You may have heard the saying, “Water seeks its own level.” In a way, it’s kind of a comforting thought. All over the earth, all water is essentially trying to find its way back to the sea. Even the rain that falls on your specialty vehicle is just trying to go home. Unfortunately, that might mean coming through a small hole or crack in your vehicle’s exterior seals. We have a feeling that the water won’t mind. But you certainly will.

La Boit Specialty Vehicles are built to last. But that doesn’t mean they don’t require a certain amount of ongoing maintenance. Here at La Boit, we have seen plenty of service calls for clients who forget to check the caulking around the body of the truck. Even a small leak, if not remedied, can cause big issues over time.

Checking the exterior seals of your coach is a simple and important maintenance task that even the most un-handy of us can handle. We asked our expert service department to share tips on the how, when, why, and where of specialty vehicle sealing.

Where exactly on the coach should I be checking the seals?

• Rooftop: Check/re-seal the trim, fans, and vents. Also check the marker lights.
• Rear cap: Check windows, third brake light, backup camera and marker lights.
• The sides: Check windows and any trim.

How often should I check it?
Every 6 months

How can I tell if it needs to be resealed?
Visually inspect for any cracks or pinholes. If you want to be doubly sure, you can perform a leak test by pouring water onto the seal.

What kind of caulk should I use?
We use a product by 3M called marine adhesive sealant fast cure 4000 UV white. Anything UV resistance in white will work.

Do I need to remove the old caulk?
This really depends on how bad the old caulking is, but typically, yes. If you caulk over old caulk the visual quality is usually bad.

At minimum, how often should I reseal?
Every 6-12 months

About La Boit Specialty Vehicles

La Boit Specialty Vehicles president Gil Blais first started La Boit in his garage in 1981, where he hand-made organizational boxes for traveling veterinarians. Fast forward to today, La Boit Specialty Vehicles is now a leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing for the Veterinary, Spay/Neuter/Adoption, Dental, Medical, Command, and Bloodmobile industries.

La Boit Specialty Vehicles offers a variety of vehicles to suit your needs, from 18ft pull-behind trailers to 40ft drivable coaches, none of which require a CDL to drive. Best of all, our vehicles are commercially-built from the chassis up for your specific needs, and are never converted RVs.

Mission Statement

Helping professionals around the world confidently deliver a higher level of service to their local markets by providing the highest quality custom mobile units in the industry!

We welcome your feedback and questions. Please contact us anytime or leave a comment below.