Fiberglass Roof

[Deeds]

The roof being Gell Coat will eventually chalk and yes waxing is a preventive, but just like boats, it will have to be waxed more often as time goes by. A good solution is to paint the roof with (white) "Rustoleum Marine Deck Paint". This paint is what is used in the Marine industry, which would end the need to wax the roof. It is paint that provides excellent UV protection and stands up in the salt water environment, so it will definitely handle our environment. I purchased mine from Home Depot. Not all locations carry this product, but if a Home Depot is near salt water area, they will more than likely carry it. It shines quite well and is stain resistant. No more waxing the roof.

[Deeds]

The roof being Gell Coat will eventually chalk and yes waxing is a preventive, but just like boats, it will have to be waxed more often as time goes by. A good solution is to paint the roof with (white) "Rustoleum Marine Deck Paint". This paint is what is used in the Marine industry, which would end the need to wax the roof. It is paint that provides excellent UV protection and stands up in the salt water environment, so it will definitely handle our environment. I purchased mine from Home Depot. Not all locations carry this product, but if a Home Depot is near salt water area, they will more than likely carry it. It shines quite well and is stain resistant. No more waxing the roof.

[dkoldman]

As we were getting a lot of different ideas, and some to the extremes for how to take care of a new fiberglass roof, I sent a letter to Crane Composites who makes the Filon Fiberglass Roof, and Winnebago my RV Mfg. Both were quick to respond with the exact same official document for maintenance and care procedures for Fiberglass and Gelcoat on RV. See attached pdf.

RESTORING GLOSS
Materials
• Meguiar’s: #49 Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover
• Meguiar’s #50 Boat and RV Cleaner Wax Liquid or a Mild detergent and water
• Meguiar’s: #56 Boat and RV Pure Wax
• Soft cotton cloth
• Mechanical buffer (optional)
Procedure
1. Wash the Crane Composites RV panel with a mild detergent and water.
2. Dry the Crane Composites RV panel with a clean, soft cotton cloth.
3. Apply heavy duty cleaner by following the directions on the container. (If a buffer is available, substitute polishing
compound for heavy duty cleaner and buff polishing compound lightly).
4. Wash the Crane Composites RV panel with water and dry the surface.
5. Apply car wax per directions.

I then questioned both if the procedure was specifically meant to cover the side walls and roof? Winnebago referred me directly to Crane for anything outside of that document. That made sense to me. When I talked with Crane, I got the below in writing.

According to our Quality team the roof material has the same gel coat as the side walls, it would have the same maintenance requirements as mentioned in the brochure. We believe what you have done was adequate (wash and wax).

My roof is about 16 months old and I have only used Wash n Wax. So as far as I am concerned and my 10 year warranty, nothing is expected, but good washing and some occasional waxing. By using the Wash n Wax with each wash you are adding the UV protection desired with minimum effort and cost. However, apply a good coat of wax is what the Mfg recommends. I already use Meguiars Marine Wax; However; I am going to try the Gel Gloss RV Wash & Wax on RV roof & sidewalls as it was rated #1 RV Wash n Wax on several sites. As long as I have a high gloss and shine, there is no need to nothing more than Wash & Wax; which I plan to do around 4 times per year.

[buddy110]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

As we were getting a lot of different ideas, and some to the extremes for how to take care of a new fiberglass roof, I sent a letter to Crane Composites who makes the Filon Fiberglass Roof, and Winnebago my RV Mfg. Both were quick to respond with the exact same official document for maintenance and care procedures for Fiberglass and Gelcoat on RV. See attached pdf.

RESTORING GLOSS
Materials
• Meguiar’s: #49 Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover
• Meguiar’s #50 Boat and RV Cleaner Wax Liquid or a Mild detergent and water
• Meguiar’s: #56 Boat and RV Pure Wax
• Soft cotton cloth
• Mechanical buffer (optional)
Procedure
1. Wash the Crane Composites RV panel with a mild detergent and water.
2. Dry the Crane Composites RV panel with a clean, soft cotton cloth.
3. Apply heavy duty cleaner by following the directions on the container. (If a buffer is available, substitute polishing
compound for heavy duty cleaner and buff polishing compound lightly).
4. Wash the Crane Composites RV panel with water and dry the surface.
5. Apply car wax per directions.

I then questioned both if the procedure was specifically meant to cover the side walls and roof? Winnebago referred me directly to Crane for anything outside of that document. That made sense to me. When I talked with Crane, I got the below in writing.

According to our Quality team the roof material has the same gel coat as the side walls, it would have the same maintenance requirements as mentioned in the brochure. We believe what you have done was adequate (wash and wax).

