I have tried to keep up with the roof maintenance but I got tired of the chase.
I used Eterna Bond tape on the roof.
I also found the vinyl trim insert that covers the screw heads along the front vertical seams and along the gutters had become brittle & cracked. I replaced all of it.
There are several threads on here that will provide hours of reading. Type Eterna Bond in the search box at the top of this page. In addition, several YouTube videos do a good job explaining the process with lots of helpful tips and step-by-step instructions.
Hope this helps…
Wild Bill
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2019 FR Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
2022 RAM 1500 Bighorn, Quad Cab, 5.7 Hemi, 3.92 gears
To get better, you have to get better at what you are doing to get better.
To all so far.. thanks for all the good info. IIibdliw.... thanks for the pics...it helps to understand. Larry-NC... the tips are appreciated.
After much thought & walking the roof... looks OK with no immediate problems. We plan a long trip this spring, and I want that voice in my head to be silent about problems that "might happen." From all of you and my reading, I am hearing... Eternabond tape all sides & protrusions, then paint with Dicor roof sealant x2 coats. This seems the gold standard and will last the longest. .... RIGHT?
To all so far.. thanks for all the good info. IIibdliw.... thanks for the pics...it helps to understand. Larry-NC... the tips are appreciated.
After much thought & walking the roof... looks OK with no immediate problems. We plan a long trip this spring, and I want that voice in my head to be silent about problems that "might happen." From all of you and my reading, I am hearing... Eternabond tape all sides & protrusions, then paint with Dicor roof sealant x2 coats. This seems the gold standard and will last the longest. .... RIGHT?
.
Papa Dee
Did you watch the Dicor video? After watching it, it seemed like a difficult process to get right? Surface prep, masking the sides of the trailer, mixing the two parts, spreading before it sets, cleanup, etc., has made me start thinking about a one-part solution
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Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
Larry-NC...... the Dicor videos I have seen did not give me the impression it would be that difficult. It seems to be an open the can & spread deal. I know I would first paint around all seams and edges.... then spread by roller.
Larry-NC...... the Dicor videos I have seen did not give me the impression it would be that difficult. It seems to be an open the can & spread deal. I know I would first paint around all seams and edges.... then spread by roller.
Papa Dee
The video also described mixing a thick 2-part product in a 5-gallon bucket. And before starting, hanging plastic all around the trailer because drips aren't removable. And IIRC it had a short working time.
I do a lot of work myself, but when I had to do a 70-foot concrete driveway, I laid it out, dug it, set the forms and the reinforcing mesh, but I had a crew do the pour and finishing. I had no problem reroofing a house--I could take my time--but you can't go inside while pouring 11 yards of concrete and finish the
next time. I was concerned about mixing the two-part stuff and having to use it quickly. If there were a spill or I needed a different roller, there's no time to deal with it.
When you use it, post a report and let us know how it went.
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Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
Last year I noticed a few places, during my roof inspection, the condition that llibdliw shows circled in red in his first photo. I was giving thought to using 2" wide Eternabond tape to cover the metal edge and lap onto the roof membrane. I've already replaced the vinyl strip that covers the screws. That was easy.
I've looked at some of the jobs using the 4" tape and they really don't look too great to me. Yea, I know it is the roof and only the birds and squirrels will see it. But me......well that's another story. I probably couldn't sleep at night under it.
Last year I noticed a few places, during my roof inspection, the condition that llibdliw shows circled in red in his first photo. I was giving thought to using 2" wide Eternabond tape to cover the metal edge and lap onto the roof membrane. I've already replaced the vinyl strip that covers the screws. That was easy.
I've looked at some of the jobs using the 4" tape and they really don't look too great to me. Yea, I know it is the roof and only the birds and squirrels will see it. But me......well that's another story. I probably couldn't sleep at night under it.
Any thoughts?
Bob
Bob, I just looked carefully at the image in the Original Post.
