Roof Questions

[Jeffp216]

Trying to find out what type of roof I have on my 2018 North Point and if or how often I need to seal it

[crockettlarry]

I personally am not familiar with that line but it looks like it may have a composite roof.

Regardless of roof type, it needs to be inspected frequently. Some say a year, some say six months some say monthly. And any cracks or questionable cracks in the sealant need to be immediately taken care of. Fortunately that is pretty easy. The hard part is just having the stuff on hand if you're an apartment dweller like me :-)

[GHen]

How often to seal it? As often as cracks appear....

I check mine every month and I almost always find something that needs just a little repair.

[RedHorse1]

Look into Eternabond tape. It will likely outlast your TT. Clean the roof and apply carefully. It’s awesome!

[crockettlarry]

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

Look into Eternabond tape. It will likely outlast your TT. Clean the roof and apply carefully. It’s awesome!

I will have to respectfully disagree. I used Eternabond on a previous trailer and ended up getting water damage. Water got in even though it seemed like it was perfectly sealed.

I had one of those really nice roofs by RVroof.com afterwards. He said he has seen a lot of water damage after eternabond application.

Larry

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

Look into Eternabond tape. It will likely outlast your TT. Clean the roof and apply carefully. It’s awesome!

X2, I used to recaulk my front and rear seams all the time and then applied Eternabond tape and haven't had to touch them in 4 years. All of my roof vents now have the tape.

[GHen]

When I use eternabond I put a bead of Dicor self leveling around all the edges.
Other than that, I just the Dicor on anything that looks like a crack.

[Lake Huron]

My 17 Northpoint has a "rubber" roof I'll call it. It is flexible and seems to be pretty thick compared to my previous other brand trailers. After every use, my trailer gets washed. Roof included. I've found the material is kind of porous and it's a little hard to keep clean. I use a somewhat stiff red bristle Libman deck brushing on the roof and a softer blue bristle one for the sides. I use the conditioner/sealer on my roof 2x a year. Before I scrub it down I'll take a quick walk around it and look everything over for any cracks in the sealant or any possible damage to the roof material itself. So far I've had to reseal some of the Dicor sealant that has cracked, but small cracks and they've never leaked, and that was within the first couple years. Last year everything was good.

[DonaandDon]

I feel it depends on your style of camping (Trees? Temps? Miles?). We homebased out of Chicago and are winter Texans. Been doing this for 10yrs. I have found that the newer the RV the more maintenance is required. The more you travel the more cleaning is required. Whether your cleaning your truck or a compartment door, always start from the top. I hate those streaks that appear from nowhere. Roof inspections are important just as axials and wheel bearings are. Nothing is easy, it just has to get done.
Stay thirsty my friends.

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by crockettlarry

I will have to respectfully disagree. I used Eternabond on a previous trailer and ended up getting water damage. Water got in even though it seemed like it was perfectly sealed.

I had one of those really nice roofs by RVroof.com afterwards. He said he has seen a lot of water damage after eternabond application.

Larry

Incorrect eternabond installation will cause failure. Proper cleaning, not stretching the tape and proper rolling of the tape will result in proper adhesion. Failing to follow those steps will lead to a waste of time.

[crockettlarry]

Originally Posted by spoon059

Incorrect eternabond installation will cause failure. Proper cleaning, not stretching the tape and proper rolling of the tape will result in proper adhesion. Failing to follow those steps will lead to a waste of time.

It was properly installed :-)

[Greg58]

The most common roof membranes are TPO and EPDM, TPO will be one color because it’s a single ply material, EPDM will be black on the underside and the top layer can be many colors. When you see a white roof on a older RV with black showing in spots that’s a EPDM roof with the base layer showing through the top layer.

[Greg58]

The newest material on the market is PVC, I personally haven’t seen it so I have no knowledge of its design.

