A corner on your RV will safeguard your vehicle from rainwater and for this reason, you might be looking for a suitable guide on How To bend RV corner trim? Being a lover of adventure, camping, hiking, and memorable road trips, your best partner will surely be an RV. This vehicle will help you out in most of your adventures and acts as a home on the road to go.
The only problem is that in most of your outdoor rides, you are most likely to meet rainwater and that can leak into your RV to form condensation in cold weather. Condensation results in damage to your RV walls and so on. So, here we have an article to help you reliably cover to keep the RV safe from rainwater damage.
How to Replace and Bend your RV Corner Trim?
This process can be a little bit tricky because the edges are usually made of aluminum which can become out of shape if not done right. Some areas are much more flexible and soft in comparison to the areas which are hard and cannot be bent reliably.
When you try to bend the hard spots, there will most likely be crinkles. We have here a solution to handle them, you can heat the aluminum spots and then bend them afterward, which will form a perfect curve without any crackles.
Using A Rubber Mallet
The most difficult part is around the radius. If you do it with your own hands, the shape won’t be that perfect. So, you can use the Rubber Mallet to give the perfect curve instead of only your hands.
Bend the Trim Around the Corner
Another method here is to attack the corner to the RV straight side and then go forward to the sharp corners with your Rubber Mallet. The number of crinkles will reduce but surely they won’t disappear.
Using A Propane Torch
Heat doesn’t damage the aluminum and this is a good thing because you can simply warm the metals to make them flexible. You can simply use the same thing on aluminum.
But, you have to first note which type of aluminum you have in your hand. If it is a brushed finish, then there is no problem, you can do this easily without much focus. In other cases, if you have a white powder-coated finish, then you need to be careful and clean that real paint.
So, how can you heat Aluminum? Well, you can use the propane torch to soften the aluminum and then use hard objects to get the exact points where you want to bend it. Here, you have the methods through which you can do this work exceptionally well.
Applying With Tools
The best method you can safely do the whole procedure is through the use of specific tools. There are various tools you will require, which are;
- Brush
- Molding of Aluminum
- Insert Trim for RV
- Rubber Mallet
- Sealant
- Screws
- Putty Knife
Removing Old Trim
The first step is to remove it with your hands, but there will surely be some pieces left behind that can only be removed with a rough hand brush. Behind it all, there will be screws that are holding the RV corner molding together. Lastly, you can also use the knife to remove molding and then clean the surface with soapy water afterward before the installation of the new one.
Measuring
Hold the new Aluminum molding in your hand and then put it on the trim to measure accurately. Draw the lining on the new molding because it will act as a guide.
Installation of New Insert Trim
That is the easiest step amongst all in the guide to installing RV corner trim without breaking it. Vinyl is the material that acts as the new one which is super flexible and easy to handle. Follow the guide to cut and also remember to cover all the cracks with them.
Simply install it around the corners and if your use of an RV is harsh, you will have to put more protection in the interior of the vehicle to keep it dry. So, you can get a much thicker and wider trim of Vinyl.
Sealant
You will have to make the corners waterproof and for this purpose, you need a Sealant that guarantees there are no spaces left for water to get inside. If you are driving the RV near water bodies, then surely you need to cover the cracks with sealant.
You can apply the aluminum molding that makes it extra durable because the molding doesn’t corrode and it gets off easily.
Bending the Trim around corners and covering it up
You have to use the Rubber Mallet to bend the molding around the corner and it gives you a guarantee that it will fit perfectly. Finally, to ensure that none of the moldings gets off easily, you can screw one and then bend the rest.
Moldings have specific screws to attack them, but you can also use more screws to give exceptional waterproofing. Keep in mind that after you added the screws, the sides will come off which is an excess sealant and you can simply cut it to give a clean look.
Conclusion
To the tour lovers, RV is surely their most loved possession. It is a home that goes with you on your road trip. The only problem is that the rainwater enters into the cracks which damages the interior of the RV. Bending RV Trim is the best solution to this problem and we have here a guide on How to bend RV corner trim to help you put them perfectly on your ride. If not done right, there will not only be crinkles in the Aluminum lining which look bad but also leave some cracks, paving way for the water to again come inside.