When the RV is assembled, the roof membrane is cemented to the roof with contact cement. It laps over the sides by a few inches (often from an 8' roll) on each side. I've seen drawings where there is a strip of 1" butyl tape behind the membrane (between membrane and siding), although ours isn't that way. But there always is a strip of 1" butyl tape behind the rain gutter (between the rain gutter and membrane. No water is going to enter the trailer, even if the OP doesn't rush to do anything. (After the rain gutter is applied, the excess membrane is trimmed off below the rain gutter.)
Sometimes the butyl tape oozes out under pressure, e.g., when the rain gutter is tightened down. The tape is tacky forever and attracts dirt. It is good practice to put some caulk on the edges, just so unsightly dirt isn't attracted.
All that is happening to the OP's RV is that the narrow ribbon of caulk has dried and shrunk. There is no likelihood of leakage. To make it look good, all the OP needs to do is scrape the old caulk off with a plastic scraper or dull metal one and replace it with a flexible caulk. An inexpensive job that will only take an hour or two.
I'm restoring DW's old 2002 trailer and doing exactly the same thing.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
I have a tufflex pvc roof. Mine is a 2021 192RBS. Will eternebond work. My sealant still looks good but i have a corner where its soft and it exacty where ladder is i covered a little hole that dealer told me to cover and is is kept in that are its abourlt a foot square. Just asking fairly ne with traellve trailer. So learning as ig o and use trailer
Front cap and rear cap gap can be sealed with Eternabond tape. Using a plastic putty knife remove existing tape and sealant. Lightly clean the area with acetone. Once clean and dry reseal with Eternabond tape.
All other roof areas (skylight, antenna, plumbing vents, …) can be resealed with Dicor self-leveling caulk. Using a plastic putty knife remove existing tape and sealant. Lightly clean the area with acetone. Once clean and dry reseal with Dicor self-leveling caulk. Don’t use Eternabond tape.
If you must lift and reattach something (eg skylight), clean the area per above and use butyl caulk b/w the skylight and the roof. Then use Dicor self-leveling caulk over the skylight lip on to the roof same as above.
FWIW, I found a small amount of water in the front of our TT within a year of when we bought it (had been on the dealer lot for about a year before we bought it). It turned out that the Dicor or whatever self leveling sealer they put on the joint between the front cap and the roof was done poorly and allowed water to seep into the ceiling and down one wall.
After looking at the rest of the sealing on the roof I - like many others - decided to reseal the entire roof. I cleaned out the bad Dicor on the cap joint and applied new Dicor just to make it smooth over the aluminum joint. I then used 4" Eternabond on the sides and 6" Eternabond on the fron cap joint and rear joint. I also put the 4" tape around my sky light and vent. As others mentioned, cleaning everything first is a priority.
It's been 3 years now and no leaks and all the tape looks as good as the day I put it on. A bit of work but well worth the effort - peace of mind for me.
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I have a tufflex pvc roof. Mine is a 2021 192RBS. Will eternebond work. My sealant still looks good but i have a corner where its soft and it exacty where ladder is i covered a little hole that dealer told me to cover and is is kept in that are its abourlt a foot square. Just asking fairly ne with traellve trailer. So learning as ig o and use trailer
Yes, Eternabond is recommended for PVC membranes and panels.
"For instant RV roof repair, TPO/PVC flat roof repair, EPDM rubber roof repair or trailer roofs repairs, we recommend Eternabond RoofSeal White roof repair tape"
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Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
The reason I asked the question is... when I was working on my roof ac unit, in the rain, ( l was inside) there was a leak around the unit. It was 7°F that night.... I'm not going up on top to check until it warms up!!!! When I do I want the best info while considering the fix. All of you have given me alot to consider. Thanks
Papa Dee
As Larry said, A/C unit is sealed with a gasket. If leaking it is probably either too tight or not tight enough. At four years, probably just a little loose.
Rather than getting into the work and expense of a complete sealing program that probably isn't needed yet, just snug up your A/C gasket, seal any caulked places with Eternabond and see what the result is.