My roof is about 16 months old and I have only used Wash n Wax. So as far as I am concerned and my 10 year warranty, nothing is expected, but good washing and some occasional waxing. By using the Wash n Wax with each wash you are adding the UV protection desired with minimum effort and cost. However, apply a good coat of wax is what the Mfg recommends. I already use Meguiars Marine Wax; However; I am going to try the Gel Gloss RV Wash & Wax on RV roof & sidewalls as it was rated #1 RV Wash n Wax on several sites. As long as I have a high gloss and shine, there is no need to nothing more than Wash & Wax; which I plan to do around 4 times per year.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe either the roof or sidewalls are gelcoat on an Entegra.

[schad]

Originally Posted by buddy110

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe either the roof or sidewalls are gelcoat on an Entegra.

Per Entegra's site, the walls are "high-gloss, gel-coat fiberglass." I can't find anything about the roof, though.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by schad

Per Entegra's site, the walls are "high-gloss, gel-coat fiberglass." I can't find anything about the roof, though.

The walls on full body paint are just that, painted. The roof comes off a large roll of thin fiberglass material that is probably Gel Coated. Any kind of sealer is going to work, from Mop and Glow (used it for 10 years) to labor intense wax products, to having a beer while someone else does the work.. A person can make it as easy or as hard as they choose, the end results are going to be the same....stop the white streaks from running down the side.

I have been to many rallies over the years and I have yet to see a roof show and shine contest at any of them.

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by Deeds

A good solution is to paint the roof with (white) "Rustoleum Marine Deck Paint". This paint is what is used in the Marine industry, which would end the need to wax the roof.

Could you provide a link to that product?

I considered doing it last summer on the deck of my 40 year old sailboat could not find this product. There is bottom paint, there is paint for the sides of boats, and non skid paint if the non skid has worn off.

I pressure wash my while boat deck and the sides of my MH to clean them. I do not do anything to the fiberglass roof of the MH except to inspect it.

I am reluctant to paint surfaces that will look worse after a few years after painting than if you did nothing.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by followingsea

Could you provide a link to that product?

I considered doing it last summer on the deck of my 40 year old sailboat could not find this product. There is bottom paint, there is paint for the sides of boats, and non skid paint if the non skid has worn off.

I pressure wash my while boat deck and the sides of my MH to clean them. I do not do anything to the fiberglass roof of the MH except to inspect it.

I am reluctant to paint surfaces that will look worse after a few years after painting than if you did nothing.

I use to spend about $2,500 every 3 - 4 years painting the bottom of my Chaparral. Add in the $7,500 per year for Marina fees and I couldn't wait to sell it (after owning it for 14 years). I bought a new boat that I trailer and keep at the house. I pressure wash it after each use and wax it twice a year with Meguiar's Premium Boat wash. It cost more than the Meguiar's #56 Boat / RV Pure wax recommended by Crane Composite for the Fiberglass roof.

The OP was inquiring about a new Fiberglass roof. While I may follow why some may have a used or dated RV; and wish to paint the roof, there is simply no basis from the Mfg supporting that need to maintain a new fiberglass roof.

They clearly state that the Wash n Wax solution is adequate for roof. Putting wax on is an option for those that wish to do something to keep busy.

My next step is to try the Gel Gloss RV Wash and Wax and see how it looks. My roof looks brand new with the cheap Blue Coral Wash & Wax. I may even hand wax a small portion of roof to see if I can notice a difference. But no way I add any of the other items or chemicals on my new roof that has a 10 year warranty!!! Especially when the documentation tell you improper chemicals will void the warranty. It will be at least 2030 before I even consider as an option and then I will have to have a roof that looks really bad. But the Mfg even tells you how to remove oxidation if you don't follow their instructions otherwise.

[AnotherMike]

Originally Posted by Brianna

I have an old fiberglass roof that needs to be resurfaced. For the roof part of the project i know what I am going to do.

My fiberglass roof also needs some attention. At the moment there is a big blue tarp tented over the MH.
My tentative plans are to use a hot wire cutter (like what is used for styrofoam) to cut off the three or four layers of caulking around the perimeter, then put down some fresh Dicor tape. The fiberglass roof surface itself is showing what looks like pits between the fibers. One person said my gel coat is shot and to replace the entire roof (lots of $). Another said to scrub it with a stiff bristle brush (a 6-inch by 6-inch square at a time) to get the all the dirt out of the pits, then to hose if off, let it dry, and paint it with a elastomeric (spelling?) roof seal - but the stuff he said to use hasn't been made in a decade. Another said to clean it (the same way), then coat it with truck bed liner (lots of $). I'm open to other alternatives or suggestions... I have time, but not a lot of $.
I'm curious as to what you have decided on?

