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Old 09-25-2014, 04:00 PM   #1
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Roof Sealant

So I tackled reapplying sealant around the roof and anything that goes through it. I bought the Alpha Ply sealant that is apparently what I am supposed to use on the roof of the White Hawk.

My original primary objective was to try to do a nice neat job of it. Learned that I am handy with a lot of things but not so much when it comes to applying nice neat beads of caulk.

So... I changed my primary objective to just getting the job done effectively even if it didn't end up looking pretty. I figured its the roof... no one is really going to see it except me anyway.

I found that the existing caulk had minor surface cracking but overall seemed to still adhere to everything very well. That being the case, rather than to scrape it off and then use a huge amount of Alpha Ply to replace it all, I applied new onto the existing. Then, I basically smoothed it out like I was icing a cake. When that seemed fairly dry I then went around the edges and used my index finger to press the bead into the edge sort of creating a new edge.

This wasn't really a hard job but it was somewhat messy. I wasn't impressed with my handy work but hopefully the goal of preventing future leaks will have been met.

I shot the picture as I was coming down from the roof. This is an example of one of the rails attached to the roof after I applied the new Alpha Ply caulking. Does this look like it would be effective? Since the trailer is less than 2 years old and the existing caulk looked okay will it be fine that I didn't remove it and just applied new on top and all surrounding it?
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Old 09-25-2014, 05:45 PM   #2
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That's a nice neat job you've done and I think that's a good way to do it. I think I might follow you on that cover up come spring time. Mine is 4 years old and the calking is cracked but it's stuck real good.
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Old 09-25-2014, 05:54 PM   #3
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ID:	15335 Did your caulk look like this? I cleaned my up with mineral spirits and applied new Dicor over each affected area. Be careful not to have the mineral sprits come in contact with the roof membrane.
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Old 09-25-2014, 06:14 PM   #4
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Attachment 15335 Did your caulk look like this? I cleaned my up with mineral spirits and applied new Dicor over each affected area. Be careful not to have the mineral sprits come in contact with the roof membrane.

Mine looked close to yours but not as brownish / dirty. That's probably because I had recently washed the roof and in doing so the caulk came pretty clean too. The cracks are close to the same. The covering I did filled everything in and I extended out to the edges a slight bit further to create a new edge and a complete cover over the original caulk.
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Old 09-25-2014, 06:33 PM   #5
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In my case, I don't think the caulk was actually compromised, but it scared the hell out me when I first looked at it, so I cleaned it up. It looks like you did an excellent job. Good to go for the next 2 years. Nice truck BTW.
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Old 09-25-2014, 07:59 PM   #6
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snip..... So... I changed my primary objective to just getting the job done effectively even if it didn't end up looking pretty. I figured its the roof... no one is really going to see it except me anyway.....snip
Looks fine, all of the self-leveling caulk that I have dealt with is difficult to work with, but effective.... been there, done it

Bob
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Old 09-25-2014, 08:16 PM   #7
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In my case, I don't think the caulk was actually compromised, but it scared the hell out me when I first looked at it, so I cleaned it up. It looks like you did an excellent job. Good to go for the next 2 years. Nice truck BTW.
Thanks!
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Old 09-26-2014, 05:54 AM   #8
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Attachment 15335 Did your caulk look like this? I.......applied new Dicor over each affected area.....

TC,
Can I ask if you have an Alpha-Ply TPO Roof or an EPDM roof membrane?

I can't exactly tell from the pic you posted, but to me it looks like it is an Alpha-Ply Roof (i.e. the "orange peel texture"). If it is Alpha-Ply, I thought I read somewhere previously on JOF that DICOR is incompatible with Alpha-Ply Roofing systems and void the warranty (post #8 on http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=19360). I think the OP mentioned that he had to purchase a roof-specific sealant for the Alpha-Ply roof on his WH.


Newbold1,
I have an Alpha-Ply roof on my 2013 Eagle, but have been unable to find a good source to buy the Alpha-Ply specific Lap sealant? Any links, etc. to where you purchased would be greatly appreciated. TIA
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Old 09-26-2014, 09:21 AM   #9
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Called Jayco just now

I dug through my owners materials and only found a single sheet of paper stating that I had an Alpha Systems LLC roof.
Jayco told me that they get all of their roof materials from this company and that the roof on my 5er (2013 29.5rks Eagle) is EDPM. It is a smooth surface, not textured.
Just saying that if you find documentation that says "Alpha" you can't assume which material is on top.
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Old 09-26-2014, 11:01 AM   #10
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The safest way to identify your roof material is to contact Jayco directly with VIN and ask.

Beyond that, if the BACK of your roof membrane is black, it's likely EPDM, if the back is white (like the front) it's likely Alpha Ply (TPO). I took off my AC shroud inside the TT where the membrane wraps down around the opening and checked the back of the membrane there and verified that I have Alpha-Ply (white on back), and it does have an "orange peel" texture as well.

