CAMCO RV Roof Cleaner and Treatment

[Big-Foot]

I just thought I would drop a quick note out here as a word of recommendation and also warning!
I purchased the two part system from CAMCO to clean and treat the roof of my 2008 fifth wheel camper.
The plan was -
1) Clean the roof
2) Use Dicor lap sealant over any seams and any cracking of old caulk / putty replaced with butyl putty
3) Seal/treat the roof with a conditioner and UV protectant
4) Install 5 CAMCO Vent covers (the kind that allow you to have your vents open in the rain).
While I was going to clean the roof with Spic and Span like so many others, I thought I would give this cleaner and treatment a try. The camper is a 2008 and was new to me 1 year ago. I don't think the roof got a whole lotta lovin' (if you know what I mean)..
I am a nut for following directions and did so on this project to a T.
The cleaner was nothing short of miraculous as it almost immediately started sucking the dirt out of the roof. I rinsed numerous times as directed. Unbelievable how white it got!
Next was removing bad and cracked caulk and replacing with Butyl putty and then go over all joints etc with the Dicor Lap Sealant. It went very well I think..
Now it was time to get up there and apply the second step of the CAMCO product.. I used a sponge mop and tub to apply the protectant. It went down well and cured very quickly on the cloudy day I was working with.
--- fast forward two weeks ---
Now it is time to get up on the roof and install the CAMCO Vent covers as I am sure the protectant is well cured and I have a sunny day to work on it.
Ladder up, I reach the roof and realize that it is literally like ICE it is so slippery! I can't step off the ladder or I'd certainly fall to the ground 12-1/2' down!
What to do?
I had to somehow get traction on that roof or I would not be safe. I ended up doing what I do for ice in the winter here. I bought up a peanut butter jar full of sand and sprinkled it on the roof to give me the traction I needed to get off the ladder without killing myself!!
Once on the roof, I made the mistake of trying to stand up and almost slid off the roof. The sand was the only thing that stopped me. I ended up crawling on my hands and knees for the next two hours as I installed the covers. After I had drilled my last hole, I sat the drill down next to me. I was fastening the screws to the vent when I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye.. My DRILL!!!!!! It was sliding to the side of the roof! Down it went - luckily that side was next to the lawn and not the driveway. Also luckily - no one was under it!
Once finished, I crawled back to the ladder and went down to get my air hose from the shop and blow the sand off. I then rinsed it with a hose as you'll see from the pics,
The water beaded up and ran off in sheets... I am happy with that performance for sure.
I won't be getting back up there for at least a year and I will update this post then.
Meanwhile, if you get this stuff for your roof, PLEASE be careful...



Regards - Randy & Dar
2015 F350 CC-DRW-409 Diesel / 2008 Rage'n Stryker 4005 Toy Hauler / 2014 Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail-XT
Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[Mr_D]

Butyl putty should only be used between two pieces that need sealing ans is put down when first installed. Unless you took the vent or other item completely off the lap sealant alone should have been enough. Or did I read what you did wrong?

[Big-Foot]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Butyl putty should only be used between two pieces that need sealing ans is put down when first installed. Unless you took the vent or other item completely off the lap sealant alone should have been enough. Or did I read what you did wrong?

I removed bad caulk and butyl and replaced with fresh butyl - then put the lap sealant over the top of it to seal in the butyl.. Some of the screws holding down the vents were starting to rust through cracks in the original caulk. I replaced any steel fasteners with stainless steel and did the butyl/Dicor on them.. Basically just did what the original manufacturer did - only I used better products to do it..


Regards - Randy & Dar
2015 F350 CC-DRW-409 Diesel / 2008 Rage'n Stryker 4005 Toy Hauler / 2014 Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail-XT
Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[Gary RVRoamer]

I don't see any reason or benefit for using both butyl and lap sealant. The lap sealant (Dicor or brand of your choice) is sufficient by itself.

Butyl tape or squeezable caulk is used primarily where two metal surfaces overlap and a joint sealer is needed in between them.

[Big-Foot]

I guess I must have somehow missed the point of my own thread....
I had simply followed suit with what the original manufacturer did when the camper was built in 2008 and was also the recommended course of action by an RV Tech.
Thanks for your noted feedback. I'll keep an eye on the joints and areas I addressed.


Regards - Randy & Dar
2015 F350 CC-DRW-409 Diesel / 2008 Rage'n Stryker 4005 Toy Hauler / 2014 Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail-XT
Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[glenalt]

Thanks for the review. I need to do mine now.

[paz]

I used Protect All Roof Cleaner and Protectant. The protectant didn't seem to be all that slippery after it dried. Of course, one should always use caution up on the roof, especially when it's wet. When it's wet, it can be slippery even without treatment.