So I removed my entry step and plan on rebuilding it as needed, what iam not sure of is what type of sealent would work the best around where the fiberglass cover meets up with the steel step .
I have the big rivets to reinstall the cover and am removing the rust and coating it.
Any thoughts? The stuff that came off was I think a black silicone.
Be sure to drill some holes in the bottom of the step when it is the closed position. You can't keep the water out but you can let it back out. I sandblasted and used Rustolium black epoxy paint on the inside then used black silicone but after all the research found the water will still get in.
I sandblasted, used spray galvanize and then Summit's black frame paint. I also got rid of all the aluminum rivets, tapped and installed stainless button head cap screws. Lots of metal to work with on the step as it's really heavy. The black frame paint is so tough that I have not put a skid strip on it but it shows zero wear after three or four years.
Pierce
Pierce, do those button heads stick out much? Have a picture?
No, they are very low and tightened with an Allen drive.
Pierce
Thanks looks great 😊
Andy: Those cap screws also come in truss head and flat head. Flat head Lowes item# 214022 model 883356. These might not be the right size but the item # should get you in the ballpark and you can find your size. Have not searched but willing to bet stainless out there somewhere. If you need help let me know. Still n contact with the salesman who sold me all my fasteners when I had the Ace store. If there out there he will know where.
Check out Grainers for a wide variety of flat and button fasteners including stainless which might be appropriate for this project. Grainers is not as convenient at the local box or hardware store, but they have a huge selection. I normally order on-line and pick-up at a local store.
Flat and Cap Fasteners (https://www.grainger.com/category/fasteners/socket-screws-and-set-screws/socket-head-cap-screws?attrs=Material+Grade%7C18-8%7C304~~Screw+Head+Type%7CButton%7CFlat&filters=attrs)
Thanks guys , I found stainless here at Ace just about ready to put it back together.
Most good hardware stores will have the right button head in SS. Make sure to get the matching tap! That took me an hour as the steel is fairly tough. I do have to say that I enjoy looking down at them when I climb in.
Anytime you need a quantity of SS screws, bolts, etc., go online and order off sites like eBay. Stainless is cheap by the box. 316 is preferred if offered as it is the most resistant to corrosion and used in the boating industry. I bought a couple of boxes for the roof. Good supplier in Brooklyn and for very little $$. The entire coach could have been done in stainless for very little extra when it was built. Could have been a good advertising gimmick.
I even bought stainless nuts and washers for our new airbags. The replacement bags only come with vinyl caps over the studs.
Pierce
Stainless fasteners are great and I've used hundreds if not thousands of them. But they gall quickly, especially if going into another stainless piece such as nuts to bolts. Adding a bit of lubricant, or TefGel, or never seize will help with galling.
Best sealant? I used polyurethane on my step. It is tough, non-hardening, color stable, and probably permanent unless you cut it out.
I don't like silicone. It sticks where I don't want it to, does not stick where I want it to, does not accept paint, seems to not weather well, and is very hard to get off after it fails. New does not stick well to cured.
I use Dap latex for stuff I plan to remove later, like a temporary windshield repair, a crack in the floor, sealing the step when I will take it apart in six months. It sticks fairly well, but comes off when coaxed. Polyurethane on most other stuff except RV roof sealing.
I had 25 years of landlording to experiment with this stuff.
Good tips, polished my hinge with some mother's, my step mounting service already had 1/4 by 20 phillips head bolts so didn't have to tap any holes, good thoughts on the poly will do a test and see how it's going to work. Getting close ^.^d .