I really doubt that a 4 year old roof needs sealing material spread all over it.
Typically, 1-2 times a year inspect caulk or other sealing locations. An initial leak may be from a 'crack' in the caulk that looks no larger than a thick hair. Caulk or, better yet, apply Eternabond. Roofing material is probably still under warranty.
My TPO/EPDM(?) roof had a 10 year warranty. The warranty is useless, but the material should last at least that long unless damaged.
I got my first leak after 4 years (missed that hairline crack). Caulked several places.
At year 6, sealed all seams/joints with Eternabond.
At year 10, the roofing material started getting gummy/deteriorating (defect).
Went to RVROOF.com, had them put on a pretty much in-destructable roof. Cheaper than replacing with original roofing and has lifetime warranty.
Next RV (even if brand spanking new), straight to RVROOF for application.
Air conditioners usually do not have any sealing. A foam gasket is used between the unit and roof. The air conditioner should be tightened from below until the gasket is compressed to one-half it's original thickness.
Leaks occur when the gasket is compressed EITHER TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE.
Spot on, one thing to add, my AC unit has a torque setting so it’s not too tight or loose. Anyone concerned might want to check the manual on theirs to see what it says for tightening
My TPO/EPDM(?) roof had a 10 year warranty. The warranty is useless, but the material should last at least that long unless damaged.
EPDM is a two layer product. The top is white; the bottom is black. When they apply the roof, they cover all the vent/skylight holes, then cut a corner-to-corner X. The triangle flaps are pulled down and stapled to the framing. You can remove the inside trim from any vent or skylight (no caulk or sealing involved, just eight screws) and see whether your roof is EPDM; just look for white and black.
Quote:
Originally Posted by garywilson
At year 10, the roofing material started getting gummy/deteriorating (defect).
EPDM is made of polymers, very large chains of molecules. It is very sensitive to petroleum products including mineral spirits. If you cleaned the roof with a cleaner that contained one of these substances, you have irreversibly depolymerized the roof which makes it gummy.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
No cleaner with mineral spirits or any similar chemical, just standard 'get it at the RV place' Camping World roof soap and later, Dawn.
Forest River said the company that made the material had a defective run for 4-5 years and gave me the company contact information. They pro-rate, so the only resolution was 10% off material price.
RVROOF told me the years affected after I described the gummy issue. He said 'it must be between span of five years....yep, mine was in there.
I am, when it warms up, going to consider resealing my RV roof. I have seen 4" wide tape and self-leveling caulking. Which would be better.... or would a combination of both be best? ...... any thoughts
Here is a view on several reasons why Eternabond tape should not be used as a "permanent solution" on an RV roof:
The video has all the details, but in short it will dry out and brittle crack over time with heat and UV rays and the give and take of RV flexing; if you have to remove a sealed item such as a vent, wiring or plastic skylight, you will have he[[ to pay to get it off without damaging everything to which it is "permanently" glued. Now you are at the point where you no longer want it to be permanent, and it's too late. On top of that (no pun intended), who wants to buy a used RV with Eternabond tape slapped all over the roof - who knows what problems are being covered up.
Dicor self-leveling caulk is the recommended solution. Nothing about caulking is permanent and Dicor or any other caulk should not be expected to be permanent. Roofs take a lot of beating and need to be inspected at least once if not twice a year. Keep all the problematic areas well covered with sealant and you should be good to go.
The video has all the details, but in short it will dry out and brittle crack over time with heat and UV rays and the give and take of RV flexing; if you have to remove a sealed item such as a vent, wiring or plastic skylight, you will have he[[ to pay to get it off without damaging everything to which it is "permanently" glued. Now you are at the point where you no longer want it to be permanent, and it's too late. On top of that (no pun intended), who wants to buy a used RV with Eternabond tape slapped all over the roof - who knows what problems are being covered up.
Dicor self-leveling caulk is the recommended solution. Nothing about caulking is permanent and Dicor or any other caulk should not be expected to be permanent. Roofs take a lot of beating and need to be inspected at least once if not twice a year. Keep all the problematic areas well covered with sealant and you should be good to go.
