2023 Image Aim 15BH external spray port replacement

[cdijoseph]

Hello all, we just bought a 2023 Image AIM 15BH, and took it out this past weekend to test out all the equipment and make sure we knew how to set everything up before venturing further away from home. We noticed that the external spray port on the back of the trailer was cracked. No water was leaking fortunately. I ordered the replacement part for this, but had a few questions on the replacement:
1. The OEM spray port fixture had what looks like a felt gasket that did not survive when I took the old spray port off. Does this need to be replaced, and if so, what exactly should I be looking for to get a replacement? I haven't had much luck searching for this gasket online
2. What sealant works best around this port? I was originally going to use GE Silicone that is meant for external surfaces that I've used to seal our house vents with, but am not sure if this is the correct sealant to use
3. I've been using a painters knife to scrape the old sealant away from the spray port mounting surface so that I have a good clean surface to adhere the replacement to. Is there a better way or is this the correct way?

Thanks for the help on this in advance. I will be testing out the water before I reseal / screw the replacement in to make sure it's tight enough

[howson]

cdijoseph -- by "ordering" did you mean by calling GD Customer Support? It's very likely they'd have sent you a new one for free. Their number is on the "business card", home page of this forum.

Scraping old sealant is a tedious, painful process. I use a plastic razor blade in a holder (I think it was Cate&Rob 's recommendation ) that I found works. What I do is try to get an edge of the sealant up and then peal it off like a patch of bad sunburnt skin in one continuous string. Then it's a time-consuming and patience-testing process to get the residual off, again with scraping and an occasional cleaning with alcohol.

On a side note, remember most (if not all) of the sealant you can see on the outside of the trailer is secondary leak protection. Usually there is something else that is the primary seal (butyl tape, a rubber seal, etc.)

Howard

[AAMAFIGHTER]

Dynatron 550 and an extremely cleaned surface has never failed me. 😎