Hi Dave,
I am brand-new to RVing, and I purchased a 2024 BT Cruiser 5210! The size is just perfect for my plans. I have a question about the shower. I noticed the walls at the shower base do not have any caulking or sealer. Should I seal it with a good household bath and kitchen caulk? Or, maybe that is left unsealed for a reason? —Dave, 2024 Gulf Stream B Touring Cruiser 5210
Hi Dave,
First of all, congratulations on your RV purchase, and welcome to the RVing club!
The base of your shower is a one-piece vacuum-formed plastic that is designed to have a flange or lip around the entire edge. Here is a sample of one that is available on Amazon and is a RecPro model.
The vertical panel walls fit inside the flange and should have a sealant applied to the lip, or some use butyl tape between the panel and the lip. I don’t see much silicone or other sealant at the seam as moisture theoretically would not walk up the flange. However, over time, water can penetrate almost anywhere.
You could add a bathroom sealant for additional moisture prevention. However, it will most likely start to get dirty and even moldy, which is why most manufacturers don’t apply it.
Another option would be insert a rubber “gimp” molding that has a flat side and round rubber seal. It is used quite often to cover the gap between cabinets and ceiling or countertop and walls. It comes in a variety of colors and sizes of both the flat edge and the round bulb. You can find it on Amazon here.
I would recommend the shorter flat piece and tuck it under the vertical side panel. This would be much easier to keep clean and give you peace of mind.
You might also enjoy this from Dave
A follow-up with more great tips on plastic shower repair
I have over 700 articles posted here on RVtravel.com. Most of the time I do not get a follow-up on what fixed the reader’s RV issue. However, this came from Jim, one of our readers, on a follow-up repair to the plastic shower article posted previously.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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There are now bathroom caulks warrantied to be both mildew free and flexible. I used one at the base of our RV shower and it has neither cracked nor mildewed in over two years. Check your local hardware store.
The wall panel is over the vertical lip on the pan. Water should not migrate up the lip, but some water will be trapped between. This can cause mold to start. I used DAP quick seal in my S&B shower. 10 years now and no mold or discoloration.
When using it, apply some painters tape on the pan and wall leaving about a 1/8 inch space. You can force the caulk into the seam and then smooth it with your finger or caulk tool. Removing the tape gives a nice clean line.
Thank you, Dave! 🙂 Have a great week and safe travels! 🙂
Very interesting topic. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone recommend sealing this gap. Of course discussions I’ve seen were on social media and we know how that can be. Reasons given were that the flex between the pan and panel would break the seal.
I was taught to NEVER seal the base of the wallboard to the shower pan. Top and corners should be sealed but sealing the base is a no-no.
Here’s why:
Sure, there is a small chance water *might* get up behind the wall and maybe even past the lip but there’s a 100% chance condensation on the opposite side of the wall will need a place to drain.
As your shower mirror fogs, so is the backside of your shower walls. That condensation is supposed to drain into the tub pan unabated, not pool at the lip and rot your wall. Don’t seal the bottom folks, it’s like that for a reason.
The RV dealer in my area replaced the tri-fold walls of my shower. They used silicone to seal the bottom of the walls to the shower pan. I assumed that was normal. I will keep an eye on it to see if mold appears.