michaelmorris Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I'm about to bite the bullet and fit a reversing camera to the back of our coachbuilt motorhome. This will involve drilling three holes in the back of the motorhome. Two holes will be 4mm wide holes just through the outer skin. These will be for the screws that secure the camera mounting bracket to the van. The other hole will be much bigger (probably around 10/12 mm wide) and will be drilled right through the skin of the van. This will be for the signal/power cable for the camera. Please can anyone provide advice on how best to seal these holes so as to prevent water ingress? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 A rubber grommet is usually employed for the hole through which the signal/power cable passes. To seal the screw holes (and to further seal the grommet) you could use a good quality bathroom silicone sealant or a sealant/adhesive like Sikaflex. I’d probably use this https://www.fernox.com/plumbing-consumables/ls-x-external-leak-sealer-50ml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Plumbers Mait. Stays soft so it doesn't crack, and you can dismantle and remove it. Used it to seal my roof fan nearly 10 years ago and its never leaked a drop :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggsy216 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 As Derek says, rubber grommet and Sikaflex. Did this job three years ago and all is still safe and sound. Recommend stainless steel screws if they are not supplied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 ...and (and apologies for stating the obvious) don't forget to put a slight downwards "drip loop" in the cable, so that water doesn't follow it's route towards the camera or the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 You can Sikaflex the mounting bracket in place to save using the 2 fixing screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Stuck my twin camera on with Sikaflex 291i same as I use for my solar panels, took the grommets of the cables as they were large and fed the cables through the hole in the centre of the bracket with a hole through the body directly behind it all sealed with Sikaflex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Use any decent PU sealant - Sikaflex EBT or Puraflex 40 for example would do. If you decide to use a silicone based product - something like Dow 791 or Geocel Some inferior silicones are quite acetic, with potential to damage the Aluminium. Make sure you 'backfill' the cable hole and use a cable gland [see index products for example] As for the camera bracket fixing - if you're not sure whether there is a decent bit of material beyond the outer skin for the screws to bite on, using a good PU will be more important as the mechanical fixing will be all but superfluous. Use S/S screws, and ideally coat the threads and shoulder of them with sealant. I wouldn't advocate the use of Plumbers Mait............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 For the cable, visit a small boat chandler and look for a waterproof cable gland. For the camera mounting bracket, use a modified pu external construction sealant. Mark out and dry fit the bracket, remove, apply sealant to back of bracket, re-fit the bracket until the sealant begins to exude around the edges, but not sufficient to exude all the sealant, clean off surplus, and then allow to cure. Finally, just give the screws a quarter turn max to just slightly compress the cured sealant. Be careful, as the aluminium skin is very thin, and it is easy to strip the thread the pk screw cuts into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 globebuster - 2018-02-23 9:37 AM I wouldn't advocate the use of Plumbers Mait............. I've been using Plumbers Mait 100% successfully for many years. But perhaps I should stop using it because somebody who hasn't tried it wouldn't advocate it *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 John52 - 2018-02-24 7:43 AMglobebuster - 2018-02-23 9:37 AMI wouldn't advocate the use of Plumbers Mait.............I've been using Plumbers Mait 100% successfully for many years.But perhaps I should stop using it because somebody who hasn't tried it wouldn't advocate it *-) Funny isn't it that with all these modern alternatives, people dismiss a good old non-settling mastic material like Plumber's Mate. Much cheaper than Simaex too. Mind you old ways aren't necessarily good or appealing. I saw a survival program on Discovery in which the expert recommended mud made from termite mound material - but you did need to lay it on pretty thick to get a durable seal for a hole in the bottom of the dugout canoe he was planning to go down river in. Cheap enough if you have termite mounds to hand but Plumbers Mate would smell nicer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Oh God, not Plumbers Mait again... :-( :-( :-( http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=3&keywords=plumbers+mait&author=&days=&Submit=Search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Perhaps you should stop using it John.... I would say the vast majority of people thinking of installing a camera or anything else for that matter, might not be so foolish as to use such an inappropriate product - But hey!, you've always been a bit of a maverick John! Actually, I have tried Plumbers Mait - so sadly your Psychic powers have failed you on this occasion. It was many, many years ago and you might not be surprised to know it was on a Plumbing job :-D I'm also very pleased that you have a 100% success rate - but why do I get the impression that your endless harping on about its 'virtues' is to seek some kind of confirmation that you have not actually used the most inappropriate sealant for the job. Your floral display on the roof looks fantastic by the way, what with that lovely dam of plumbers gloop all around it - I suppose being able to retain moisture means you don't need to clamber on the roof to water them quite so often..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 globebuster - 2018-02-23 8:00 PM Actually, I have tried Plumbers Mait - so sadly your Psychic powers have failed you on this occasion. It was many, many years ago and you might not be surprised to know it was on a Plumbing job :-D . On the contrary I'm very surprised you used the right product :-D globebuster - 2018-02-23 8:00 PM Your floral display on the roof looks fantastic by the way, what with that lovely dam of plumbers gloop all around it - I suppose being able to retain moisture means you don't need to clamber on the roof to water them quite so often.... Van side door is open so you are looking right through the van to the garden :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.