Cleaning and treating the fiberglass roof on our DSDP

[450Donn]

303 is not a true wax. Thus the reason it only lasts a couple of weeks. How many times a year are you on your roof? Maybe twice a year? If so waxing it and not going back up there for 6 months the wax will mostly be a non issue. So whats the big deal?

[Nellybelle]

DO NOT USE DAWN DISH SOAP! It will cut the wax right off and leave a dull but clean coach. Please don't ask me how I know,

[lostinfla]

First, on a newer DS with "gutters", the only place you should get streaks is over the front and rear. That should be minimal because of the rise front and rear of the roof line. Secondly, the main part of the fiberglass roof will last longer than most people will own a coach, with no treatment whatsoever (except of course checking and resealing the penetrations and regular washing). Why would I want to get up there, scrub the roof to within an inch of its life (when you scrub the roof you are also removing minute layers of finish) and then coat it with something that can and will make it dangerous to even be up there if you really have to? In Florida, there is no clear coating that will last for more than 4 months in direct sun, no matter the claims of the manufacturer. I understand there are some here that are trying to preserve their coach for the next guy, but I've got enough to do maintaining the rest of the coach without worrying about deterioration that can't be stopped.

[walkerhound]

Originally Posted by ronandsue74

this will permanently eliminate all future white streaks.

What is that milky white stuff that runs off the roof when I wash it? I use a car wash soap and thought maybe it was just residue from the manufacturing process, but 3 years later it still happens. Is it some sort of protectant that I am removing from the roof? I am worried I am doing harm and need to replace it with something like 303 or wash it differently. I couldn't find any explanation via google or iRV2, so was operating with the assumption it is an anomaly, but you guys seem very familiar and informed on what this is.

~thanks for hopefully finally solving a mysterious question I have had for years and couldn't find an answer.

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by 450Donn

303 is not a true wax. Thus the reason it only lasts a couple of weeks. How many times a year are you on your roof? Maybe twice a year? If so waxing it and not going back up there for 6 months the wax will mostly be a non issue. So whats the big deal?

Of course 303 is not a wax, it is a UV protectant. According to my RV detail guy a coating of 303 two or three times a year is all you need on solid surface RV roofs. He was very vocal about not using a wax up there.

If someone only ventures up on their roof once or twice a year, and is confident no workers will need to be up there, then I suppose you could take a chance and wax it up. That would never work for me because every month I climb up there and coat my vents/skylights with 303 and look things over.

Since we stay in warmer temps all year long my a/c run a lot. Rarely am I on my roof when there isn't some type of moisture up there. A waxed roof at my age is just asking for a trip to the hospital or worse.

But everyones needs/wants are different.

[wildtoad]

I just got done washing and applying 303 to my 31 ft Bay Star Sport. I do this a couple of times a year so it never really gets that dirty. The nice thing is that I can do this without getting on the roof. I just stand on the step ladder and spray the roof and then use a mitt on a 4 ft handle to wipe it down. Same process works for washing and 303 application. Bigger units will need a bigger ladder.

[DickJr]

Would anyone care to share their preferred method of applying 303 to the roof? Sponge, mop, paint roller, or other? Wipe off excess or just let it sit?

Just bought a gallon of 303 but need some application technique help.

Thanks

[FatChance]

I just use a cheap sponge mop and toss it when done so I don't have to store it until the next time I do the roof. Since I can use it standing up, my back and knees thank me.

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by DickJr

Would anyone care to share their preferred method of applying 303 to the roof? Sponge, mop, paint roller, or other? Wipe off excess or just let it sit?

Just bought a gallon of 303 but need some application technique help.

Thanks

My roof takes about 1/2 to 3/4 of a regular spray bottle to complete. I purchased an extra window cleaning wand from Lowe's. Can't recall the brand but it has the removeable cleaning pad on one side and the squeegee on the other, plus the wand/handle expands out to about 5 feet so you can use it like a mop.

After washing my roof and letting it dry I just have to take my 303 spray bottle and this window washing wand up there. It is handy because if there is any condensation from an a/c unit running I can use the squeegee side and quickly get rid of any water and then apply 303 to that area.

The whole process takes about 30 minutes.

I'll be doing it again this week after washing the entire coach. I purchased a bottle of F11 and used it on my Harley yesterday and was impressed. Looking forward to getting F11 on the entire coach.