[CedarMountain]

Originally Posted by Jeffp216

Trying to find out what type of roof I have on my 2018 North Point and if or how often I need to seal it

I would check it annually at minimum. It really depends on how much direct sun it gets which is what really dries out the seals. Previously I was a tech for RV Armor and installed many a lifetime guarantee replacement roofs ... even in newer units just to get the guarantee. It most roofs are good for 12 years before they’re really shot. But checking annually and keeping the accumulated mud off them is key. Accumulated mud in the creases & sunlight are the true stressors of the roof. There are many products if applied carefully can extend the life but my true recommendation is to give it over to a professional. I truly believe RV Armor is the best. But do your own homework.

[GHen]

I check my roof after every trip. A low hanging branch can tear the roof material, it needs to be sealed before rain starts to leak in and rot stuff. In addition, screws in the roof can work their way through the material and also cause leaks. A small leak can ruin an RV quickly.

[travelingjw]

I check my roof before and after every trip. I use 303 at least 3 times a year. This seems like a small effort to protect against a major issue. I have a roll of Eternabond and Self Leveling Dicor with me at all times. Have not had to use them yet.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

You should be able to find a piece of the roof fabric around a ceiling vent. You may need to remove the trim housing under the vent. Depending on the color and other characteristics you con determine just what fabric it is. Otherwise Jayco should be able to tell you if you email customer service with your VIN.

I use dicor self-leveling and eternabond the the roof. (Dicor seems to work well to dab over screw heads and such on the sides as well.) Just got a new roll of eternabond from Amazon a couple days ago to reinforce all the top/side edges of the roof where it is laid over the corners of the wood structure under it. (A note about eternabond: it will NOT stick to silicone. After having to clean up some naively-placed RV silicone, I now avoid the stuff and use dicor or polyurethane base OSI Quad instead.)

Last Memorial Day we encountered 2" - 2.5" hail in Ogallala, Nebraska that broke door glass, skylight, vent cover, knocked off a few marker light covers, put a crack in the fiberglass door but roof was mostly okay. (Highly recommend Sleepy Sunflower RV Park!) There were three ~1" slits where a hail stone had smacked the fabric right above the sharp edge of the wood frame under it. Strips of eternabond (always carry it) were more than adequate to fix them. The storm was scary but the damage allowed us to finally replace the simple vent with a fantastic fan - it IS! - and replace the frosted door glass with smoked glass, a wonderful improvement that I had long wanted to make. We were fortunate that although our Tahoe was totaled, it was only cosmetic, a broken rear quarter window and 13 spider cracks in the windshield. We got a decent buy-back from the insurance and have a story to tell when people ask about the big dents. Generally in northeast Colorado area where such events are not uncommon people simply ask, "Whereja pick up the hail?"

[TnHiker]

Most late model RV roofs are TPO with some EPDM, both these are industrial materials that are used on large buildings. The company I retired from had a 700,000 SF (12 acres) that was covered with TPO. This material is typically good for 15-20 years without issue warranty for 20 years. On an RV I would not expect that long a life due to the possible hazzards. Cleaning is important, inspection is important, roof penetration inspection is critical. Firestone one of the leading manufactures of TPO does not recommend coating until there is obvious deterioration which will probably be after 10-12 years on an RV. Just watch for punctures from the outside as well as screws backing out from underneath. My last trailer was 8 years old when I sold it and I made sure there were not punctures and did inspection often and it was never coated and I never had a leak. The color had dulled slightly but the roof was still resilient and in good condition. My new trailer is stored under roof and I expect it to last at least 15 years without a coating. Sun is the hardest thing on these rubber roofs.

[annie oakly]

I am taking mine in for the roof, to get redone, I have not had any problems but it is time

We used to do it yourselves, but I think it is a bit too much for me to now by my self


I have been board started repainting the frame of the trailer, Batteries are on
repainted the boat, and all of my lawn ornaments
And I am still working full time.
Cannot wait to get away for a few days