What's On My Roof?

[FeatherFam]

What type of roof does the 2016 Jay Feather have? Is it an EPDM, an Alpha, or other?

[Rustic Eagle]

According to the Jayco website the 2016 Jay Feather has a "Magnum TrussTM Roof System with one-piece seamless DiFlex II material"....., which I believe is a TPO material manufactured by Dicor.

Bob

[X213_2015]

And based on the Dicor website this is the adhesive/sealant you want. They make a primer too..but Acetone worked just fine for me on my 2015 with TPO.

http://amzn.to/2aDe10d

[jloco]

Originally Posted by X213_2015

And based on the Dicor website this is the adhesive/sealant you want. They make a primer too..but Acetone worked just fine for me on my 2015 with TPO.

http://amzn.to/2aDe10d

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they recommend the 501LS for the Diflex II roof, which doesn't require a primer. Just a thorough cleaning prior to application. By the way, they say do not use Acetone or citrus based products on the roof. They say use mineral spirits to clean prior to applying lap sealant.

http://www.dicor.com/images/shared/u...on%20Guide.pdf

[X213_2015]

Can't argue with the roofing documentation. Acetone..can and will melt the roof....if you let it pool and puddle and sit. Citrus products are oily and will prevent adhesion. I cleaned my roof with a blue soft scrubber and warm soapy water where I applied the sealant followed by a quick wipe with acetone on a rag to get any remaining residue off.

I haven't had any leaks..or separation of the sealant from the membrane....but now I will keep my eye out. Next time I won't listen to Jayco - thats what they said for me to use....judging by the construction on these trailers they don't really know what they are doing.

The 501 tube also states that it's compatible with EPDM whereas the 602 says TPO...so the Dicor II roofing material documentation might be wrong or a copy/paste of the older documentation?!

Decor's website also states:
For easy selection, Dicor's Ultra Sealant System is packaged in bright blue containers to make it easily distinguishable from Dicor's traditional green-colored Lap Sealant labels. If you are sealing an EPDM roof, go for green sealant. If it's TPO, use the Ultra Sealant System.

[FeatherFam]

Jayco customer service tells me that our 2016 Jay Feather roof is a "non-fleece TPO" membrane. Is this the same as an ALPHA roof membrane? They don't want to tell me how to care for it or exactly what the material is. Instead, they referred me to Dicor for care information and said they "believe" that it is non-fleece TPO. They cannot or will not provide care information or precise material identification for a major component of their product. I guess it's litigation and liability driven - sad but true. I do not know why they would care about litigation; the RV industry is pretty impervious to real consequences for their derelict practices.

[ALJO]

TPO is white on both sides; Alpha is white on top black on the bottom.
Jay Feather is TPO because it is lighter by weight but just as strong.
Just follow TPO manufacturer instructions for cleaning and repair.

[FeatherFam]

In Trailer Life (2013 archives) and other blogs, I have read that regular cleaning and seal maintenance are all that is required with rubber roofs. They stated that the membranes are inertly and inherently UV protected by their chemical composition. These sources say that a Murphy Oil solution, Dawn, or a car wash soap (all nonpetroleum) are recommended. Trailer Life recommended Murphy Oil. Are the plethora of cleaners and protectants an industry marketing "bonanza," and is it true that regular cleaning and seal maintenance is all that is needed?

[norty1]

Correct.

As most everything in this life, many people are out to sell you stuff you don't really need.

[FeatherFam]

I spoke with Jayco. They referred me to Dicor. A rep at Dicor told me that the roof is TPO. She told me to wash it with a non-petroleum based soap and one with no citrus of fruity smell. She said to wash it with a medium coarse bristle brush four times a year. When I asked about special cleaners and protectants, she said, "Do not waste your money."

I asked about the chemical properties of the membrane, specifically if they were UV and moisture resistant and protected. She said that the material is made to resist moisture and UV and that there is no need to spend time or money on cleaners and protectant products/treatments. She acknowledged that Dicor markets the products, but they are not necessary. She reiterated her prior statement saying, "Save your money." She also told me that Dicor TPO roofs do not require a special TPO sealant. She said to use the normal Dicor lap seal product.

So I guess their is a lot of marketing hype around caring for these roof membranes. Three people in our dealer's service department told us that we had an EPDM roof, and they all tried to sell us a $100 worth of products to clean and treat the roof. They rarely know more than you do about your RV - what it is and what it needs. The RV ownership refrain beats on: "Maintain a Healthy Skepticism and Be Resourceful."

[FeatherFam]

Apparently, Dawn and Turtle Wax Zip Wax car wash do have petroleum derivatives in their ingredients. A quick search produced several sites listing detergent ingredients. Apparently, Murphy Oil Soap does not contain petroleum. I guess I'll try the Murph. What do you clean your roof with.

[ALJO]

Yeah there is a lot of hype about the TPO or EPDM roofs. You think owners of big commercial buildings with EPDM roofs do clean their roof? Don't think so......
I use some dishwash soap in a pale and clean my RV TPO roof once a year and also check for cracks in the Dicor seals.

[TCNashville]

The rain cleans my roof, I just maintain the caulk. 5 years now and looking good.

[edatlanta]

I recommend that all with rubber roofs check the area where the a/c's drip onto the rubber not just the caulked joints. My EPDM roof failed directly where this drip was on both a/c's. Moisture was leaking through the membrane. If you are not a full timer then you might be ok, but in my case I had 5+ years of full time use and in the south so LOTS of a/c run time.

My solution was replacing the entire roof and I definitely didn't want to spend the bucks for the same thing and expect different results the second time. I used rvroof.com and recommend this approach highly. It was about the same price as a new rubber roof and zero caulking to watch and worry about now. And since the roof is now thicker I can watch TV and actually hear it when it is raining. I also used the roof replacement as a good time to replace the skylight and crank up TV antenna that I never used. This antenna had leaked through it a time of two and I was just plain tired of this.