Anybody can make a video; that doesn't mean it's authoritative.
Case in point: Our Cherokee 38P was bought in 2008, moved to a stationary site, slides opened, and it hasn't moved since. It has two skylights on the slideout; flat sheets of polycarbonate with Eternabond around the edges. It also has Eternabond at the edges of the slideouts, right behind the exterior flange, both horizontal and vertical surfaces.
It is now fifteen years old. I inspect the roof regularly. The only places where the Eternabond has exhibited any visible deterioration at all is where they ran it across round-head screws. The screws displaced the adhesive and were right up against the vinyl jacket. In a few places pinholes in the vinyl caused the screw heads to rust. There was no evidence of water intrusion beyond that. If the assemblers had used oven-head (pan-head) screws instead of the white-painted, round-head Robertson screws they love, this wouldn't have happened long after a decade. As it was, I simply scrubbed the Eternabond and placed a second layer over it, as recommended by Eternabond itself.
On the other hand (same unit), the Dicor had shrunk and cracked where the front membrane terminates a year or two ago. Definitely a place where water could enter. I had covered it with a small Eternabond patch, but this summer I ran Eternabond across the entire front and rear terminations to forestall future problems. There are no round-head screws in this area.
Why am I adamant about this? Our other trailer is a 2002, DW's dowry. It was built using Dicor, no Eternabond. It was inspected fairly regularly, and more Dicor was gobbed on top of the initial layer as is the recommended procedure. In 2012 leak damage became apparent. I have since had to repair two roof trusses in front, replacing four feet of roof decking and the surrounding framing. The back is much worse. Before we can get it back on the road I will have to do more work (trusses, framing decking AND ceiling panel) for what looks like eight feet.
You cannot convince me that slapping these things together and gobbing a shrinking caulk on them has any more long-term stability than those blue tarps that cover Caribbean houses for years after hurricanes.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
The video has all the details, but in short it will dry out and brittle crack over time with heat and UV rays and the give and take of RV flexing; if you have to remove a sealed item such as a vent, wiring or plastic skylight, you will have he[[ to pay to get it off without damaging everything to which it is "permanently" glued. Now you are at the point where you no longer want it to be permanent, and it's too late. On top of that (no pun intended), who wants to buy a used RV with Eternabond tape slapped all over the roof - who knows what problems are being covered up.
Dicor self-leveling caulk is the recommended solution. Nothing about caulking is permanent and Dicor or any other caulk should not be expected to be permanent. Roofs take a lot of beating and need to be inspected at least once if not twice a year. Keep all the problematic areas well covered with sealant and you should be good to go.
I've been saying this for years but you know the retort always goes something like this "you don't have to go up on the roof for 10 years!" or "rv manufacturers are cheap and lazy and use inferior products" (rv manufacturers sometimes do do a terrible job of applying dicor self leveling caulk at the plant and any rv buyer should inspect a new rv roof immediately and be prepared to touch it up. I've seen shocking examples of flashing protruding through Dicor, beginning of voids, thinly applied Dicor - on new units.
Places to never use eternabond:
- Flashing
- Screws
Depending on the depth of a tear on a rubber roof I'd opt for applying self Dicor self leveling caulk if the membrane was still attached to the roof.
2006 Sunseeker 2860DS epdm rubber roof and it's still in great shape using just Dicor self leveling caulk for maintenance
I have used Eternabond longer than I remember. I usually just use on problem areas like end caps and skylights.
On my current 11 year old RV I just replaced an Eternabonded skylight. I found it no harder to remove the Eternabond than removing all the Dicor. Not a fun job in either case, but very doable.
Eternabond may break down eventually, but I've never seen it.
And yep, I put Eternabond around the new skylight and used Dicor self leveling on the edges of the Eternabond.
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Scott and Liz - Southern NM
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL - w/level up (best option ever)
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