How would you Eternabond this?

[007matman]

Hello all,

I'm not seeing a straight answer out there on this one.

There is a photo of what I'm dealing with attached for your reference.

I purchased 100' of 3" Eternabond and I'd like to put that over the corner sides of my roof to seal out any potential issues. What I'm struggling with is how would it seal and provide the best protection?

Should I remove the plastic trim that is inside the "C" channel and just toss it? Then, I could just put the tape over the channel and onto the roof. Or, should I leave it there and put the tape over the top of it all?

What would you all recommend?

[handymanj56]

I want to do the same, I have seen on you tube they left the plastic in the c channel and covered it all and then I saw one where they covered only half of the plastic.....all mine is black and I picked up black eternabond...I'm still waiting....

[Brother Les]

imo. clean the rood edges (Dawn soap works really well) and then caulk along the metal edge with RV caulking. Save your Eternabond for rips and tears.
imo

[SailorSam20500]

I just did mine using 3" tape. I cleaned the roofing with some acetone about 2-3 inches on the roof and also cleaned the plastic trim. I then trimmed the end of some eternabond to match the very front of the trailer. Then I slowly went down the length of the trailer attaching the eternabond only to the plastic trim at that rounded bump, not all the way into the gutter. This had much of the tape not attached to anything at this point. Once I had gotten to the back, I worked back to the front steadily pushing the tape into the various bends and over onto the roofing.

Doing this job, I used black tape and it made for a very professional looking job. From the ground, you really can't tell that the tape is there.
Here is a pic from someone else who did this. Mine is almost identical, just with black tape.

[handymanj56]

That looks clean! I was thinking of doing as far as that metal edge just above the gutter

[rsdata]

That looks clean! I was thinking of doing as far as that metal edge just above the gutter

I agree! Leave the gutter intact. The Eternabond tape is not that thick and will conform more or less to the edges I see on the roof if carefully applied. Be sure to clean that dirty roof and metal edge completely and final prep with acetone or IPA alcohol.

[mdstudey]

Originally Posted by rsdata

Be sure to clean that dirty roof and metal edge completely and final prep with acetone or IPA alcohol.

Would New Belguim IPA work??

[rsdata]

Would New Belguim IPA work??

For after I am finished would work just fine...

[Tapex]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

I just did mine using 3" tape. I cleaned the roofing with some acetone about 2-3 inches on the roof and also cleaned the plastic trim. I then trimmed the end of some eternabond to match the very front of the trailer. Then I slowly went down the length of the trailer attaching the eternabond only to the plastic trim at that rounded bump, not all the way into the gutter. This had much of the tape not attached to anything at this point. Once I had gotten to the back, I worked back to the front steadily pushing the tape into the various bends and over onto the roofing.

Doing this job, I used black tape and it made for a very professional looking job. From the ground, you really can't tell that the tape is there.
Here is a pic from someone else who did this. Mine is almost identical, just with black tape.

I really enjoyed taking the time to do this project.
But I give all the credit to this forum and it's members who are familiar with this product!

[llr]

I have not made a final decision yet but I am planning on removing the plastic screw cover and going directly over the screws.

[Comanchecreek]

Interested in seeing other posts on this subject. That location is one of the most common leak points on most RV's.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

Interested in seeing other posts on this subject. That location is one of the most common leak points on most RV's.

Not so sure about the leak points. There is butyl tape behind the rain gutters. The screws go through it. It seems to do a pretty good job of sealing. I took the gutters part way off our 22' SOB a year or two ago and it was a huge job, just to unstick them. There was no water intrusion EXCEPT:

The awning brackets that span the rain gutters are the worst design ever foisted up trailer owners. They put lag screws right through the siding with no caulk, rubber seals, or butyl tape, into the 1x2 ribbon on top of the wall, that anchors the roof trusses. Water intrudes and wicks up into the roof decking. Those brackets span the roof gutters leading to clogging and other problems.

Get on the roof of any five-year-old trailer that's kept out of doors and you will find soft spots in the roof decking near the awning brackets.

I took the awning and brackets off the 2008 Cherokee and sold it. I'd like to leave the awning off the SOB, too.

[007matman]

So, here is where I ended up.

I went up there to clean well prior to placing the tape on and noticed that the sealant is just too far gone. I was pulling chunks of it off with my fingers as it had fully separated in some places. There roof is maybe 4 yrs old so, I want to do all I can to save it.

I'm gonna replace the sealant with new Dicor non-sag, give it a few days to cure out fully and while it's still mostly clean, place the Eternabond over the top just like the previously posted photo on top of the plastic trim. That way I can still get at the screws if I need to and it will be fully sealed.

I had trouble across the front seat when I removed the old sealant and just placed the tape over the top of that. It's held up well but I did have a small leak along one of the corners because the tape didn't fully conform. I will make sure there sealant is in good condition before putting the tape over the top as more of a protective barrier than anything else.

[dustman_stx]

That “plastic trim” is actually called vinyl insert. I highly recommend either fully covering it or not covering it at all. It will finally dry out and become brittle, splitting and busting. The black often does this within a year or two- sometimes sooner- depending on temp and exposure to sun. White will last much longer. Regardless, you cover that halfway with eternabond and you’re gonna have an issue to deal with at some point.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by 007matman

I had trouble across the front seat when I removed the old sealant and just placed the tape over the top of that. It's held up well but I did have a small leak along one of the corners because the tape didn't fully conform. I will make sure there sealant is in good condition before putting the tape over the top as more of a protective barrier than anything else.

I'm guessing you meant "front seam." That transition area is tough, a good place for 4" or 6" wide Eternabond. Spend extra time there, rolling the tape with a good roller.

The tricky spot is the ends. It looks neat and tidy to end the tape inside the corner trim that comes up the front, but the most weathertight method is to lap it over the ribs.

[ChrisParise]

Loose screws caused my only leak. It was tough to identify the source even my dealer couldn't find the root cause. I observed water dripping out of the wall right above my cab over window frame during rain, that's how I found the leak then the dealer found the source after a previous attempt.

The vinyl insert covers a hidden danger. There must be 20-30 screws on each side of the gutter.

Your approach of covering the screws with eternabond tape is in my humble opinion the only correct application discussed on this thread. I would test all the screws and if loose remove them and reinsert using rv caulk making sure the heads are covered with caulk as well.

Chris

[Tapex]

Prior to my application of the Eternabond,
I removed the vinyl trim insert only, and the gutter screws on both sides were snug and there was evidence of butyl tape used in assembly at the manufacturing facility. Only reason for this screw check, was for making sure they'd assembled properly at the plant. I felt like leaving the bottom of the vinyl trim insert uncovered from the Eternabond, for potential future repairs. Such as, replacing the vinyl trim with new, in the future. I only covered it up enough for the ability to easy remove.
Not saying I will have any though.