Community Forums

RVdad · 08-07-2009, 10:53 PM

We've just been told that we should replace our rubber roof on our '98 Tioga, because it shows some black where it should be all white. I've been treating it yearly, we cover our RV in the winter and in the summer if it sits a while. I'm researching this EPDM Liquid Roof product. Anyone has any experience and/or advice? is it DIY-able? this stuff says no primer needed. Do I have to remove the appliances on the roof (ie) AC unit, antenna, vents etc..? Should I spend $3000 to $4000 or trade? My RV guys are telling me that I've been doing everything right on the roof, that they've been replacing a few fleetwood made roofs of that year. Should I contact the manufacturer? 12 years on a well maintained roof is pretty short, no?
I'd appreciate any feed-back

MonacoMama · 08-08-2009, 12:42 AM

RVDad...Welcome to iRV2!

We are glad you have found us here!

SacsTC did our rubber roof on our Bounder - I believe -so I believe it can be a DIY for some folks - you just have to know your limits of capabilities!

Again..welcome to iRV2! I am sure you will get other answers soon!

RV Wizard · 08-08-2009, 02:07 AM

I have only talked to a representative of the product and it sounds prety good. I would try it if I were not sure how many more years I was going to keep the rig.

RVdad · 08-08-2009, 08:04 AM

I am willing to try a rubberizing product on the roof to extend the life--as opposed to spending 4k to have it redone--but I am kind of puzzled as to why I should be presented with this situation when the Fleetwood Tioga is only 12 years old? Your thoughts? Suggestions? Advice on repair? or trade?
Thank you much!

RVdad · 08-08-2009, 08:07 AM

What is the product you refer to in your reply? SacsTC?

stevesandidg · 08-08-2009, 08:35 AM

rvdad,
i do alot of roofovers at my shop, and have used the liquid epdm before. before using it, you need to make sure that the roof is clean, the old caulk is removed, all the vents, antennas, a/c's, rails etc are removed. then you will be ready to apply. also check to see if you have any soft spots under the rubber, that may need fixing. if ther is a lot of soft spots, you may need to lay down some new plywood, and do a epdm fabric roofover instead of the liquid.
steve

DonnaB · 08-08-2009, 03:32 PM

rvdad,

On our 1992 Kountry Star there were several roof repairs we had done including replacing some parts of the underlying plywood decking and patching in new rubber roof material. After several patches we decided to use the liquid rubber material from front to rear to seal it all up and avoid a new roof in the immediate future. That was in 2005. Your rubber roof is guaranteed 10 years, so we felt it had gotten its life and then some.

The material was not hard to apply....just follow directions well and tape off things you don't want it dripping on. Do realize that when you mix it, there is a window in which you need to git-er-done as it will begin curing. Not hard to manage, you just need to have all your prep work done at that time.

We found it a great product. It met all our expectations and then some, was reasonably easy to do and looked good. The price was much preferable to a new roof. I believe we used 7 gallons on a 38' coach.

Hooligan · 08-08-2009, 05:20 PM

RVDad: Good discussion on another forum on Liquid roof (Liquid rubber) I would definitely recommend it over the other coatings. Very important that the roof itself is sound. Be sure the rubber fabric is cleaned, we removed the vents and AC covers but not the AC's...with 2 of us working on a 31 foot roof it was a lot to get done. It looked great and really held up well.... Here's the other discussion. http://www.woodalls.com/forums/index...6.cfm#22539986

Having all the prep work done before you begin is good advice..
Hope this helps..

Gary RVRoamer · 08-08-2009, 07:12 PM

12 years is a bit short but within specs for a rubber roof. But are you sure it needs to be recovered now? Black can be simply mold down in the pores of the material - not uncommon. The rel test is whether it is still smooth rubber or whether you can see the weave of the coarse fabric backing. If the rubber is gone in places and only the backing left, then yes you need to take action soon. If I had a few such spots I would just clean them and apply an EPDM-compatible elastomeric roof coating (e.g. Kool Seal) to those spots. If there are a lot of them, them consider re-coating the whole roof or replacing with new EPDM. New EPDM is another 10-15 year solution, whereas re-coating is probably a 5 -8 year solution.

And as was stated above, if there are signs on underlying damage, e.g. soft spots, you need to tear up the old rubber to fix the roof structure anyway.

Re-coating is definitely a DIY job, but it's a large one. Figure on a couple days, one to clean and prep and another to paint it on.

justimagination · 08-08-2009, 08:06 PM

Welcome RVDAD, you will like this site, and will learn a lot as well. As for your roof, it is a common problem with RV's, just like Vinyl roof was on auto's back in the 70's. The weather is a big factor, but there are some good products on the market for your problem. You can google "ETERNABOND" which comes in a roll, and it will stay where you put it. It is an excellent sealer, and it also comes in white and you can coat right over it. As before mentioned, remove any old caulking that is cracked or loose, clean really good, re-seal and do the roof coating. It is not always necessary to remove the A/C unit, I doubt if any damage is under the unit. Good luck, and again welcome to IRV2.
David G.