Mike

[Deeds]

followings
I was a little off on the name of the product. Rust-Oleum, "TOPSIDE Paint" Marine Coatings. Looks like Lowe's carries it, Walmart, Ace Hardware.
I used High Gloss on a 2001 Beaver Marquis I owned. The shine is great and I also covered the Dicore Self Leveling sealer and no more degrading of the sealer from the sun and no more dirty look of the sealer as well.
Good Luck

[Brianna]

Dear Mike,

The gelcoat on my fiberglass roof is wind-worn thin and sun-baked crispy, but it is still intact.

I have read all the manufacturers spiels on super duper coatings (including the dicor brand coating) and I came to the conclusion that they might all be more trouble down the road as they start to wear out and crack or whatever.

The biggest clue was when the Dicor people said you could slather their "fiberglass roof coating" over the top of existing dicor on your roof. Imagine, instead of just inspecting decor around your vents and seams, you now have to inspect every sq inch of your roof looking for cracks and failures. And then what? You keep adding more and more coatings over time, like you're icing a cake?

From what I have been reading, the whole "RV Roof Coating" product category is geared towards people who are looking for a quick instant solution that requires very little work. In other words "Uhhhggg, fixing it sounds hard....cant I just coat it with something?" I am suspicious anytime a product category uses words like "quick, instant, easy, one-step, lasts forever, miracle, ". Another clue is that there are like a hundred different brands, each trying to shout louder than the other.

My plan (i think) will be to use the TotalBoat Topside Primer and Topside Paint. That advice is from another Alpine owner on this forum (Alpine36). They did it and it has held up so far.

When I got my RV last summer, I had NO gelcoat left on the top of the front cap, probably from 20 years of driving around in the desert. So, because that was a relatively small area, I cleaned it and then wiped the fiberglass surface with acetone, then applied new gelcoat.

But new gelcoat is a giant project when you are talking about doing the whole roof. You have to mix it a little at a time, work quickly before it kicks, and be certain that you have the drying wax mixed in carefully. So that's why I am leaning towards the marine paint. And PS, the gelcoat chemicals (styrene) are super toxic.

Unfortunately I went decor-crazy last summer and ran a bead all along the top of the trim that covers the roof/wall joint. I will need to dig that out I suppose and then paint, then seal it with something like 3M 4200 or 5200. But, because its a roof that no one can see, it doesn't have to look perfect, so I might paint the main area and then dig out the decor around all the protrusions one-by-one over a period of time and touch them up with the paint before replacing the dicor.

BUT, if your roof is in worse shape than mine, where you can see bare fibers showing up all over the place, I would recommend a slightly more complicated approach:

For the marine industry they make what is essentially a watered-down epoxy (referred to as "penetrating epoxy") that will seep into all the micro cracks and give you a new surface to work with. There are a million of them on Amazon. Gluvit is a brand I have used. The key is to get a marine product and not a household product, because the marine product will not dry rock hard. It will retain a tiny amount of flex which is what you want on an RV or a boat.

So you clean the roof and then go over it with something to remove all wax and greasy contaminants (like acetone on shop towels). Then mix a small amount of the two parts of the epoxy together and cut in around all the little corners and protrusions like AC and vents, etc. with a brush. Then mix a larger quantity and carefully apply with a roller on a pole, just as if you were painting a wall. You will have a reasonable amount of time (per manufacturers guidelines) before it kicks. You will want to do it in sections. Don't plan on reusing rollers.

WARNING:. Because the penetrating epoxy products work by being thin enough to soak into tiny cracks, it is VERY runny and drippy. It is CRITICAL that not a single drop is able to run off the roof and get on the side of your RV or it will be permanently marred.

So once you have a nice new coating of penetrating epoxy, you can just coat it with a one-part marine paint like rustoleum or a 2-part paint like the TotalBoat mentioned above.

In the third scenario, where you have actual fiberglass failure in certain areas (large cracks or holes), you will need to repair the surface first using normal layers of chop-strand-mat and glass, then apply the new coatings as described above.

I hope that helps.

One thing that all the manufacturers do have correct is that it is critical that one does good prep before adding any repair or coating.

[AnotherMike]

Thank you, Brianna, for your response... there's a lot to think about. You have obviously done a lot more research than I have...

I'll locate and post a couple of photos of my RV back, sides and roof before I put the blue tarp over it.... (I did that just to buy me some time to figure out what to do)

Mike

[AnotherMike]

As promised, here are a few photos.
Comments and suggestions welcome.

Mike

[Brianna]

Mike,
That is not the type of fiberglass roof the original poster is talking about.
Yours looks like chop - strand covered with some sort of membrane.
Disregard what I wrote about your roof. I don't think any of it applies.

Sorry about hijacking this post about new roof maintenance with all the repair talk.

Anyone have ideas for Mike? I could be wrong, but I think his roof always looked like that. It's not thread - bare glass without gelcoat, right? Isn't it a totally different animal?