Exterior Moldings Cracked

[JDHoge]

I recently noticed that the white plastic moldings are badly cracked that run in a hard plastic channel around each roof and wall seam. I have no idea how this happened and can see that one corner's molding isn't cracked (suspect it failed first and has been replaced).
Is this a common failure for these corner moldings? What do I do: just order some replacement material and slide it into the moulding grooves?

[fhenn]

That is what I would do, and be done with it. You might also call Thor and check with them first, might have gotten a bad batch of trim molding.

[JDHoge]

That is what I'll do, call Thor and our RV dealer and then get new plastic molding to replace the cracked stuff.

[JDHoge]

Originally Posted by JDHoge

That is what I'll do, call Thor and our RV dealer and then get new plastic molding to replace the cracked stuff.

I made it down to Conyers, GA today and bought 100 feet of white plastic corner molding. Weather permitting I'll install it tomorrow and report back on the experience.

The moulding was only $17 but getting them to install it was going to cost almost $200.

[fhenn]

Good job. It seems that labor all ways is higher than the parts. Back in 1982. My first wife and I bout a 1966 Winnebago (last year they were made in California) the wiring caught on fire as we were driving down Edens Expressway. The parts were 12.95 and the labor was 375.00

[JDHoge]

Originally Posted by JDHoge

I made it down to Conyers, GA today and bought 100 feet of white plastic corner molding. Weather permitting I'll install it tomorrow and report back on the experience.

The moulding was only $17 but getting them to install it was going to cost almost $200.

The installation turned out to be very easy. The old cracked corner molding came out easily. It was secured by a hidden screw on the bottom and by a screw on the top that had been covered with waterproof caulk (one end has to have an exposed screw so they put it on top since that is less visible). The molding hides the screws that are used to secure the wall of the end caps to the sides of the RV.

Basically you simply pinch the new soft vinyl corner molding into its grooves on both sides of the channel that receives it. The most difficult part for my wife and me was starting the new molding at the bottom where the hidden screw was. The difficulty was that the old molding had been slid under the aluminum corner channel and caulked and then screwed in place. Getting the screw out was no problem, but cleaning out the old caulk required a knife blade and WD40 and a lot of patience.

I'd be happy to correspond with anyone who wants to do this same procedure.