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Old 04-20-2019, 08:31 AM   #1
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Roof question on 195SR

I'm in the process of trying to sell my 195SR, I have a guy looking at it and he was going over the roof and noticed that there was some play, and movement in some areas of the rubber roof. I have never had any water issues from the inside, and he agreed there is no sign of issues. But he is concerned about those spots and rightly so.

Is there anything I can tell him about why the roof is like that, or is there any type of repair here that might be needed? Thanks.

Dave
2007 195SR
Northumberland, PA
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Old 04-20-2019, 11:16 AM   #2
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Many trailer roofs are made of a 'car convertible top' sort of material. It is a very durable rubber fabric and will degrade over time. If you check the roof repair threads here (including my own) you see that many of us have had trouble but mostly due to neglect of previous owners and/or damage done by low hanging limbs etc.
The material is fairly easy to maintain and there are some fixes that work better than others.
Whomever winds up owning your trailer would be well served by knowing about and checking out this forum as the wealth of knowledge here is amazing!
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Old 04-20-2019, 11:29 AM   #3
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Oh you are so right, great people and knowledge here, that's why I posted.
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Old 04-20-2019, 12:32 PM   #4
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Hi Dave,

We need a little more info to help better.

Where on the roof were the
Quote:
some play, and movement in some areas of the rubber roof.
areas?

Were they out in the middle area, by a corner etc.

Please try to describe the feeling. Did it have a tire tube rubber band push down (about 1" maybe 2") and spring back feeling, and that rubber band area would be localized. Like maybe a 12" radius, or 24" or 36 etc. and then stiffened up?

Or was it just not rigid when pressed on, it did not really spring back or push down much at all. Maybe only 1/4" to 1/2" press down. And this feeling would be between the roof rafters which are mostly on 16" centers? It would be solid when you feel it on a rafter.

The Sunline roof in not a direct walk on roof unless that option was special ordered. When brand new, or older and not water damaged, they do feel different then other brands which are a direct walk on roof with 3/8" or thicker OSB board under the rubber.

Go up and feel the areas he was talking about and try to describe in words what that feels like. Take pics too.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 04-20-2019, 01:01 PM   #5
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Thanks John you always describe it better than anyone else!
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Old 04-20-2019, 03:52 PM   #6
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It was in the front left corner, there seemed to be space ( 1in or so) between the roof and the rafters. You could push it down and would come back up. No signs of cuts or tears. The roofing was moist due to last nights rain and I could put my fingernail into the roofing a bit.

Again, I have never had issues with the inside of unit leaking, and there are no signs of issues as of now either.

Dave
Northumberland
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Old 04-20-2019, 06:46 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Irishcamper View Post
It was in the front left corner, there seemed to be space ( 1in or so) between the roof and the rafters. You could push it down and would come back up. No signs of cuts or tears. The roofing was moist due to last nights rain and I could put my fingernail into the roofing a bit.

Again, I have never had issues with the inside of unit leaking, and there are no signs of issues as of now either.

Dave
Northumberland
At a corner, and you could push it down about 1". Any chance of pics of that corner? By chance was it a spongy feeling different then other areas of the roof? Trying to help here, rule it in or out as a leak.

Try another area of the roof to compare the feel, trying to explain normal is hard, but 1" down in a small area is a concern.

I understand you may have never, ever had any issues with water inside the living space. I 100% believe you! Unfortunately, that does not mean the camper does not have a leak in the ceiling or wall cavity. No visible leaks inside a camper have been able to trick many a good camper before. When it happens, it is a really hard realization on, how could this happen?

Leaks in a wall, ceiling or floor can go undetected for a number of years. When they do show up inside, the damage may have been many years old, 5 or more. Leaks can be seepers or soakers. A soaker is a large hole, a tree branch, backing into something. You can find them easier when it happens. Seepers are very little cracks in the sealants. They only let water in, in limited fashion. Maybe only 1 pint a major rain storm. But how many pints in a year, 2 years etc. ?

Sunline and other brands used vinyl wallpaper and ceiling board. And Sunline being a better camper builder, used welt bead to seal the joints at the walls and corners so you would not see the cracks when the camper flexes. Those positive features make a very good water barrier. They hold back the water from getting into the living space. Not by design, but by the nature of their materials used.

If you really want to know if a camper has a water infection, a moisture meter used with some explanation will really help. It can scan and detect moisture in a wall, ceiling, floor etc. It can help prove there is no leak, or there is and how big it is. See here for more on the moisture meters. http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...per-17613.html

I hope this all comes out good for you. We are here to help.

John
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Old 04-21-2019, 07:38 AM   #8
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Just quickly asking a question since John is the real expert.
Does it appear water can pool in the area you found 'soft' ??
If so it is possible there may be some infiltration along the wall seam by the little gutter. As you may have read the screws in that seam go down intside the top of the wall and can rust eventually allowing a seep of water. It isn't much and may not show at first.
That's where mine was leaking and I huge problems but it was let go far too long by previous owners.
Using the dicor tape (is that right John?) I was able to get the seams to stop leaking after a lot if trial and error.
Like John said it's likely that the only way to be certain that there is any infiltration, even a small amount without damage that requires internal repair, you will need to try a moisture meter. That is how I knew I finally had a good seal and could finish my repairs closing the walls back up.
Believe it or not the first real sign of damage from a front door side leak in the corner of the room was about 2-3 feet inside the door where the floor got soft!
It was only through the help here that I finally found the leak and how to properly fix it so I won't have issues down the road.
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Old 04-21-2019, 09:22 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Draughty View Post
That's where mine was leaking and I huge problems but it was let go far too long by previous owners.
Using the dicor tape (is that right John?) I was able to get the seams to stop leaking after a lot if trial and error.
Dicor does make some roof patching repair tape. Like these. These may be what you are referring to.

https://dicorproducts.com/product/ep...pair-membrane/

And this one
https://dicorproducts.com/product/di...-sealing-tape/

I myself have not used those tapes. I have and do use a lot of Eternabond Roof seal tape. This one. It comes in different sizes and colors.
https://www.eternabond.com/RoofSeal-p/rv-rs.htm

They sell these products at many online places. The Eternabond is also used on commercial buildings roof repair. It can be found at places that sell building roof repair products.

Proper preparation of the surface is critical to get lasting results from them. The directions spell it out. Read & research before using for best results.

Thanks

John
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Old 04-25-2019, 07:09 AM   #10
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What he said!
Dicor or eternabond ..I've used others and as usual John is correct get things really clean and be prepared because once it's stuck it's there!
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