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Old 11-19-2015, 02:25 PM   #1
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Skylight dome Jay Flight

Hello,
I was reaching over the skylight dome and put my hand on it, not very hard, and it shattered. The material was surprisingly thin and brittle. The trailer is two years old and has been used and stored in the Florida Keys. I realize the sun is strong here but it seems the dome should have held up better.
Should I cover the dome when the trailer is stored?
I am replacing it with a polycarbonate dome from IconDirect. Anyone having experience with them?

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Old 11-19-2015, 03:06 PM   #2
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I agree that the skylight Jayco uses is remarkably thin. I think you made a good decision to replace with polycarbonate. My understanding is that polycarbonate is much more resistant to sunlight and impact damage than the acrylic plastic I believe Jayco uses.

I used a special sealant for Poly skylights like this (clicky).

I don't think that a cover over a polycarbonate skylight is needed.
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Old 11-19-2015, 04:21 PM   #3
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Thanks RVhiker, I ordered the sealant that IconDirect recommended for that dome.
I have read that Polycarbonate needs a UV filter ingredient added to the material when made to handle long term UV exposure. But it should be strong, it is used for windshields on fighter jets (:-)).
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Old 11-22-2015, 08:59 AM   #4
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I must admit, I did not know how thin the domes are that came on my new 2016 26BH Elite until I picked it up about a week ago and actually touched them during the PDI. Could not believe it. First thoughts that crossed my mind were snow/ice load and being broken by a small tree branch in a wind storm or something as simple as removing snow from the roof during the winter.

Overall I am extremely happy with the purchase, even though I have not really had a chance to actually use it yet except in the driveway for one night so the kids could try out the new bunk beds

So I think that the two skylights (one in bathroom and the one in the main area that comes with the elite package) will be one of the first real mods next spring. Thank you for the links above for the Polycarbonate domes. They seem pretty good quality and much more robust than the stock domes.

Has anyone replaced the two domes on their 26BH Elite? I have not been up on the roof to measure the sizes and have the following questions:
1) Which P/N or sizes will I need to order from the site posted above?
2) Is there an inner ring or dome that I need to worry about?
3) Will I need extra screws?
4) How many tubes of the sealant will be needed to do both skylights?
5) Any thoughts on the color? (Clear, Translucent, Smoke)

As always, Thank You in Advance for all your help!!
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Old 11-22-2015, 09:46 AM   #5
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Interesting comparison between polycarbonate and acrylic sky lights.

Acrylic vs. Polycarbonate: a Quantitative and Qualitative Comparison –
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Old 11-22-2015, 10:53 AM   #6
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Duke_26, I am still waiting for my replacement so I don't know if the dome comes pre drilled. If not I will just use the screws that are there now. As for sealant what IconDirect sells is a standard caulk gun cartridge so it might do more than one dome, but I won't know until I have done the replacement. You are supposed to run one bead over the screw holes, then cover the edge of the dome flange and screws with the sealant so it might use the whole cartridge. I will post the results when done.
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Old 11-22-2015, 11:02 AM   #7
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Thanks for the link wags999. Unfortunately there is no info on how well either material hold up under long term UV exposure.
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Old 11-22-2015, 05:49 PM   #8
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This is the main reason I ordered mine without the Skylight in the Kitchen, that and the heat it lets in. I kept the Bath one for headroom but will be coating it to protect from the Sun.
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Old 11-22-2015, 08:17 PM   #9
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I am in Florida and the heat in the bathroom from the skylight is 100+ degrees, when the sun hits High-Noon. The bathroom thermostat fan is working hard just to pull the hot air from the skylight area. So I cut a piece of 3/4" Celotex insulation board to the size of the opening, inserted it and it WORKS GREAT.

I also made an insert for the front bedroom skylight.

I was going to add a skylight in the kitchen, but after feeling all the heat from the one in the bathroom I deleted that project.

Don
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Old 11-23-2015, 08:59 AM   #10
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Thanks Don, but we have not noticed any extra heat in the shower where the skylight is so I am just going to install the new dome. There is a frosted glass cover inside the dome so maybe that stops most of the heat. We like the light coming in through the skylight and there are no windows in the bathroom so it would get dark without the skylight.

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Old 11-23-2015, 07:56 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ragnar33 View Post
We like the light coming in through the skylight and there are no windows in the bathroom so it would get dark without the skylight
Sorry about that...

I did not think about not having a window in the bathroom. Our back door is in the bathroom and supplies plenty of light.

Don
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Old 11-24-2015, 02:44 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ragnar33 View Post
Thanks for the link wags999. Unfortunately there is no info on how well either material hold up under long term UV exposure.
It states the polycarbonate will yellow with age. Don't believe it will affect the skylight other than color.
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Old 11-24-2015, 02:47 AM   #13
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Our kitchen skylight came with a "blind" that pulls out to cover it, I also added one to the skylight in the bathroom. It also helps with light coming in and shining into the bedroom in the mornings.
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Old 11-24-2015, 08:11 AM   #14
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When you install it, I would strongly recommend using Eternabond tape to make your water tight seal. Long term no maintenance.
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Old 11-28-2015, 09:54 AM   #15
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I installled the replacement dome without any problems. The new dome is much thicker than the old one so I would not expect any problems. I don't know what material the old dome was made from but it clearly was not polycarbonate or plexiglass. It had yellowed significantly. The caulk that IconDirect recommended is butyl rubber and one cartridge will not do more than one dome (14" x 24"). That included a bead under the flange and covering the edges and screw heads. I am planning to cover the flange with self leveling lap sealer, just to be sure.
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Old 11-28-2015, 09:05 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ragnar33 View Post
I installled the replacement dome without any problems. The new dome is much thicker than the old one so I would not expect any problems. I don't know what material the old dome was made from but it clearly was not polycarbonate or plexiglass. It had yellowed significantly. The caulk that IconDirect recommended is butyl rubber and one cartridge will not do more than one dome (14" x 24"). That included a bead under the flange and covering the edges and screw heads. I am planning to cover the flange with self leveling lap sealer, just to be sure.
Yellowing is a trait of Polycarbonate, plexiglass is a brand of acrylic products. Acrylic does not yellow as poly does. If you read the link on characteristics of each it explains. Glad you had no issues installing it.
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Old 11-28-2015, 09:13 PM   #17
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Just in case anybody didn't know, wanted to know, or cares, the stock thin skylight is made by Duo-Form Plastics. I had spoke with them before coating mine. Of course there is no skylight left on the interior in ours.
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Old 11-29-2015, 01:22 PM   #18
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Well, I have read that untreated sheet of polycarbonate discolors in 5-7 years of sun exposure. Also, plexiglass is hard to break and polycarbonate is almost impossible to break, so I think my conclusion that the old dome was neither still holds. I am considering applying a UV coating to my new dome, that should extend the discoloring to about 15 years. But I am most concerned with breakage, the trailer is stored here for six months during the summer, May to November. I guess we lucked out by not being hit by hail, which would definitely have broken the old dome.
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Old 11-29-2015, 02:46 PM   #19
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For what it's worth, when I replaced the acrylic skylights in my home, they did not recommend drilling it around the edges, instead they recommended a very heavy bead of sealant around the edges and to press the dome into the sealant. You can see through the dome to make sure it makes contact all the way around. After it has setup, they recommended an overlapping bead of sealant. Their rationale for not drilling holes around the perimeter is that it promotes cracking due to uneven draw down pressure.
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Old 11-29-2015, 03:05 PM   #20
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What type of UV treatments are available for skylights? Is it more of a treatment? Or a thick coating of some sort?

Thanks in advance.... John
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