From what I understand, Dicor brand lap sealant is technically incompatible with Alpha-Ply because it has trace amounts of petroleum distillates, which are very bad for the membrane material. I also read somewhere (yeah, I know...) that Alpha-Ply said it's okay to use Dicor in a pinch, but have not verified that myself...
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Old 09-26-2014, 11:04 AM   #11
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According to Dicor the petroleum distillates are for the curing process only and dissipate once cured....

But are they a good source for info.....could be leading us to drink the kool-aid so to speak
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Old 09-26-2014, 11:07 AM   #12
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Exclamation Roof Seam Repair

I have used the ALPHA self leveling caulk. If you find a source other than your local dealer,they can't ship Alpha Caulk UPS or FED EX.

Great pictures, neatness does not count on seams, the caulk will"level" out and you will be OK.

If you seal around your TV Ant. be careful not to get the caulk too high and cover the rotating seal on the base of you antenna, if you do it will not manually turn from the inside, learned by experience.

Prevention is always better than repair!! Happy Fall Camping

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Old 09-26-2014, 11:21 AM   #13
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It doesn't appear Alpha systems 1015 sealant is readily available either. Some on Amazon but it is 25 bucks.

Dicor is 7....Any talk online says jayco engineers are saying dicor is safe...likely because the know they screwed up putting Alpha roofing on instead of what everyone else was doing...

I will have to find out myself for sure as I was going to use Dicor for mine.
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Old 09-26-2014, 12:27 PM   #14
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According to Dicor the petroleum distillates are for the curing process only and dissipate once cured....

But are they a good source for info.....could be leading us to drink the kool-aid so to speak

That's exactly right, it dissipates quickly, that's why I felt okay using it on mine. To be fair, I only applied it over the existing sealant, none of the new Dicor touched the roof.

In the anecdote I was referring to, the customer contacted Jayco and Alpha Ply and they both allegedly told him Dicor was acceptable...

I don't hold Jayco's use of Alpha Ply against them. Sometimes changes work out well, sometimes they don't... The Alpha Ply roof still carries a 10 yr warranty separate from Jayco's 2 yr warranty.
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Old 09-26-2014, 01:57 PM   #15
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TC,
Can I ask if you have an Alpha-Ply TPO Roof or an EPDM roof membrane?

I can't exactly tell from the pic you posted, but to me it looks like it is an Alpha-Ply Roof (i.e. the "orange peel texture"). If it is Alpha-Ply, I thought I read somewhere previously on JOF that DICOR is incompatible with Alpha-Ply Roofing systems and void the warranty (post #8 on http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=19360). I think the OP mentioned that he had to purchase a roof-specific sealant for the Alpha-Ply roof on his WH.
RT, my roof is Alpha-Ply. This time I only applied the Dicor over the existing caulk. However, last year I applied Dicor to touch up where the fiberglass front cap meets the roof. Kinda globbed it on thick and a lot of it made contact with the roof with no ill effects so far. For me, I think the Dicor is probably OK for touch ups, but if I was going to remove and re-do all the caulk, I'd go with the Alpha-Ply caulk.
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Old 09-27-2014, 09:59 PM   #16
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Oddly enough the local Jayco dealer did not have the Alpha Ply sealant for sale. I found it at a competing dealership that doesn't sell Jayco. Go figure...
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Old 09-29-2014, 07:41 AM   #17
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Oddly enough the local Jayco dealer did not have the Alpha Ply sealant for sale. I found it at a competing dealership that doesn't sell Jayco. Go figure...
Same here.
I've had a discussion with the chief technician at my Jayco dealer. He said he uses the std Decor on Alpha Ply. He also says the stories about the need to use something different is just an excuse for Alpha to sell more sealant. I don't know who to beiieve anymore.
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Old 09-29-2014, 07:53 AM   #18
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Same here.
I've had a discussion with the chief technician at my Jayco dealer. He said he uses the std Decor on Alpha Ply. He also says the stories about the need to use something different is just an excuse for Alpha to sell more sealant. I don't know who to beiieve anymore.

then Jayco should step up and explain it better....I didn't buy my trailer from alpha I bought it from Jayco
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Old 09-29-2014, 08:03 AM   #19
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then Jayco should step up and explain it better....I didn't buy my trailer from alpha I bought it from Jayco
One thing is for sure, the std Dicor causes the Alpha Ply membrane to swell and become loose looking. The question then becomes is there any lasting damage to the membrane? One side of the story says the swelling will disappear when the curing process is complete (one month later), and there is no lasting damage, just has a ripple appearance during the cure time.
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Old 09-29-2014, 08:03 AM   #20
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then Jayco should step up and explain it better....I didn't buy my trailer from alpha I bought it from Jayco
+1

I completely agree. It would be nice to have a definitive, correct answer. As it is, all we really have is opinion and conjecture. The primary reason Alpha Ply states that Dicor is not to be used is because it contains petroleum distillates, but apparently when pressed, they themselves say it's really a non-issue. From what I've found in other discussions on the matter, the amount of PDs in Dicor is trace and evaporates quickly enough that the roof membrane is unharmed.

Dicor sealants are just so much more readily available, it's frustrating having to go out of your way to get a super-specific, (and much more expensive) sealant...
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