just right.

You can expect some scuffing on the bed rail if it is not cleaned of dust etc.
Be sure that you firmly attach the shell to the truck using the clamps, bolts etc. I bolt mine on in three places on each side to get mine to seal.

I would suggest that you visit an rv/camper dealer for some good seal that will attach to the bottom of your shell and last many years.

Good luck


Rich