RVs are a massive part of American culture. Camping, hiking, or road trip whatever you may wish to carry on with, an RV will always help you with all the necessities.
If you are looking for an all-encompassing solution to your road trip problems, an RV will be the best solution for you. It is more like a house on the road.
If you already have an RV of your own, you should know how to bend the RV corner trim. It is an essential process to ensure the safeguard of your RV.
You can just take a rubber mallet and hit it off those tricky corners. But in this way, your aluminium will be left with crinkles all over it.
To avoid those ugly crinkles, you can soften the metal by heating it. And bend it to get the perfect curve you want.
RVs need an aluminium cover around the edge to protect the side of the roof and corners. How to bend RV corner trim becomes tricky because of the material features of aluminium. But following some simple measures can make it easy and perfect.
Where is the corner trim placed?
RVs are essential to look after. They are your best travel companion when out for a big tour. That corner trim on your RV will keep you protected for the rest of your road.
Generally, the corner trim is placed on the edge of the RV. The fundamental role of the trim is to keep your RV protected from the outside raid water or dust. The aluminium molding goes on the corner of the trailer where the roof meets the siding.
It is widely noticed that the aluminium cover on the trim is placed only on the edge of the wall and not on the roof. This may create a problem of leakage. The next time you purchase aluminium cover for your RV cover trim, make sure it covers both the wall and the roof.
When is it time to change the RV corner trim?
The job of keeping water out of your RV is done by that corner trim. When you think that it can no longer do that job, you need to change the RV corner trim.
It is best not to wait for the water to leak and then make the change. It will lead to water damage. Here are some of the signs of when you should change the RV corner trim.
- If the edge of the RV is dying out or cracking, it is time to change the trim. If your trim looks old, it might be prone to cracking, and it is high time to change it.
- Check out for brittleness. If it’s brittle, that’s a sure sign of ageing, which means that it’s time to consider a replacement.
How to replace RV corner molding and trim?
Measure twice and cut once, this is the basis of replacing any old RV corner molding and trim. The secret key to success in replacing molding and trim is that you know the exact measure of the molding you are replacing.
For any confusion, measure the old trim. This will give you an accurate reading of your job. But keep in mind that years of use can make the measurement changed a bit. Here are the other vital steps to keep you updated.
- Remove the old trim:
You have to pull out the trim piece by piece. Carefully pull out every bit of it. Hopefully, it is not so brittle that it falls apart as you remove it.
- Insert the new trim:
Do whatever you need to secure the new trim. You can use screws for this. It will be worth the extra effort to avoid an unpleasant future.
- Seal all the gaps
In this part, you have to carefully seal any gaps remaining. Take out your RV sealant and make it work here. You have to match the sealant with the type of material you are working with. Seal the gaps as well as the end of the line.
How to bend the corner trim?
How to bend RV corner trim is a bit tricky job. To be honest, it can take a toll on you if you don’t know the proper way to do it. There are several methods you can follow to do it.
Just like the original gutter rail, the aluminium cover will attach to the side of the trailer. But instead of having a channel that runs along the outside edge, there’s a lip that extends about a quarter of an inch onto the roof of the rig.
The most stressful part of the project is to bend that RV corner trim. How to bend RV corner trim can be hectic. The whole lot depends on the finishing you wish for and the amount of time and effort you want to spend.
Method 1
The difficulty of bending the rigid aluminium occurs around those tights radiuses of the camper. The trouble with bending the aluminum is that if you try to bend it by hand, it will not give you the perfect shape.
The aluminium material will make it difficult for you to bend the corner. It will lack the shape you want, and it will also cause a problem for adhering to the RV.
Instead of making a nice swooping curve, it will just kind of crinkle. In such a case a rubber mallet might help.
Method 2
As you already know, using your hands to bend the corner of the trim might not be an intelligent decision. You need a more concrete solution, the one that will do your work.
You can use the rubber mallet to get that curve. It is a solution for emergency works. The process takes less effort.
In this process, you just have to go ahead and attach the corner trim to the side of the RV that’s straight and then very slowly and gingerly work it around those sharp corners with the aid of soft-touch or rubber mallet.
This method is optimistic. Still, it lacks excellent practicality. For a corner as sharp as you need for an RV cover a rubber mallet is unable to provide that sharpness. And in this method too you will get the aluminium crinkles.
Method 3
If you think that you are not satisfied with either of the previous two methods, then here is a different sort of solution. You can take advantage of science to get that perfect curve.
It is well-known that metal melts when heated. Heat is used widely and successfully to soften various metals and reshaping them. You can use this technique to bend the aluminium trim you bought.
You have to be very careful about it when you do it. If you have aluminium trim with a brushed aluminium finish, then there will be no extra work. If your aluminium trim comes with a white powder-coated finish, then you need to carefully clean off the real paint.
After that, you need to take the exact measurement of the corner of your RV. You can draw the curve on cardboard to get that accurate me sure. But be careful because the measure may differ for years of use.
Now comes the tricky part. You can use the process of annealing. When you anneal a piece of aluminium, you heat it to the temperature of 800 degrees. When that happens, the aluminium will be softening to the point that it can bend easily.
So, you can use your propane torch to heat the metal. The main concern in this process is the temperature. If it gets anywhere near 1200 degrees, then the aluminium will meltdown. When it is soft enough, you can take the help of two hard objects to point the exact space where you want to bend the piece.
And thus you will get a nice bend piece of aluminium. It takes much more effort than the other two methods. But it will be crinkle-free, and of the exact shape, you want.
What precautions to follow when bending RV corner trim?
How to bend RV corner trim can be tricky as it gets. And you have to be alert at every step you take. Any method you want to follow takes 100% of your attention. You can always follow some precautionary measures.
- When using a rubber mallet, you have to be careful. It is hard to maintain the exact line with the mallet. And you also need to save your fingers from any unwanted hitting.
- If you are using the annealing process, the temperature has to be accurate. It needs to be 800 degrees. If the temperature gets as high as 1200 degrees, then the aluminium will meltdown and the whole project is ruined.
Conclusion
RVs are one of the most prized possessions for any tour lover. It carries your home with you wherever you go. So, take good care of it.
Your RV needs proper attention. Changing the corner trim from time to time is a must. You might think the process is tricky and troublesome, but the joy you will get in the process will be wholesome.
The trickiest part of changing the RV corner is how to bend the RV corner trim. Once you master this, the whole process seems straightforward.
That is why we have the most accurate methods of bending the corner trim for you. Apply the methods and make your RV brand new.
Max, a passionate lumberjack and outdoors enthusiast, loves fishing, camping, and hunting. He has extensive experience in the great outdoors and is eager to join Outdoor Fun Mag to share his adventures and knowledge. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, Max promises to bring laughter, learning, and an unforgettable outdoor experience.
