GMC Motorhome: The GMC has “servicable” body seams……..

Look at it this way….our coach body IS made of materials that don’t rust right?  Yeah but not being one piece but many glued together those mate surfaces can leak.  Having this cool flexible body with expansion joints can be a leaking curse unless you keep up with servicing these seams.

Unlike most any other vehicle on the road our coach Actually was designed to have important sealing seams able to be resealed not unlike the aircraft bodies they were designed like……….certainly the upper side rails and cross seams is where you start.

Here’s the coach we’re working on todayThis is a 76 Birchaven, side bath we had refinished the exteriorior maybe 7 or 8 years ago…….time flies when you’re havin fun……but John D. Pretty much got the full treatment AND having the top rails off and painted separately during the process, we were able to pull out the screws and remove the rails with no problemand no, I’m not making Jason stand in a trash can!  Usually we have the scaffold out to access the entire rail at 1 timeas you can see, the stainless steel screws we had put in backed right out with no drilling of broken screws needed.  We did find a number of threads in the aluminum extrusion damaged so the decision was made to drill and tap machine threads for the next larger screw for the reinstall Next are the cross seams at the front and rear of the roofOh and BTW, yes these rails and the ladder were prepped then painted with a self etching satin black trim paint…….you know the stuff on the new “cool” cars with all the chrome stelthed out!……and after this long it still looks good.  Some touchups on the ladder were easy and the new “blackout” treatment bring this GMC back in from the futuregoing back to reseal these serviceable seams is a vigilant must.  “Once leaks free always that” is just not true……take a couple of potholes is a drive on a rock road and it’s possible to pop a seam and again water may fall!  Keeping up with these seams and revealing the roof and windows will keep that from happening.  No big reports of water still, it’s good we are doing this.  Tomorrow we do the cross seams so come back for that…..I see some possible leaker!……………..

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