|
|
ToyotaRVs.com Fix It Guide for Toyota Motorhomes
This column will be updated on a regular basis, and older articles will be
offered in an archive, so bookmark this page and check back often!
The easiest, cheapest, and most dramatic face lift you can
do to your Toyota RV (besides washing it) has got to be
replacing the vinyl inserts that fit the corner metal that's present on
90% of the 1980 - 1990's Toyota motorhomes. The original insert has
probably become discolored and stiff or may even be falling off. Take a
look more closely and you'll see that it covers the screws that hold your
coach panels together (you know that, right?) These inserts come by the
foot, or in rolls of 50 or 100 ft. A Winnebago Itasca uses almost 75 feet
to replace it all, but the difference is dramatic, and once you get going
on the process you can get it done in a couple lazy hours.
Take your utility knife and a screwdriver and get up on your 8 foot ladder
at the beginning of the cabover. You'll see the beginning of the vinyl
insert and you want to cut across there and free the strip by prying under
the end. Once it starts to come up you can pull it out all the way down to
the corner by the truck door.
After you get it all loose and removed, take a rag and clean the slot all
the way around, noting and loose screws or damage...and you can use this
opportunity to get a feel for how much water has been there. Drive any
loose screws back in tight, and fill any screw holes that are empty.
Go back up to the top with your new white or off-white vinyl material roll
and start pressing it into the slot, always running your fingers along the
vinyl strip to smooth out the rough spots. It gets easier as you get a
feel for inserting one edge first and then the other. A little sun helps
keep the vinyl pliable and workable.
When I get to the bottom end of the slot where the former piece was turned
under and screwed down, I choose to just cut it off square and even with
the end of the run. When I put some white silicon to finish the job and
close the top end of the insert, I'll come down here to the end and seal
the tail of the bottom so I can revisit this end to inspect for water if I
believe there's a leak.
|
