Community Forums

SinncerelyMe · 04-26-2015, 07:01 PM

Hello to all,

New to this forum. I have always been fascinated by the idea of living a simpler lifestyle. Although the end goal is to build my own tiny house for travels, I just bought an 84 Winnebago Elandan to live in full time and save money in the mean time. She's seen better days, but I'm slowly bringing her back to life and away from the outdated "wooden cave" look. So far I have gutted the interior and found some leaks on the roof...mainly the centerline and windows. Before I start remodeling the interior, I want the exterior to be sealed tight. My first question is what material is the roof made out of? I've heard from various people that it's fiberglass, and that it's aluminum from others. I've seen numerous products out there that come at a huge cost and are for specific applications. The stuff I'd like to go with is a product called "through the roof" roof sealer. A buddy of mine told me he used it on his RV and hasn't had a leak in over 5 years (2 of which he was living in it in the dead of winter). Seems like a great product and the manufacturer states it will bond to fiberglass and aluminum, but not to the typical rubber roofs most RVs have. Any thoughts?
Other plans for my new wagon include a new laminate floor, repainting the interior to a more inviting color scheme, a new frame around the fresh water tank and generator ( it used to have twin beds above each) with a queen bed centering the two, new futon with battery bank storage underneath, solar panels with power inverter for off grid 120v, new captains chairs, winterizing the plumbing underneath, elimination of the black water tank and install of a composting toilet, new paint on the exterior, and installing a ford solenoid to the chassis and bypassing the existing solenoid thats mounted to the starter motor (she does not start after running for a while because the heat creates too much resistance in the current solenoid-done this one before an a 454 chevy). I am a plumber by trade but have dabbled in just about any field that involves a wrench, hammer, or multimeter. I have the skills to do the work, but any information is always greatly appreciated. I'd rather take some advice and do it differently than planned if it's going to save me in the end. Thanks for any information and happy travels to all!

HoneyBadger · 04-26-2015, 07:05 PM

Our 85 Winnebago Chieftain we had years ago had an aluminum roof. Leaked like a sieve from a thousand little corroded holes underneath some weird sort of antenna arrangement the previous owner had put on the roof. Eternabond aluminum tape fixed the holes but half the roof was taped before we were through.

SinncerelyMe · 04-26-2015, 07:58 PM

As far as the busted spots, and seams go, I have this stuff I have used to repair fiberglass pools called "boxer underwater epoxy". This stuff is awesome! It bonds to any rough sanded surface and will hold up to ungodly pressures. I figured I'd coat any cracks and seams with this stuff, repaint the top a nice full gloss white, then apply the roof sealer and see what happens before putting in new foam board and ceiling.

Mechman · 08-17-2015, 08:04 PM

Hello, SM: I bought an 85 Elandan this Spring. I'm re-building it and would like to share repair info with you in the future. Short on time right now but I will try to get back here soon to see if you are interested. Thanks, Mechman

Gordon Dewald · 08-17-2015, 08:16 PM

Good luck with your renovations. I am looking forward to following the progress.

I am not a fan of composting toilets in a small area. There is a definite odor about them that needs a lot of ventilation to overcome.