[rfg9585]

Got my coach back in March and did some research on different things to do for the roof. My goal was to stay off of it and not have to worry about it. I came across 2 products very similar, I think one was named Proguard and the other was Henry's Tropi-cool. Both are lifetime products and very UV tolerant. I chose to go with Henry's for 2 reasons, price and can be bought at home depot. I ordered a test gallon and did my seams, etc. Liked it very much, so I bit the bullet and bought the big ~5gal bucket and applied 2 coats to my roof. I can tell that it does have a cooling benefit and from the feel of it will likely last a very long time. I applied this on a very hot humid NC afternoon (95degrees\75humidity) and had a hard time keeping up with its dry cycle. Humidity cures it faster.

I see some down sides to this product also to keep in mind:

Its silicone based so those highend tapes a lot of folks use will not work on the roof, however you should never need it for a leak. My issue was I need to install some solar and I definitely will need to drill holes\screws as tape is off the table.

The product does tend to draw "dirt" so if you really care what you roof looks like, its probably not for you. For me I don't give a rip so long as it does its function because I don't want to look at it.

[Nevermind Me]

This year I washed the roof with a power washer and then my bride used a magic eraser to clean off all the dirt/mold residue and chalky white powder. I then used 303 to UV protect it. Seems to have worked well this summer travel season.

[mcbus]

Here's what I did and by no means an expert. I purchased this 16 Tiffin 36LA in March. I recently installed some vent covers and while up there I observed that I dont think its been cleaned since new. Very dirty and chalky.
I cleaned the roof with an RV wash and dried it. Backed it into the barn to get out of the sun.
Here is where the fun began. I purchased some Nu Finish and started applying, starting in the front. Layed in about a 4ft x 4ft section and waited for it to dry. 3 to 5 minutes I started polishing. Holy crap. Maybe it was the heat or not I dont know. Hard to remove and definetly splotchy. I got my cheap Walmart polisher and that helped remove the wax. I continued with that for about 4 hours and let it sit for a day. Not looking good.
Two days later did another coat, again about four hours of very hard work. Not happy, still splotchy in spots but acceptable.
Got some 303 and a spray bottle. sprayed a small section very lightly and then
mopped with a cheap sponge mop. Continued on and took about 20 to 30 minutes to cover the roof. Remember Lightly. Took the splotchy spots out and left a beautiful shine on the roof. Couldnt be happier. I'll get up there in 2 months and if needed apply another LIGHT coat of 303. Very happy with the 303 which I have always used on my tires(wipe it in) and the slide rubber seals. I hope that 303 is all I will have to do again.

[Dutch Star Don]

In my younger days, I would wax the entire roof of my Monaco Diplomat at least twice a year. Now, I can barely climb up there and I'm not as steady after double knee replacements. About 3-4 times a year, I go up and wash the roof and solar panels. Once a year, I go up there with my hat, water, power buffer wax and towels and wax the front cap to where it turns down to the roof, both sidewall facades on top and down the sides and then the top of the rear cap. I don't worry about the rest of the roof, as most of it is covered with solar panes and all the other stuff. This makes the front cap a little slicker so stuff runs off better. Doing the facades makes the coach look good from ground level.

Tip....if you ever get into some chalky surface and the wax wants to stick and is hard to remove, first spray the area with Pledge and then apply the wax. You'll get better results, making the wax easier to buff and remove.

[richpatty]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

In my younger days, I would wax the entire roof of my Monaco Diplomat at least twice a year. Now, I can barely climb up there and I'm not as steady after double knee replacements. About 3-4 times a year, I go up and wash the roof and solar panels. Once a year, I go up there with my hat, water, power buffer wax and towels and wax the front cap to where it turns down to the roof, both sidewall facades on top and down the sides and then the top of the rear cap. I don't worry about the rest of the roof, as most of it is covered with solar panes and all the other stuff. This makes the front cap a little slicker so stuff runs off better. Doing the facades makes the coach look good from ground level.

Tip....if you ever get into some chalky surface and the wax wants to stick and is hard to remove, first spray the area with Pledge and then apply the wax. You'll get better results, making the wax easier to buff and remove.

Thanks Don. Good info and I also have a lot on the roof which makes it harder to wax it all. In addition, my RV is stored under cover for most of the year, so waxing the roof was never a high priority. I do the caps and curved edges of the roof. I may start doing some of the more open areas to keep it looking good, although I do fear making or slick.