Roof sealant

[Dale1949]

Does anyone know what sealant western used on the front and rear caps to the fiberglass roof. Doesn't look like dictor self leveling to me. Just wondering what others are using. Thanks

[Alpine36]

I’m not sure what they used. I cleaned everything off and used Dicor self leveling Lap Sealant, followed up a few days later with 4” Eternabond tape covering everything. Probably overkill but I’ve had zero leaks since. The front cap joint had a small leak I fought for a long time.

[Dale1949]

Thanks for the info. Same idea had for this job. How hard was it to remove the old sealant. Mine is a little over an inch wide and quite hard and brittle. I think removing it will make for a better seal. Also have a vent with a small crack in the sealant. Is it proper to just clean the old sealant good and apply the new self leveling to it or do I have to remove the old sealant. Thanks again for your info

[Flyer15015]

Dale,
I just did my front and rear caps. I used the DW's hair drier to warm the old Dicor, and plastic scrapers from Harbor Frt. Made it go much easier. I took it down to flush and scrubbed the seam with denatured alcohol.

When I laid down the new Dicor, I "troweled" it out with a plastic spatula so the water would not puddle behind the seam. Pancakes will taste a bit funny for a while.

Mike in Colorado

[Alpine36]

I did it on a somewhat warm day and it came up fairly easily with a razor scraper. I don’t recall it being all that difficult of a job. I used acetone to remove any residual sealant, followed by a good cleaning with denatured alcohol and scotch brite pads. Then a final wipe again with alcohol and a clean rag. The Eternabond requires a very clean prep surface for best results. The rear cap isn’t as crucial as the front because any leaks back there simply go in to the engine bay, not the house.

[Birddog Pilot]

You might want to try a professional's method. Bobby Vodden at his shop, Kustom Coach Works, in Junction City, OR had done our '06 FDTS several times and this was his method. He used a trigger-start propane torch similar to this one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Worthington-3...rigger-Propane
to heat a wide putty knife that slices that old sealant like butter right down to the fiberglass leaving a perfectly clean surface to apply the Dicor. When it cools to the point he doesn't get the old goo to come off easily he hits it with the torch again and keeps moving along. His daughter is the current expert in their shop when it comes to "peel and seal" roof work and continues with the same method, she does a terrific job on roofs. I never had any leaks in the Alpine.

[Alpine36]

Originally Posted by Birddog Pilot

You might want to try a professional's method. Bobby Vodden at his shop, Kustom Coach Works, in Junction City, OR had done our '06 FDTS several times and this was his method. He used a trigger-start propane torch similar to this one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Worthington-3...rigger-Propane
to heat a wide putty knife that slices that old sealant like butter right down to the fiberglass leaving a perfectly clean surface to apply the Dicor. When it cools to the point he doesn't get the old goo to come off easily he hits it with the torch again and keeps moving along. His daughter is the current expert in their shop when it comes to "peel and seal" roof work and continues with the same method, she does a terrific job on roofs. I never had any leaks in the Alpine.

Great idea. I’ll give that method a try next time.
Thanks Birddog!

[Dale1949]

Thanks to all for your great info. I am just about done clay barring and waxing the entire rig. When I complete this task I will do the roof. Dale

[Birddog Pilot]

Alpine36 and Dale39 an item that I forgot to add to Bobby's method of roof stripping prior to using the sealant was that he went over the areas that had been peeled and used either acetone or alcohol to make sure that the area was nice and clean.

Dale, you must have limitless energy to tackle that much hard work, bet the Alpine is beautiful!!

[Dale1949]

Not a pile of energy at 76, but my 72 year old brother is. we did it in 3 days. My rig is parked under my rv cover so we didnt have to fight the weather. The biggest help was the rolling platform ladder. I am still looking for the stock washer/dryer vent cover. Have a couple of clam shell marine covers , but they dont match up very well. So I guess i will keep looking. Thanks to all for your input

[Birddog Pilot]

I know how you feel Dale1949 I'm 85 and it takes me a full five days to do the Dutch Star. It's kept at an indoor storage facility here in San Diego, and that helps because I can use their roller ladders. Kinda like waxing a house, isn't it?

[Dale1949]

Real similar. A good time to solve all the world problems. Time goes real fast but slows a little when your arm gets sore Cleaned and lubed the leveling jacks today. Going to pressure test the water system and ice maker tomorrow. Just having some . Dalefun

[Alpine36]

“Coachputzing”
An excuse to do things to the RV that may or may not need attention. Nobody ever notices what it is you’ve done all day, except you of course.

As a bonus, it gets you away from the honey do list for a while, all while testing the efficiency of the refrigerator while sampling a few favorite cold beverages.

No, it’s not magic that keeps these things shiny and reliably running down the road. It really is a hobby.

That reminds me, today is test run the generator day, clean the fir needles out of the roof vent screens and make sure to restock the fridge….

[Birddog Pilot]

Dale I don't know what you used on your jacks for cleaning and lubing, but on our Alpine I always used the recommended good ol' WD40. It always worked like a champ, not only to clean but it certainly improved the retract time considerably. As I recall after the WD wipe down the time for all four to retract was always about 50-55 seconds, which isn't all that bad.