Resealing your RV Roof.

[grfox92]

I figured I would ask her as some of you guys may have done it already.

I have 35 foot Motor Home with a black rubber EPDM roof with a failed reseal job done by the previous owner.

The previous owner just went over the original roof with white Elastomeric roof coating without doing any prep work. That coating has failed in the worst way and is mostly gone now due to the Wyoming wind .

My plan is to use a rubber roof patch to seal any cracks or tears in the rubber membrane, then go over the whole roof with some type of sealant.

I'm looking to do this job once. From what I have read, almost nothing will stick to that rubber roof, so a primer is necessary. I'm looking at the Liquid Rubber brand roof coating. They sell a primer and a roof coating. I'm going to give them a call on Monday and get their advice, I just wanted to see if anyone has had any luck with longevity after resealing a leaky roof.

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[Rich M]

If it is rubber you need something that will stick.

Why would an RV have a rubber roof? Check to see if the rubber roof is from factory and get their recommendations?

 

[Moserkr]

Forget what youtuber I saw it on but theres a lot of suggestions on there. The one that stood out wasnt cheap, but if I remember correctly had a lifetime transferable warranty. Dont remember the name so you will have to search for it, shouldnt be hard to find.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

At my shop we use the Dicor cleaner/activator and then the topcoat to the appropriate thickness.
Prep is key. If you plan to seal any cracks/holes with sealants previous to coating you will need to wait the appropriate amount of time for degassing, typically two weeks or so.

Esse quam videri

 

[grfox92]

If it is rubber you need something that will stick.

Why would an RV have a rubber roof? Check to see if the rubber roof is from factory and get their recommendations?

A lot of them do, it's called and EPDM roof and it's very common on trailers and RV's

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[Rich M]

A lot of them do, it's called and EPDM roof and it's very common on trailers and RV's

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I'm not a big RV or trailer kinda guy - most of the roofs I've helped folks with were metal and a pressure wash & Cool Seal were all they needed. Sometimes we just used the stickier-than-life metal back roof repair tape (hunting camps mainly)

Sorry not much of a help.

 

[Jaquomo]

Couple years ago I looked into resealing my own EPDM roof, but after digging into it and learning all the pitfalls of DIY, I sucked it up and paid a reputable RV place to do it. Cost $1200 but I couldn't be happier with the finished result, now three years later.

 

[Tod osier]

I figured I would ask her as some of you guys may have done it already.

I have 35 foot Motor Home with a black rubber EPDM roof with a failed reseal job done by the previous owner.

The previous owner just went over the original roof with white Elastomeric roof coating without doing any prep work. That coating has failed in the worst way and is mostly gone now due to the Wyoming wind .

My plan is to use a rubber roof patch to seal any cracks or tears in the rubber membrane, then go over the whole roof with some type of sealant.

I'm looking to do this job once. From what I have read, almost nothing will stick to that rubber roof, so a primer is necessary. I'm looking at the Liquid Rubber brand roof coating. They sell a primer and a roof coating. I'm going to give them a call on Monday and get their advice, I just wanted to see if anyone has had any luck with longevity after resealing a leaky roof.

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I'd call Dicor and talk to them. I've called a couple times and they were very helpful. Of course they are going to try to sell you their product, but that would be the direction I'd be going anyway.

T

 

[grfox92]

I've decided to go with this product. It's silicone based and has an unconditional lifetime warranty.

It's the only product I've found that doesn't require a primer on EPDM and the reviews sound phenomenal. I'm going to call the company Monday and chat with them before ordering.

RV Roof Sealant - Silicone Coating for Leak Protection

Protect your RV roof with our silicone sealant coating. Durable, weatherproof, and easy to apply, it provides superior leak protection and extends roof life.

rvflexrepair.com

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[jimh406]

EDPM doesn't last forever it's also not terribly expensive. Where is it leaking? Most EDPM edges are Eternabond or Dicor.

It would be hard for me to believe this other product can beat that combination.

 

[Wrench]

I've had great luck with eternabond tape and sikaflex sealants. Sika is industrial grade polyurethane and is to dicor what walmart is to barney's ime.

Every building and bridge you've looked at has sika or basf np1 for its sealant.

 

[grfox92]

EDPM doesn't last forever it's also not terribly expensive. Where is it leaking? Most EDPM edges are Eternabond or Dicor.

It would be hard for me to believe this other product can't beat that combination.

It's leaking everywhere. The motor home is a 1996 and has been baking in the Wyoming sun it's whole life. The EPDM is pretty bad. It was sealed with no prep with Elastomeric sealant and that has failed beyond imagination hence it leaking everywhere. I have no interest in replacing the roof in it's entirety to be honest. The product listed claims to be a permanent roof layer once it dries and based on the reviews I believe it.

I was planning on selling it this summer to be honest, then I found out about the leaks. I can't sell it the way it is so I'm going to fix it and use it for a season or 2 instead of buying something smaller like I intended too.

Once I know everything works as it should I'll sell it and get something else.

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[*zap*]

Whatever you do to coat or re-do the roof you want to clean and then prime if that is necessary for the adhesives/product that you choose.. Then do new flashing/sealant on all projections and then do the final layer....a local commercial roofing supply would be where I would go for products/answers. Anything 'special' for an rv is going to be overpriced. I re-did a pull behind by putting 1/2 plywood on top of what was there and then did a heavy roll roofing stuck down with asphalt cement. Then a drip edge around the outside edge nailed in and covered with flash cement. The result was very effective and will probably last 20+ years with no maintenance....

PM me if you want to talk about this on the phone...I was a commercial roofer in nyc long ago.

 

[grfox92]

Thanks Zapper

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[fngTony]

I’ll reach out to my Sika rep tomorrow for ya. They make a lot of different products for automotive and construction applications.

 

[Wrench]

There's a couple local companies here who spray a product similar to if not raptor liner (polyurethane truck bed liner) on rv roofs.....if the whole thing is junk, this might not be a bad play.

 

[DanimalW]

I would replace the membrane roof if you feel comfortable doing it. Coatings work well for prolonging the life of a single ply membrane. They don’t work well for fixing ones that already have problems. I also doubt it would hold up well to stones on the highway. If you do use the silicone coating, keep in mind that you will have to use silicone coating for any future work on it. Only silicone will stick to silicone.

 

[tntrker]

Rv roofs are a money pit. You have to reseal every year or so and recaulk every few months. After our last one, I told my wife when we purchased another one, it was going straight from the dealer to a place to have the roof sprayed. It's like Rhino lining or Linex for truck beds but made to stick on the RV's rubber roof. Life time gauranteed. FlexArmor is the name. Last I looked it was $3k-$5k but worth it not to have to ever worry about the roof again..

 

[Roofer1]

Whatever you do to coat or re-do the roof you want to clean and then prime if that is necessary for the adhesives/product that you choose.. Then do new flashing/sealant on all projections and then do the final layer....a local commercial roofing supply would be where I would go for products/answers. Anything 'special' for an rv is going to be overpriced. I re-did a pull behind by putting 1/2 plywood on top of what was there and then did a heavy roll roofing stuck down with asphalt cement. Then a drip edge around the outside edge nailed in and covered with flash cement. The result was very effective and will probably last 20+ years with no maintenance....

PM me if you want to talk about this on the phone...I was a commercial roofer in nyc long ago.

THIS! Or even find a commercial roofing contractor. I get folks "popping in" all the time with RV roof issues. I'm not technically a supplier but have everything someone would need in my shop. When folks walk in with cash and a smile I usually get them everything they need, including install guidance. PM if I can help.