Palomino front end work, need some advice

Jigidy

Member
Hi Guys,

Picked up this Palomino a year ago, had a lot of fun doing some family camping around Idaho last year and doing a few improvements/fixes this spring to make it more efficient for us. The front corners are pretty beat up, pulling apart and allowing a lot of water in, especially if you're driving in a thunderstorm as I discovered last fall returning from a Montana fishing trip. As you can see in the pictures the previous owner(s) tried to fill the cracks with silicone, I tried this as well thinking I could do a better job but it just doesn't hold. I was wondering if anyone had fixed this specific issue or had advice on how best to reinforce, patch, etc. I was thinking maybe bondo? It leaks so bad I was thinking I should make a "camper condom" big rubber cover to go over the entire front hahaha.

Thanks for any advice.

Chris 'jigidy' Jensen

File_000 (1).jpg
 
Unfortunately I think you may have more problems than an open seam. If water has been getting inside, you probably have rotten wood underneath. Hard to tell what I'm seeing in the picture, but I think it's the front of the cabover. It looks like the bright aluminum 45 degree joint has a broken weld and has separated. You might want to open up that corner and see what's going on underneath. Silicone based caulk is a very poor choice for campers. Best I've used is Dicor. They sell a self leveling for horizontal surfaces, and another type for vertical seams. You MUST remove all traces of silicone caulk for the Dicor to stick.
 

Jigidy

Member
Thanks shellbackcva59. You are correct that it is the front of the cabover. I don't think the aluminium was welded but it is possible. The wood in this location is actually in good shape at least for now. I've already had to fix one other area. I'll look into Dicor thanks!

Cheers, Chris
 
Maybe what I think is a weld bead is just caulk. I'd try and pull that joint together if it's possible. That's great that the wood is in good shape. I've replaced too much rotten wood in campers! I'm now rebuilding a 1979 4 Wheel Grandby from the ground up. Here is getting ready to go to the welder for some mods. Love the aluminum framing!
 

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