Geo Pro Roof Repair

[mariemandalay]

Hi there. I've had a GeoPro G14FK for a couple of years now and unfortunately did not store it with a cover. My solar panel recently came unglued and blew away while on the road. Upon inspection of the roof I noticed it isn't in great condition. I don't have the funds to have it professionally sealed/restored. Can anyone recommend what I can do to reseal/protect the roof? To my knowledge it is not leaking...........yet. I live in So Cal where it doesn't rain much. Any help would be appreciated. I'm a complete novice/rookie. There is apparently an honest trailer repair guy in my area but am still worried about what the cost would be to have this professionally done. Looking for a solution that I can do myself.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Could you attach a picture of your roof?

The first thing to do would be to seal up any holes in the roof.

[mariemandalay]

Have attempted to attach photos. Let me know if it was unsuccessful. The roof seems dodgy around the edges.

[mariemandalay]

That one photo depicts where the solar panel used to be before it blew off.

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Rockwood sub-forum to the Exterior Maintenance/Roofs/Sealing sub-forum since the OP's topic is specific to that sub-forum and not Rockwoods.

[Larry-NC]

Hard to tell what's going on at the edges. The plywood roof construction I've seen often has that puffiness because they wrap two layer of tape (fiberglass tape and duct tape) over the edge to keep it from cutting the membrane. If the roof decking does not feel soft or spongy to your hand, it is fine. Since plywood roofing doesn't usually have that dome effect that your does, your roof may not be plywood. You could tell by taking the fan/vent trim on the INSIDE of the trailer down and looking.

[mariemandalay]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, the edges do feel soft and spongy.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by mariemandalay

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, the edges do feel soft and spongy.

Have you never done any roof maintenance or roof caulking or had someone do it for you?

[5picker]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Have you never done any roof maintenance or roof caulking or had someone do it for you?

X2
Lots of folks don't store with their R/V covered but semi-annual roof maintenance is a must.

Hard to tell from the photo but it appears the solar panel brackets are still on the roof and the panel came loose/was torn away from the brackets. That would be a different situation than coming "unglued."

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by 5picker

X2
Lots of folks don't store with their R/V covered but semi-annual roof maintenance is a must.

Hard to tell from the photo but it appears the solar panel brackets are still on the roof and the panel came loose/was torn away from the brackets. That would be a different situation than coming "unglued."

That's a good sign, right? No leaking at the panel attachment points.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by mariemandalay

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, the edges do feel soft and spongy.

Does anyone know what the actual roof construction of of a Geo Pro is? Is it plywood decking, or something like fiberglass which would normally have some spring to it? I'm completely in the dark here and don't want to mislead the OP.

[mcbridek]

So first, the roof rafters are aluminum. There is a compressed foam layer of insulation, then a very thin layer plywood, then the rubber membrane. When you say the roof is soft, that worries me, as it would mean water is getting in. If you don’t have the money to have a professional look at it, I would inspect very carefully with a good light looking for any place in the rubber that is split or cracked. Those areas put EternaBond tape to seal. The tape is very sticky and tough, the patch will last for many years. Then inspect the caulked areas around the front and rear, skylight…. If this is cracked or peeling, then use a plastic scraper and carefully remove the thick layer of caulk and replace. There are lots of videos on the web, it’s not hard, but a bit time consuming as you need to be careful… you would use Dicor self leveling.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by mcbridek

So first, the roof rafters are aluminum. There is a compressed foam layer of insulation, then a very thin layer plywood, then the rubber membrane. When you say the roof is soft, that worries me, as it would mean water is getting in. If you don’t have the money to have a professional look at it, I would inspect very carefully with a good light looking for any place in the rubber that is split or cracked. Those areas put EternaBond tape to seal. The tape is very sticky and tough, the patch will last for many years. Then inspect the caulked areas around the front and rear, skylight…. If this is cracked or peeling, then use a plastic scraper and carefully remove the thick layer of caulk and replace. There are lots of videos on the web, it’s not hard, but a bit time consuming as you need to be careful… you would use Dicor self leveling.

Good advice, Kean. Let me expand on Eternabond prep.

When you see areas that need attention, scrub then gently with one of those 3M green scrub pads using water with dishwashing liquid (Joy, etc.) Do not use anything that says it contains petroleum solvents. Rinse. Let it dry.

Eternabond tape comes in rolls. When applying long pieces, never remove more than a foot or so of the clear separation layer. Start to apply the tape, and as you apply it, reach under and remove another foot to so at a time as you press it down. (If you don't do this, the tape will fold on itself and stick to itself in a way that's difficult to unravel).

After the tape is down, roll it to assure good adhesion. A wallpaper seam roller like this one will do fine.

In my experience, the most vulnerable spots are across the ends, where there's a transition from membrane to metal. 4" wide Eternabond across the entire width of the trailer is a good idea. (Your trailer may not be constructed this way, but if there's a transition between materials with a 1" aluminum strip across them, just put 4" Eternabond across, centered on that aluminum strip.

[mnoland30]

I just used a white elastomeric roof coating made for house roofs. The biggest issue here is the sun, and the white keeps the roof cooler. The advice about the eterna bond tape is good, but for the entire roof, I recommend the roof coating. $30/gallon at Walmart.

[NJKris]

The OP has not returned since original post 11 days ago. But if does return, I had some questionable areas along the edges I just gooped up with Dicor while I was up there resealing other areas. 5 years, first time I've had to break the caulk gun out.