Little dab of silicone or putty tape the whole thing

[JeffandLori]

So I was treating the front cap of our 2016 2906 WS and needed to get on the roof to do the very top of it. While up there, I noticed that the putty tape they put over the joint seems to have a void. Also, you can see where the edges of the channel are poking through on both sides.

First picture showing the void and the black edge of the metal seam poking through the length of the joint:


Closeup of the void:


Maybe this is just cosmetic and all the actual sealing is beneath?

Would you just clean and fill in that void with caulk or would you clean everything and get 10 feet of putty tape and put over the length of it?

Thx. Newbie here so please be kind.

[Mtelkman]

Your pictures aren't showing up.

On my 5er we had the same problem as you described. I just permanently fixed it with a wide Eternabond tape strip.

[JeffandLori]

Originally Posted by Mtelkman

Your pictures aren't showing up.

On my 5er we had the same problem as you described. I just permanently fixed it with a wide Eternabond tape strip.

Thanks. Added them as attachments. We'll see if that works.

[SeaDog]

You can clean seam with alcohol and then go over it with self leveling chalk or you could use eternabond tape as mentioned it does come in many widths

[Rockin M]

I also used the Etnabond Bond tape on my Class C Forester. I does a good job but its difficult to wrap it around the down turning corners and keep it neat. I ended up piecing it around the corners. It looks just OK.
Also I am wondering how some of that material that is used to completely wrap vehicles would work to seal around the joints between roof and cap and other areas of concern. I believe it is applied using its peal and stick coating then the installer uses a heat gun to draw it tighter to the joint. I bet an RVer could buy enough scrap or unused pieces from a wrap vendor and give it a try. Surely there is a YouTube video with installations instructions. I'm going to give it a try.

[camaraderie]

Whatever you do...NO SILICONE...or when that fails (and it will) nothing else will stick for the fix. Follow the advice of others based on your roof materials.

[GOTTOYS]

Silicone won't stick to a rubber roof. I never use it on anything on my RV. Use a good self leveling caulk. If you want you can put Eternabond over the top of that. Whatever you decide. fix it soon!

[grumpy0374]

Can't tell if that's a fiberglass one piece roof from the pic. But, for the life of me, it almost looks like the front cap is pulling away from the roof.
How old is your rig, and is it under warranty? If it is I would get it to the dealer ASAP, as you have some big gaps there.
If not under warranty, get yourself a couple of tubes of Dicor Self Leveling Caulk. Clean the old caulk and area in fromt and behind the caulk with mineral spirits, and then go over it with acetone till its dry, residue free, and squeakey clean.
Run a generous bead of Dicor over the old caulk, and squeeze it down into the gaps. Don't be stingy with it...spending 20-30 bucks for 2-3 tubes of Dicor is cheap compared to water damage repair.
If it were mine, I would then, over the caulk (once it's set up) use a 4" wide strip of Eternabond to overlap the entire seam.
Sounds like a lot of work...it's not...an hour or so. But you will end up with a water tight seam.
I never had a problem with gaps such as yours. But when new, I did exactly as I mentioned to the front and rear seams where caps meet roof. That was 3 years ago, and caulk and
eternabond is still as good as the day I put it on.
Grumpy

[timerie]

I had this problem on a Rockwood. Turns out the cap warped from insufficient bracing (known problem), letting air get under the vinyl roof like a balloon. Hope it's under warranty

[JeffandLori]

Thanks all. Unit was bought brand new in October. So, I'll be calling the dealer tomorrow. To me, it just looks like the caulk has flowed down around whatever metal strip they use to join the two. But I don't know anything.

Thanks an will update you all.

[Moparman1230]

Originally Posted by timerie

I had this problem on a Rockwood. Turns out the cap warped from insufficient bracing (known problem), letting air get under the vinyl roof like a balloon. Hope it's under warranty

I have my brand spanking new Cherokee in because of this very issue. One trip, 2 weeks of ownership. Got home from the trip and noticed a "bulge" in the front of my roof. Climbed up and saw what looked like someone grabbed the roof membrane and tried to pull it back. It formed gaps all over the joint to my front cap. What did they do to fix it?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N915A using Tapatalk

[JeffandLori]

OK, so I called the dealer and he called me back. Told me to just get some Alpha Self Leveling caulk as it just sounds like I have a void. Said if I swing by he'll give me a tube, but since they are an hour away,

The roof seems tight and when I was buffing the top of the cap with Aerospace 303 everything was tight.

I think a little caulk should do it.

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by JeffandLori

OK, so I called the dealer and he called me back. Told me to just get some Alpha Self Leveling caulk as it just sounds like I have a void. Said if I swing by he'll give me a tube, but since they are an hour away,

The roof seems tight and when I was buffing the top of the cap with Aerospace 303 everything was tight.

I think a little caulk should do it.

That dealer is brushing you off, a unit under warranty and they say they will give you a free tube off caulk? Take it to the dealer and have a paper trail for when it leaks and ruins your trailer. The front cap obviously has issues and the only fix would be eternabond tape which I would demand the dealer do. Save your paper trail.

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by crunchman12001

That dealer is brushing you off, a unit under warranty and they say they will give you a free tube off caulk? Take it to the dealer and have a paper trail for when it leaks and ruins your trailer. The front cap obviously has issues and the only fix would be eternabond tape which I would demand the dealer do. Save your paper trail.

I totally agree. Get that problem reported, looked at and documented. While the time on the road may seem like a PITA it's a small price to pay compared to the time and headaches you'll face if this turns into a bigger issue.

[5picker]

I agree with the paper trail on this one.

Minor things like a burned out bulb or a loose trim screw are one thing but this could lead to problems down the road.

Oh... and no matter who repairs... be sure to thoroughly clean the 303 Protectant from that area before sealing.