Roof Bubbling?

[Dr Bill]

Hi folks

I was washing the roof on the slide outs and noticed that the TPO roof material had bubbles in it next to the edge/sealing piece. I also just noticed the same sort of bubbles on the roof at the rear of the coach near the ladder.

Have any of you noticed the same?

Thanks
Bill
2004 Bounder 36S

[Dr Bill]

Hi folks

I was washing the roof on the slide outs and noticed that the TPO roof material had bubbles in it next to the edge/sealing piece. I also just noticed the same sort of bubbles on the roof at the rear of the coach near the ladder.

Have any of you noticed the same?

Thanks
Bill
2004 Bounder 36S

[Gary RVRoamer]

Not good - the glue that holds th roof fabric down is letting loose. Has anyone used a petroleum-based solvent of any kind on the roof? Too much and it will penetrate the TPO enough to soften the glue.

You need to repair these bubbles ASAP to prevent spreading. Best technique is to inject a waterproof glue under the bubble with a syringe and pat it back down. But if the material has stretched and is now too big to go back down smoothly, you will have to cut a slit in it to get it flat again.

[Dr Bill]

I was afraid that it was not good -- a separation of the material from the substraste. I wonder if it's covered under warranty? I remember the salsesman showing the x-section of the roof and exclaiming all of it's virtures.

I bought the unit as a leftover in '05 (w/o) bubbling) and have only used either Murphy's oil soap or a rubber roof cleaner. Actually saw the bubbles before I did the cleaning.

Thanks for the info.

Bill

[Tincup]

RV Roamer,

Any recommendations on waterproof glue? Do they make a product already packaged in a syringe or do we have to mix it and suck it into a syringe? I have a few bubbles smaller than a baseball but I want to repair them ASAP.

[Gary RVRoamer]

I haven't seen any pre-packaged syringes or glues for the job. All the EPDM repair kits I see are patches (which is easier but not as neat a finish), but some of them contain a can of rubber roof cement. You can Google EPDM repair if you want to see the patch kits - there several available.

I would be inclined to try a fabric glue, usually found in craft shops. They are used to glue decorations on fabrics, e.g. beads and such, and are fully washable when cured and easy to work with when wet.

Dicor makes an EPDM roofing glue for installing new rubber roofs - it is called 901BA Bonding Agent. Kind of overkill for a small repair, though.

I came across this description of the technique for repairing bubbles:

Cut 1/2 inch slit in rubber roof and squirt in a small amount of adhesive and work it evenly under the bubble. Use a fairly large diameter (2-3") piece of PVC pipe to roll and smooth out the glue under the rubber. When finished, place something heavy and flat on the glued area and use wax paper or saran wrap underneath to prevent sticking. Let dry overnight and then patch the slit with a rubber roof (EPDM) lap sealant or one of the repair tapes (e.g. Eternabond).

[Tincup]

RV Roamer,

Thanks for the info. I'll check out some craft shops here in Bend and see what they have.

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

If memory serves the TPO roof on Fleetwood Motorhomes has a 10-year warranty. So if I were you I'd contact Fleetwood at their customer support number, 800-322-8216.

[Tincup]

Bob,

You're right thanks for reminding me, I will contact Fleetwood.