Rubber roof bubbling under eternabond tape

[Cincy6]

I was hoping I was finished posting about leak issues with my 2012 Roo19 were over but...
As I posted previously, i found rotted wood on floor in front storage. I removed as much as I could and replaced and reattached and taped up the plastic membrane underneath. Since I was unable to find the cause, I resealed with lap sealant and Eternabond taped the entire roof and around bunks, lights windows, etc... So far no additional sign of leaks after a couple months.

However, I checked roof today as it has been some time since I Eternabonded the roof and found that the rubber is loose and bubbling under the tape, especially around the edges of the roof and also some around the skylight, etc... (see picture) When I applied the tape the rubber was flat and glued to the roof and I did all necessary prep work before applying. It's as if the tape caused the rubber to no longer stick to the roof. Besides looking bad I am hoping this does not create any additional problems. There are several places where the tape is actually no longer sticking due to the bottom of the wrinkles, so I plan on hitting with lap sealant.

I am wondering if anyone with long term experience using Eternabond tape has had this happen and if there are any additions problems i now need to watch for?

Hoping this is the last of the posts dealing with leaks and repairs! Just discussing with wife how as much as I like the Roo and camping, the amount of issues with leaks makes me want to sell and dump our problem. However, selling it now with so many past issues will probably be difficult and I would not want to pass our problems on, so I guess we will keep it and hope no more problems

[rsdata]

It is hard to tell from the pictures...

did the Eternabond tape pull up from the roof on those wrinkles? or is it still firmly attached to the roof membrane and only the membrane is loose from the roof?

[Cincy6]

Originally Posted by rsdata

It is hard to tell from the pictures...

did the Eternabond tape pull up from the roof on those wrinkles? or is it still firmly attached to the roof membrane and only the membrane is loose from the roof?

The Eternabond seemed to still be bonded to the roof membrane, and only the rubber was loose from the roof. I am curious if anyone else has had the same issue.

[Bama Rambler]

That looks where acetone was used to clean the membrane and caused the glue holding the membrane to the decking to dissolve, and the membrane to wrinkle.

I'm not saying that it is the cause. It just looks the same as if acetone was used.

[Cincy6]

Thanks Bama Rambler, That could be the cause.

I cleaned the area lightly with mineral spirits and immediately washed off with water and dried before applying Eternabond tape. I read that mineral spirits or acetone were good for cleaning surface as long as it's washed off. However, I can see how it still may have caused the glue to dissolve. So, do I need to be concerned here or just let it be?

[Bama Rambler]

I'd be concerned about the voids between the eternabond and the membrane. I'd clean the area well with some TPO compatible cleaner and run another strip of eternabond wide enough to cover the wrinkled area and lap over the existing eternabond an inch or so.

[Cincy6]

Sounds like a good plan. I happen to have some Eternabond left over. Hope this is a warning to others concerning rubber roof prep. I just did a search and found a number of threads recommending cleaning with mineral spirits.

[spudston]

I used Eternabond on my front roof seam on my trailer using mineral spirits to prep. The TPO roof wrinkled and the tape separated in a few spots so I sealed those spots with Dicor and called the Eternabond rep. He said they never recommend using mineral spirits. A few trips later the Eternabond came off and the roof leaked. Dicor may need inspection and touch up twice a year but I've never had it come off.

[NMWildcat]

I wiped my roof with a very small amount of alcohol before applying eternabond. Been up there three years now with no problems.

Thanks for the tip on not using mineral spirits. I'll remember that for future reference.

[Grey Wolf 26RR]

The manufacturer's instructions for Eternabond can be found at:

https://dwincorp.com/wp-content/uplo...structions.pdf

[Vetnam67]

Stretching and pulling on the tape while laying it down will cause the roof to draw up. It's best to just pull it out and remove the backing to let it rest. Then apply the pressure with the roller to seal it.

[pkaplan]

Does anyone know what wrinkles at the leading and trailing edges of a TPO roof signify and the best way to fix them (if necessary)?

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

I wiped my roof with a very small amount of alcohol before applying eternabond. Been up there three years now with no problems.

Thanks for the tip on not using mineral spirits. I'll remember that for future reference.

x2

Think I would have an rv tech look at the roof at this point. Im not sure, but the roof looks like it my have started vulcanized.

[Bama Rambler]

Originally Posted by pkaplan

Does anyone know what wrinkles at the leading and trailing edges of a TPO roof signify and the best way to fix them (if necessary)?

They may or may not need to be 'fixed'. Can you post a picture of them?
The edges certainly need to be sealed, but if they are, and there's just some small wrinkles, you shouldn't need to do anything about them.

[cardwellmarty]

I wouldn't see acetone doing or being the cause,even though I know mineral spirits was used, acetone evaporates so fast that it doesn't saturate the roof membrane to cause the glue to dissolve, when I did a major roof repair to my TT it appeared to be glued down well but as I opened the roof membrane it wasn't, especially around the outer perimeters of the roof. I used a glue for TPO roofs when I relayed the roof membrane and weighted it down for a couple of days, but I am still seeing a few wrinkles in it where I have applied Eternabond but not to the degree of the pictures on this post. The Eternabond on my roof is still sealed even though there are a few wrinkles, also when I applied Eternabond I used Eternaprime in my installation.

[rsdata]

He said they never recommend using mineral spirits. A few trips later the Eternabond came off and the roof leaked.

Eternabond does NOT come off once it is laid down and rolled with a roller... I defy anyone to get it off without much effort and only in bits and pieces, not strips.

Sounds to me like you did not wipe off the mineral spirits with alcohol on a rag or anything and applied the tape with residual mineral spirits still on the roof membrane.

[cardwellmarty]

I agree Eternabond is there, if it's rolled down,when I first started using Eternabond I made a mistake thought I could hurry up and pull it up and reapply it, NOT, its not happening, but I am interested to see what has caused this for OP, so I can learn. Having a TT is an adventure and keeping one up a job, but I believe it can be mastered.

[rsdata]

Cincy6,

As I posted previously, i found rotted wood on floor in front storage.

are you sure that rotted wood was not from a loose/broken water filter or leaking water pipe, as that filter is often mounted in that front storage location?

I removed mine shortly after purchase as I read that often the filters let loose and as it is hidden in that storage area, water puddles and is unseen for a long time.