Rubber Roof Re-Sealing

[47110815]

Hello all,

We met some fellow campers last weekend who directed us to this forum.

We did not see a more appropriate forum for this subject, if there is, just let us know.

Can anybody recommend a company which could re-seal our rubber roof? After 20+ years of worry-free camping, we developed a tiny water leak during a severe storm, next to the bathroom skylight. So we thought it might just need to be replaced.

Our service contact stated that it is not the sealant around it or the skylight itself, we have a soft spot, the rubber roof is getting thin. He actually found another one. He suggested to re-seal it, but does not have the manpower right now to do so.

Supposedly you have to clean it very well and then apply some sealer, and that would buy us another 3 to 5 years.

Any recommendations on companies which do this kind of work? The roof is about 21 feet long (it is a small class C motorhome, total length 24'5").

We are close to Elkhart, IN but have not found a company yet that would to it for a reasonable price. The lowest we were quoted was around $1,700.

We have seen ads from companies, some even come to your place, and they supposedly do it for half the price. But we don't want to fall for any scam or cheap labor. A roof is important and we want to get it done right.

We do not mind traveling some place to get it done, as long as it is manageable in regards to distance and overnight stay. We are still working, so we have a limit on time.

Any valuable input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Gary RVRoamer]

If you are talking about over-coating an EPDM rubber roof, $1700 isn't unreasonable for a quality job when done at RV dealer prices. If you already have a soft spot, you need to uncover and fix that as well as coating the rest. Is that included in the price? Once you do that, I would expect another 7-10 years of useful life.

[47110815]

Thank you for your comment.

We see what you meant. We checked more, other companies charge about $150 per foot, or even more, so the $1,700 now sound very reasonable, as you said.

So we wait till our service has the manpower available. He said he wants to get it done in October before the weather changes too dramatically, said it has to be dry and should be above 50 degree (thus it is done inside a shop).

It also sounds like our service contact might do it right. He said they will have to remove everything from the roof first (vents/skylights/A/C etc.), then clean it and dry it, then apply, install and reseal it.

He did not say anything about uncovering the soft spots and/or fixing it. Maybe it is not needed? We will definitely check before the work starts.

And after all: Having to spend $1,700 after 20+ years without issues is basically nothing, like $7 a month. We have the skylight plus vents (2 plus 1 with fan in bathroom) replaced at the same time, might even add reversible fans to the other ones now.

We hit another downpour last weekend (thus nothing like the previous storm), no noticeable leaks even days later, so we can wait till service can do it.

Thanks again!