What is my roof made of?

[John Stott]

I recently purchased a 2005 National Seabreeze 34 ft class A and want to check the seals but dont know if the roof is made of rubber or something else. Does anbody know what the roof is made from and also what should be used to seal cracks?

Big Thanks in advance.
John

[RV Wizard]

I am not sure if your model has fiberglass, EPDM or TPO roofing but you should use Dicor 501 lap sealant. This is good for any of the above roof systems. TPO is a thermoplastic system that has a texture, EPDM is a rubber type system and is a smoother finish. Lap sealants are for horizontal surfaces as it will self level and run down a vertical surface.

[njs42]

My 03 Dolphin LX has a fiberglass roof---I was at their factory once and saw where they made roofs so I think yours must be as well---

[Fishbreath]

John, chances are you have a EPDM Rubber Roof, carefully climb up your ladder or have someone do it for you & you can actually move the Rubber Membrane (at a corner) without tearing it, it is a real strong material! I use a Product called Sikaflex-715, it is designed for Rubber Roofs, Semi Self Leveling, Prep Area w/Acetone, & then I apply it w/my Caulking Gun & then smooth it out in the Cracks w/my Finger, works Great & looks clean! I sold Marine/Boating Products for years & have owned 7 RV's & 9 Boats, & used to sell a Sikaflex Product to the Military for their Hydrocrafts to Adhesives their Flaps on there Units, they would by 300 Tubes from me at a time! There is nothing worse than the Saltwater Environment! Try it you will like it, go to E-bay there is a Seller that sells it by the tube for $9.62 w/Free Shipping!!! Item#1806544848774 Hope this helps.
Frank G
2000 Fleetwood Bounder 32H
Workhorse Chassis 454 V8 Vortec Engine with Banks System

[John Stott]

Thanks for the replys. They were very useful. I think that ithe roof is fiberglass.

[Five92]

Hi John!

I have a 2004 NRV Seabreeze LX 8341 (34'11") and my roof is made of EPDM. I use the Dicor sealer you find in the large caulking gun style tubes. As Fishbreath said, clean as much of the old caulking away, prep with the appropriate cleaner (I used the Dicor EPDM prep/cleaner) and seal away.. I use a rubber glove on my hands, dab my fingers in water and smooth out the sealer on the end cap rails.... Don't be stingy on the seams with the sealer, it will flatten out; the sealer isn't too expensive but not as expensive much as having to repair a rotted or a black mold infested roof panel or structure....

[Theberrys]

There was a 2005 Dolphin at the "Orphan Rally" this year and it had a fibre glass roof.


Dick

[Gary RVRoamer]

Dolphins went to TPO (not EPDM) in 2002 and then went to fiberglass for the roof.

You can download a copy of the sales brochure for your 2005 Dolphin here:
http://www.rvguidebook.com/cf/guide/...facturerid=376


Ooops - sorry! I see you have a Seabreeze rather than a Dolphin. It's still fiberglass, though. Look for your brochure here instead:
http://www.rvguidebook.com/cf/guide/...facturerid=380

[Five92]

Hi Gary, I have that brochure and interestingly enought, it's not correct for my application for some reason. The roof is EPDM, maybe a last run built on a Friday or something, but I took the coach down to the local RV repair shop to have them give me an estimate of resealing the roof and the identified it as EPDM too. Also, the brochure indicates that I have a "Crowned Roof" too, but that is incorrect as well. My roof is flat as can be and the water will not run off unless I have the coach slight off level. It's clearly a 2004 as the VIN indicates it is, and the Chevy dealer that here that repaired the Brakes under the Workhorse Chassis recall identified it as a 2004 MFG.. SO, specs show it is, but it isn't. I do appreciate that information thought, had I not already had all that spec sheet, I'd really would have liked the link... Take care..
Tom

[Gary RVRoamer]

Interesting! I've seen brochures that were "out of sync " before, though! The Seabreeze is a less expensive model than the Dolphin, so maybe they went with a cheaper roof material - gotta distinguish it from the pricier models somehow.

The 2002 Dolphin LX we had did have TPO roof, but it too was flat.

[John Stott]

Thanks everyone for your good info. I think that the roof in my 2005 Seabreeze is fiberglass like the brochure indicates. QUICK QUESTION:

[John Stott]

QUICK QUESTION: - If the roof is fiberglass and I cant see any cracks do I still need to "Maintain" it once a year. The brochure says to do this but doesnt say how?

[Five92]

Originally Posted by John Stott

QUICK QUESTION: - If the roof is fiberglass and I cant see any cracks do I still need to "Maintain" it once a year. The brochure says to do this but doesnt say how?

Hi John,

Caring for your fiberglass roof is similar to caring for the fiberglass sides of your motorhome. The "Maintenance" is better termed "Preventative Maintenance" as you really want to catch something before it happens.

In my opinion....

You should clean your roof with a mild detergent, or even go as far as using a cleaner specific to fiberglass...

My buddy even goes to the extreme of WAXING the fiberglass roof on his RV to help repell any water... but he's a lot younger than me and seems to have more time on his hands..................

Then you need to get on the roof - if you are not sure if the roof will support your weight while on it, get a piece of plywood or solid material to spread out your weight as to not concentrate it in one area.

You need to visually examine the seams and sealer around each roof vent, skylight, tank vent, antennas, solar charger and whatever else they felt they needed to poke a hole in your roof for. You should examine the end cap seals and if you find any cracks or peeling sealer anywhere, remove, clean and reseal with the appropriate cleaner and sealer...

If you just purchased this Coach and no one was able to tell you when the roof was last sealed, it might be a good idea to remove all the old sealer and reseal it yourself. That way you have a point at which you know the roof is free of leaks.

On my 04 Seabreeze, it sat idle for several years and the roof was never checked or sealed. When I got the coach and powered it up for the first time, the TV blew out because the front end cap seal had failed and water poured into the TV housing and then on and into the dash.. Luckily there was a recall on the dash assembly and that was fixed, but I took everything apart cleaned ALL the seam sealer from all areas on the roof and reasealed it. I have not had a leak since.

So now, I have two trips left with my RV for the summer, after that, I'll remove all the sealer again and reseal it just before I store her in the shop. When I take it out next summer, I recheck the seams and touch them up if needed.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The fiberglass itself needs no maintenance other than occasional cleaning with detergent and water. What you must do is check the seams at the edges and around openings and re-caulk as needed.