Is it time for Eternabond?

[RogerR]

I was cleaning my 2017 195RB roof and noted that the front roof to metal and the skylight caulk appears to be starting to crack. I want to stop any leak danger but don't want to do it till there is a real danger.

Attached are pictures taken while cleaning of the roof and the caulk is wet in the pictures.
The caulk is very lumpy. I am considering removing it before Etearnabond. 4 inch width should do the trick.


The picture on the left is the skylight and the other is the transition between metal front and roof edge.

I already had to do the back edge as screws were coming through the rubber. It has held up for two years with no degradation. I have plenty of 2 inch width but I think 4 inch would be better than 2 or 3 widths of 2 inch.



Any recommendations please!

[Jagiven]

Neither image looks bad. But I would do it sooner than later. I would also do the front cap seam at same time.

[norty1]

I bought a 25' roll of 6" material for enough to cover the front seam with some to spare. It has held up well and I have used the left over for several patches.

[craigav]

I wish I had used Eternabond earlier than I did. For mine, about every year (after the first few) it would look like yours does and I would re-seal it with Dicor. Well after many years of doing that the Dicor built up and a couple of years ago I went with Eternabond in most places. The Eternabond tape appears a bit lumpy though because I had a lot of dicor over the years build up that I taped over. Never a leak though and the Eternabond is tightly stuck (used a good roller) but appears pretty lumpy... not that many people get on my roof and see it though. If the Eternabond ever loses its seal then I will scrape back the dicor and only use eternabond, the way it is now, the eternabond is simply covering the sealed dicor, so two layers of water leak protection so to say. ~CA

[Tunce the traveler]

Just as Norty1 has suggested, 6” is what you need to protect that front edge ( don’t be penny wise ) as the saying goes.

[RogerR]

Tunce did you remove the Dicor before you put down the tape? I like the smoother look without Dicor if that is what I am seeing. It appears a tighter, neater fit also.

[Chiggins]

Does anyone have any pictures of doing it down the sides. It is my next upgrade and got the plenty of 2" & 4" for mine. I want to do front & rear caps plus go all the way down the sides. Just havn't seen many do it.

[Tiguan Tow r]

I did Eternabond down the sides of our 145RB. I had 4" tape, cut it in 1/2 and applied the 2" in 4' lengths, starting from the back and working to the front. I didn't think it would be manageable to apply one piece. It all worked out well.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by RogerR

Tunce did you remove the Dicor before you put down the tape? I like the smoother look without Dicor if that is what I am seeing. It appears a tighter, neater fit also.

Yes, I removed it and with a “plastic “ putty knife. Don’t attempt to use a metal one as your most likely to cut open your rubber roof. Remove a few random screws and make sure their not rusty and if they are then you know that water has been getting in slowly. I replaced my screws with ones that were one size larger and 1//4” longer.

[Tunce the traveler]

One other important thing you must do while your on the roof is to check the 4 screws that hold down the refrigerator vent cover. They might also be rusty and need to be changed out with SS screws with a rubber “O” ring to keep the water from wicking down into your roof membrane. This is another short cut from the factory ( that rubber “O” ring) those screws sit in a little well and water pools in there not only from rain but from morning dew.

[FLascent]

I did the corner sections of my roof, but I would suggest against it, unless you can do it more cleanly. It sticks out like a sore thumb on our Jayfeather 22bhm with the black corners and grey fiberglass sides. I don't worry about leaks there, but the look is quite tacky.

In the long run I will probably have the roof coated with flexarmour or something similar that I don't have to worry about as much. The factory rubber roof leaves so much to be desired.

[norty1]

I decided not to do the sides on mine. They roll over into a metal seam and it is very easy to inspect the seals. Also they have some sealant that does not seem prone to deteriorate/ crack as the Dicor does.

[2021JayFlight28BHS]

Another area I’ve read to look at while up on the roof, is to make sure you tighten the ac screws, apparently they work lose over the miles…. And can cause leaks.

(No experience with this, just read about it).

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by 2021JayFlight28BHS

Another area I’ve read to look at while up on the roof, is to make sure you tighten the ac screws, apparently they work lose over the miles…. And can cause leaks.

(No experience with this, just read about it).

You access those from the inside of the trailer. Remove the ceiling AC cover and there's a bolt/nut at each corner.

[2021JayFlight28BHS]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

You access those from the inside of the trailer. Remove the ceiling AC cover and there's a bolt/nut at each corner.

Thanks for the info… that certainly will make it easier for my routine maintenance.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

You access those from the inside of the trailer. Remove the ceiling AC cover and there's a bolt/nut at each corner.

Originally Posted by 2021JayFlight28BHS

Thanks for the info… that certainly will make it easier for my routine maintenance.

Just be careful not to over tighten. That will compress the gasket too much, which will cause a leak.

[JDooley]

It's don't wait. When the product shows alligator cracking it is drying out. When it dries out it does not handle movement well. This could result in a leak before you get back to fix it.. Eternal bond tape is a one and done scenario . If installed correctly it'll pretty much last the life of your roof. Clean. Prime and do not stretch tape. Use a roller to assure a proper bond.

[videoarizona]

Agreed. Sooner than later!

Do clean roof area before taping. Do use a heavy roller to seal and activate the tape. I bought mine from Eternabond. Go over sides if you wish. Works well there too!

Be advised that you need to put the tape on evenly over the membrane. Any bunching up of the membrane may eventually cause a leak in that area. If you see the membrane bunching up, finish taping the area, then add another layer over the bunched up membrane...smoothing it as you go.

It's expensive stuff, but worth it.

BTW, The heavy duty wide thick black Gorilla tape works almost as well on the underbody of you RV! Clean well and apply like Eternabond. I used it to seal around the pipes and such 2 years ago. Still there.

[JSBCustoms]

Not saying Im not a fan of Eternabond. I keep a roll of it and use it myself but, I would recommend just cleaning the sealant around your skylight with denatured alcohol and adding a new coat of self leveling Dicor. The only reason I say this is, your sky light will probably start cracking in another three years and will need to be replaced. Its easier to removed lap sealant than Eternabond tape.

[16WhiteColly]

Very good point about removal trouble in the future.