Another Roof question..

[HippieCamper]

New to the site and find everyone's info. to be SOOOO helpful and interesting..

Reading below about the rubber roof and cleaning got me to wondering - How often do rubber roofs cause problems ? I seem to remember during my demo at the dealer that he told me the roof had a 12 year warranty. I understand that you would still need to maintain the roof with regular cleanings but I was wondering - how often should I be checking for cracks ? Also, I assume these cracks would not appear in the roof itself but in the sealant. Correct ??

Thanks in advance !

 

[OurJayco]

You are correct. The problem is with the sealant on the edges or seams.
The problem could occur more often for many reasons.
If your RV sits outside in direct hot sun and uncovered all year every year, you may have problems sooner as it will dry out and crack faster. Using some cleaner/conditioner will reduce the problem. I check and clean/condition mine once a year just to make sure I do not get other problems such as wood rot inside from water damage or even mold.
It takes me about 15 - 20 minutes to check the seals. If I have any that need to be repaired, I will spend about an hour cleaning and resealing.
I think it is well worth a few minutes of time to check/repair versus waiting for the problem to happen and then repair the seal and all the other damage caused because it finally happened.
As the saying goes........."An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
Just my two cents worth.

 

[HippieCamper]

Thanks again !

If the sealant needs repair will the cracks be pretty obvious ?? And if I do find one that needs repair can I just clean the sealant really well, let it dry and then re-seal over the top or do I need to take off the old sealant and replace completely ??

 

[OurJayco]

The cracks are pretty obvious. They are something like a crack in windshield. They will need to be cleaned. I use a still or hard toothbrush dipped in a bucket of water and the soap I use to wash the trailer. I would imagine you could use any type of soap. Not reall sure though.
Once it has dried, put some new sealant in the crack(s).
As a side - If the cracks are real deep or wide, I usually cut that section off and clean the surface REALLY good and reseal that entire area.
I only know this because I had a small section that came up. I was to close to a tree at a campsite and the wind was pretty strong one day and the branch rubbed a part of section down. I replaced that section. That is the only time I had to "Replace" a section, but my trailer is only 3 years old.

 

[rvrev2]

I am toying with the idea of using Eternabond tape to cover all my roof seams. I have read that this stuff is pretty outstanding and that after application you never have to worry about it leaking. The tape is expensive, but it does seem to assure peace of mind. Have any of you ever used this stuff? What did you think of it? Am I barking up the wrong tree?