Rubberised RV Roof Repair/Replacement

No experience, but keep us posted on your efforts as I am considering this as well....

I put a rubber roof on one time, but it was a prestressed concrete roof.

It was a trick getting the roll of nearly 1000 lbs up there. The pallet ramp would have been fodder for Caption This!

Heck most of the work I've done is candidate. That's why I don't take pictures on the job.

and yes keep us posted. Nice wheels too

No help here. Good luck, you seem capable enough.

If you can find a dealer that will sell to you, GE silicone roofing.

I believe it's a 2 part epoxy type material that can be troweled or brushed on.

Product was sold to be coated directly on plywood sheathing, and repair of other roof substrates.

http://www.siliconeforbuilding.com/document-roofingrestorationsystems

The link above has pdfs for various products.

I would take it to RinoLiner, and see what they would charge you to spray their rubberized coating.

Excellent reply, thanks!

Yeah, the previous owner painted the top with some sort 'rubbery' paint and, evidently, didn't do much prep. The stuff is peeling-off and looks like hell.

Been there, done that. In my case some of the sub structure of the roof was in poor condition so I started by building a ladder frame out of 2X4s, laying flat, down the middle of the roof framing all of the vent & AC openings. Next I put 1X4 along the outer edges. 3/8" plywood was added from edge to edge transforming the formerly flat roof to a slightly curved roof. This was treated with 3 coats of polyurethane before applying 3' wide Peal & Seal front to back, on both sides, overlapping about 3" of the front, sides and back of the RV. A final strip of Peal & Seal right down the middle, overlapping the two outer strips and I was ready to reinstall the AC and two new vents. Transformed from a roof I was afraid to walk on to one you could dance on without worry. Here is a video I found with more information.

Thanks. Fortunately the substrate is in excellent condition except for one spot about 8" square where the substrate is a bit soft. The RV was always stored under a high 'carport'-style structure when not in use.

Yes, your roof is in better shape than mine was. The Peal & Seal is still a viable option. I've even heard of a case where a branch went through an RV roof covered with it and it sealed right around the branch.

Hmm, Jan. 2017, kinda late to avoid Texas downpours isn't it Andrew?

The Dicor products as marketed for the RV world are not your only hope.

You didn't say what the nature of the failure is/was.Did someone go for a walk & 're-pitch' the roof?

Maybe an accessory installation on the cheap? If your sheet metal is sound, a coating might be all you need.Otherwise you need to repair the structure beforehand.

Contrary to what has been said about the GE Silicone coatings,direct application on plywood is not even hinted at in the documentation. Plywood requires a fabric of some kind to be effective long term.

HTH

J

P.S. Your not advertising for Dicor are you?

"Your not advertising for Dicor are you?"

I am not. In fact I learnt of their products only a few days ago via google search. Never used their stuff and wondered if anyone else here has and what their experiences were. Dicor seem to have good reviews. That's all I know.

Was the original roof a rubber membrane?

Given the age of the unit (assuming it was stored outdoors) the roof is definitely at the end of its life.

Those are fairly straightforward to replace. See Tony's post above. Removing all the stuff that's up there is critical. Also make sure there are no sharp edges on the decking.

You can purchase rolls of the EPDM roofing material. You may also need to purchase lengths of the trim along the sides that holds it down if it is all beat up.

Depending on the number of penetrations you need to seal around, you will need about 12 or so tubes of Dicor's self-leveling lap sealant. Apply liberally on screw heads and edges of all that 'stuff' that's up there. You will also need a number of rolls of butyl tape which is a Silly-Putty like tape material that never hardens. It comes on rolls with backing paper. Here is a link to a PDF with good instructions of what you'll need to do.

http://manuals.adventurerv.net/Rubber-TPO-Roofing-Installation-Guide-401CK.pdf

These instructions show very specifically the 'stack-up' that you will need for your installation. Pay VERY close attention to what they say to use for cleaners and solvents and what NOT to use.

There are probably some YouTube videos out there that show the 'pace' of the installation to give you an idea of what you will have to do once you start applying adhesive and rolling out the new roof. Plan on having at least one helper. This is definitely not a solo job.

Good luck with your quest.

P.S. My son worked as an RV mechanic for a number of years and has done about a dozen of these roofs and I have a 2003 32-ft Jayco travel trailer with one of these EPDM roofs. Mine will need replacing soon.

Sir Robin:

Once your son sees how proudly you mentioned him as an RV mechanic on a cr4 webpage, I'm sure he will gladly come over and help out pop with his latest project.

He started out fixing RV's at 16 for high school work study. Did that for about six years then tired of that line of work, did general mechanic work at another shop and is now starting his own speed shop. He's pretty busy these days, turning down work because he needs more space to operate. Just signed a lease on 6,000 square feet of shop space that he is setting up with a friend/business partner. He'll have his hands full getting everything going. I doubt he can spend much time helping me.

Good for him! You can be proud.

Good mechanics are very hard to find.

My niece and her husband just opened a second shop in Wichita with part of it a high end stereo/amplifier/alarm/sound system shop.

They are making tons and just put a system in a 1/2 million $ motor home for someone.

Just a thought.

Good idea. Some folks really LOVE their stereos.

Right now he's been concentrating on turbochargers and superchargers. He started this whole thing as a hobby, turbocharging his Honda S2000. You know, everybody needs 525 RWHP so you can light up the tires in any of the first four gears. (I WON'T ride with him in THAT car.)

As he went to various car shows with his insane car, people saw his work and asked him to do work for them. It became something of a paid hobby working out of his home's garage part time for a couple of years, then he decided he could do this for a living and quit his day job.

He is a very smart kid and learns fast. He does these as complete systems. What he can't buy, he will fabricate. My TIG welder was borrowed about three years ago and sometimes I can visit it over at his house. He welds aluminum intake piping as well as fabbing stainless exhaust parts as necessary. He learned how to program the aftermarket ECU's to control these, wastegates, ignition timing maps, fuel map profiles, upgrading fuel pumps, and E85 conversions to include the GM ethanol percentage sensor. What he has learned is that E85 makes an excellent fuel for boosting because of the anti-knock properties of the ethanol. He has one of these on the back of his Honda.

He is running 18 psi boost into his otherwise unmodified Honda engine. Engine is good, however he quickly discovered after three transmissions (2nd gear) and two rear ends, those are the weak points of that car. His Honda now has a Toyota Supra transmission mated to it and the power gets to the rear wheels via an independent rear end from a Mustang.

Fortunately, since he earned his CDL-A, his street behavior has improved considerably and he saves the insanity for the track.

There's tons of kids out there with more money than brains.

He should do well. It sounds like he has a good start in a niche market and there's money to be made. And, he has a good sales platform in that car.

Rear end? Who knew, I didn't.

Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard as they should be.

He'll do fine!

I think he will. Technically he has a good handle on things. I'm trying to mentor him on the business and legal end of things now. Trying to get him to think like a businessman and not just a mechanic. It's hard pushing that rope.

He needs a (young) business manager, or an accountant.

Someone to keep him grounded, besides you, Dad.

Actually, his wife who is a middle-school (bless her heart) geography teacher would make an excellent business manager. Right now, she provides the good fringe benefits so I wouldn't recommend she quit her 'day job' just yet.

The process of getting your roof protected and back in shape is not always as complex as many think. If you are able to catch any problems early, the coating like e.g., RV Roof Magic should help to provide you with all the protection you need. RV Roof Magic is only the true DIY product and there is never a primer needed.