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Old 02-01-2021, 07:09 PM   #1
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Noob HELP!! Inspection advice - roof

I'm new here! I hope someone can help me. I'm looking to buy a used TT. I've got my eyes on a 2017 Coachman Catalina. I've read and watched lots of info on what to look for on a used unit. The one I'm considering is a one owner unit. The gentleman that has it lived in it for a while, appears well kept for the most part, but he's never had it stored under any sort of cover. In addition, when looking at the seals on the roof, the sealant looks pretty bad. Cracks and pitts all over (see picture for the worst of it - this is in the front corners). It seems like he's probably never done any type of maintenance on the roof. When inspecting inside, in all the corners, deep in the cabinets, and everywhere else, I don't see any signs of water, and I don't smell any mold or mildew. The floors and walls seem to be solid everywhere but I'm nervous. Some of those cracks in the sealant seem pretty deep. Being a wood and tin construction, I know you've got to be really careful.

Should I walk away from it? or did I save it in time?
If it's ok, can I just clean and topcoat the sealant or does the old stuff need scraped off first?

Lastly all four corners have visible cracks in the sealant along the trim. Is that simply scraping off the exposed sealant and re-caulking? or does the whole corner need to be re-sealed?

Sorry for the long winded thread, thanks for taking the time to help a newcomer!!
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Old 02-01-2021, 08:08 PM   #2
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You've done your due diligence by inspecting for any water damage inside, has no smell, and from the pictures you've shown, looks like someone or the factory really slathered on the sealent.

IF...you can get it at a really good price, using the roof as leverage, I'd suggest you scrap off all that caulking with a plastic scraper and replace it with Eternabond tape. Then you'll never, or rarely ever, have to worry about leaks again.

Here's my ad free blog article covering sealing the seams in a Class A that might give you an idea of what I've done with mine that you could copy. Note that all RVs face the water leak issue (mostly): Roof and roof work...

Of course there are some seams on a TT that you wouldn't want Ebond tape on but you'll work it out I'm sure. But they make it in different colors too. Including black.

Here's the brochure for that rig...note they do a pressure leak check at the factory: Cat Brochure
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Old 02-02-2021, 06:16 AM   #3
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Any used camper is probably going to need some maintenance, so I wouldn't let that scare you away. One thing you might consider doing just to be sure is buying a moisture meter and checking walls, corners inside the camper, just to be more thorough than a visual inspection. I would agree with using the Eternabond tape mentioned above where you can, and otherwise trying to scrape off as much of the old sealant as possible and reapplying a good (Dicor, for example) self-leveling lap sealant. As far as the corners, there should be butyl tape behind the trim, so what you're seeing on the side may just be squeeze out from the butyl tape, or there may be caulking along the side just for extra protection. I would clean that up with a plastic scraper and reapply a non-self-leveling caulk. (NOT silicone - nothing sticks to it and it's a bear to remove.) Good luck.
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Old 02-02-2021, 07:52 PM   #4
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Thanks guys!!
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