Rubber roof bubble or separation

125992 · 07-27-2018, 12:46 PM

It seems that part of my rubber roof has pulled away from the substrate underneath. It may have been this way for a while but should I be concerned?

What should I do to eliminate or repair the separation?

Thanks!

007matman · 07-27-2018, 01:11 PM

I have a couple of bubbles like that too.. mine are more round though. I did some searching for it online and found the conseniwas that it was normal (I have a TPO roof).

keith52 · 07-27-2018, 01:40 PM

Looks pretty normal for a rubber roof

Skip12 · 07-27-2018, 04:17 PM

From the pics, it appears very similar to my roof. The separation occurs at the gaps in the underlayment on my camper.

FR via my dealer said 'its normal'. I watch it very closely. So far, it hasn't appeared to spread this season.

DieselDrax · 07-27-2018, 04:25 PM

Speaking of bubbles, while on our recent trip I saw a couple of trailers rolling down the interstate and the airflow/pressure difference caused by the airflow over the cap (and perhaps though gaps and under the membrane itself) of the trailer caused a HUGE bubble to form. It looked like a small tent.

I would make sure your membrane is still securely attached overall. Some small bubbles not a big deal, but if a large portion has become detached then it could be doing some interesting things as you head down the road. The biggest one I saw you could have 1 to 2 people crawl inside of if it were a tent. Crazy.

Jonol · 07-28-2018, 06:27 PM

This is not good at all!!!

On my Palomino 2000 I had to cut the membrane and glue it back with a special glue from my RV dealer and complete the repair with eternabond tape.

The problem is that the tempreture change and cause condensation under the membrane and lift it more and more year after year and rotten the roof wood unther.

Fix it before it guet worse!

tinkerreknit · 07-28-2018, 06:37 PM

You needn't worry yet, it's normal. It might get worse (bigger), and even then it is an easy repair.

Jonol · 07-28-2018, 07:00 PM

Normal!!! I dont understand?

Explain Please?

Skip12 · 07-28-2018, 10:43 PM

Please explain the easy repair. I'd be very pleased if my roof didn't have these ridges.

Comanchecreek · 07-28-2018, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

Speaking of bubbles, while on our recent trip I saw a couple of trailers rolling down the interstate and the airflow/pressure difference caused by the airflow over the cap (and perhaps though gaps and under the membrane itself) of the trailer caused a HUGE bubble to form. It looked like a small tent.

I would make sure your membrane is still securely attached overall. Some small bubbles not a big deal, but if a large portion has become detached then it could be doing some interesting things as you head down the road. The biggest one I saw you could have 1 to 2 people crawl inside of if it were a tent. Crazy.

I had this happen with my Montana. Gradually ended up being the whole front third of my EPDM roof. I fixed it by buying the cement from PPL for laminating the EPDM to the roof underlayment. I bought squeezable plastic bottles and clear plastic tubing about 30 inches long. I used a knife to cut a one inch slit in the membrane and would insert the hose in a number of directions, squirting the cement in as large an area as I could reach. I then took a bread roller and rolled out the cement as far in each direction as I could. Had to cut the membrane in six places, but I saved my roof. I would then use a small piece of EPDM repair tape over the slit and use the self leveling goop over that. Took awhile but a new roof is better than 8 grand so worth it. Not unusual to have the membrane come away from the underlayment in spots, but don't let them get too big, and keep an eye on them as they can grow, and if they rip you're done. There is a lot of wind force up there at 60 to 70 mph and it will grab hold of anything it can.

Jonol · 07-29-2018, 12:27 AM

Right on, Comanchecreek!

RZerr · 08-03-2018, 01:56 PM

Are rubber roofs SUPPOSED to leak ??? I have noticed ripples and bubbles gradually forming in the rubber roof on my slide out of my Wolf Pack and had a water leak at my skylight and could not find any obvious cracks where water was getting in. Now after 3 days of rain it finally stopped and today I decided to cut open the roof and this is what I found. I'm hoping I can dry it out good enough glue it back down and seal it up with the recommended tape and rubber sealant. I suspect the entire plywood's top is soaked. Has anyone else ever dealt with this any suggestions?

alsdas88 · 08-03-2018, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RZerr

Are rubber roofs SUPPOSED to leak ??? I have noticed ripples and bubbles gradually forming in the rubber roof on my slide out of my Wolf Pack and had a water leak at my skylight and could not find any obvious cracks where water was getting in. Now after 3 days of rain it finally stopped and today I decided to cut open the roof and this is what I found. I'm hoping I can dry it out good enough glue it back down and seal it up with the recommended tape and rubber sealant. I suspect the entire plywood's top is soaked. Has anyone else ever dealt with this any suggestions?

I am betting you have a leak around the window area near that location. At this point it might be best to lift that window completely and inspect the area around it for further damages.

DieselDrax · 08-03-2018, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RZerr

Are rubber roofs SUPPOSED to leak ??? I have noticed ripples and bubbles gradually forming in the rubber roof on my slide out of my Wolf Pack and had a water leak at my skylight and could not find any obvious cracks where water was getting in. Now after 3 days of rain it finally stopped and today I decided to cut open the roof and this is what I found. I'm hoping I can dry it out good enough glue it back down and seal it up with the recommended tape and rubber sealant. I suspect the entire plywood's top is soaked. Has anyone else ever dealt with this any suggestions?

Hard to tell in your pic since you said it just stopped raining, but is that water around the edge of the skylight or did someone make the mistake of trying to seal around with skylight with silicone over the Dicor instead of properly resealing the area?

NMWildcat · 08-03-2018, 02:38 PM

Rubber roofs require regular maintenance. The dicor/sealant around protrusions and seams are always suspect.

I would of removed the skylight and gained access to the underneath of the rubber that way. I would bet that skylight was still leaking.

Now you have a much larger repair job. Let us know how it goes.

Gdub2 · 08-03-2018, 04:40 PM

NO IT'S NORMAL.had that happen to my Wildwood TT after only six months. Took it to the dealer he said
that isn't normal said the factory half*** rolling on the adhesive.He said there was no adhesive under the bubble.
The dealer replace with all new rubber membrane under warranty. Now the roof is tight as a drum.

RZerr · 08-14-2018, 10:00 PM

Thanks for the input everyone. I dried it out and refastened the cuts with rubber roof tape. I think the water is getting in under the seal and flowing back under the rubber roof or through the wood. The water that did drip down inside was tea colored suggesting it was percolating through wood and glue. I always set up or so I thought so the slide out is slightly sloping away. Odd it did not leak out of the skylight area before, instead running down the sides of the slide and soaking the carpet inside under the dinette. I'm currently on the road using a custom sized tarp and clamps. I'm in northeast Arkansas right now. Supposed to rain tonight.

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