The Bee's buzzzzz...

[Stargazerandu]

While on a recent camping trip, a bee managed to stow itself in a narrow wall behind the driver's seat. The buzz was brought to my attention by my cat, the intense relentless hunter, Orion. After pinpointing its exact location, I became obsessed as to how it got there, in denial in the knowledge of already knowing the answer. There was an opening in the area which allowed that bee to enter.

Examining the area further, I noticed there was a stream of light coming in from a nicely tucked fabric, a floor termination point coming from the cabover bunk. I taped that area to keep the bee from invading our living space and put fixing wherever that light was coming from on my todo list.
Today, I removed the wall panel and saw the gap in the fiberglass wall where the bee was able to enter, a seam the factory forgot to caulk. I will be taking care of that but that's not all I noticed. That wall section behind the driver's seat, and I am sure behind the passenger as well, is a fiberglass cavity with zero insulation factor! I am ordering a small canister of Foam It Green and will be spraying that inner wall opposite the outside wall and the floor as well. Hopefully I can reduce the heat and cold in the cab area. I believe it will also help with road noise. By the way, I am on my 6th tube of caulking!!


2019 Seneca 37RB

[RVermont]

I used insulation board cut to fit and then applied foam around the Insulation. Not sure how much it helped but made me feel good. Removing the panel behind the passenger seat is a chore but can be done. The next big area to hit is going to be the steps. This is just a metal tub and is the coldest area in the main cabin. I am just trying to figure out how to attack it. There is also probably a huge hole under the shower. They cut a 1ft square out and the air then rushes in. I have to get back to that area and seal it up as well.

[Rustynuts]

I have gone through 6 cans of spray foam and probably 300 zip ties cleaning things up . I have thought about the cab panels but with the front corner cabinet with the tv and fireplace I’m not sure it would be worth the trouble. I have also thought about the step area and my first thought is to cover the underside with 2” or 3” thick rigid insulation foam panels that could be cut to size. The panels could probably be attached with silicone or construction adhesive. This foam is very durable and a lot of time around here is used on the outside of building foundations and backfilled against it.

FOAMULAR® 400 High Compressive Strength Rigid Foam Insulation

[RVermont]

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

I have gone through 6 cans of spray foam and probably 300 zip ties cleaning things up . I have thought about the cab panels but with the front corner cabinet with the tv and fireplace I’m not sure it would be worth the trouble. I have also thought about the step area and my first thought is to cover the underside with 2” or 3” thick rigid insulation foam panels that could be cut to size. The panels could probably be attached with silicone or construction adhesive. This foam is very durable and a lot of time around here is used on the outside of building foundations and backfilled against it.



FOAMULAR[emoji2400] 400 High Compressive Strength Rigid Foam Insulation

I was thinking the same thing. But may add thin sheet of plastic like the abs product you used for the mud flaps or something similar. My concern is not the strength but the exposure to oils and other contaminates. Possibly tack weld some studs to be sure they don't fall off.

I havent felt like crawling in the snow so I really haven't looked to deeply. Just noticed the snow still sitting on the stairs 12 hours later even though I had the living space at 70 with 3'f outside.

[Stargazerandu]

I came across a rubber seal company, Steele Rubber Products. They are very knowledgeable and they even have a specialty catalog for RV seals. I had them send me one because I noticed, it seems to me, there are some seals missing around the main slide, in the interior. And the bulb size on the bedroom slide needs to be beefier as I had water come in right after I washed the RV. I called Steele Rubber, sending them some pictures and they contacted an RV seal specialist who relayed some very useful information and made some suggestions as to how to better seal the slides.


"Hi,

I contacted our RV expert and he sent me the following:

• The bottom of the slide out box can be ‘sealed’ with a peel-n-stick wiper- plain, no track. That track she is referring to looks as though she could remove, attach the wiper and then screw back into place on top of the seal adding another layer of ‘adhesion’- like a washer. Size of the opening determines the length of the wiper. She will need to notch the wiper to allow for the bar, roller or track to pass through it- she is right- it would tear at the seal.
• The bulb is a simple thing to take care of- height of the bulb is the key and if she wants, larger is a little better to ensure a seal. I would wrap that all the way around without any gaps. 70-3872-265, 70-3802-283, 70-3677-265, or 83-1026-283 would work as a possibility.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need any samples.

Thank you,"

Terri Caldwell
Product Specialist
tcaldwell@steelerubber.com

Steele Rubber Products
www.steelerubber.com
P: 800-447-0849 Ext. 217
F: 704-483-6650