rubber roof life time?

[shelly66]

We had a little leak on our 2005 2363 in the caulking along the side. The husband now wants to know about how often you experienced sunliners need to do work on the roof itself and what you do? Also how often do you recaulk the front vertical seams?

[Sunline Fan]

You should be inspecting all roof seams at least every six months. If you see any cracks whatsoever, get a tube of the Dicor Self-leveling lap sealant and cover over them.

By vertical seams, so you mean the corners of the trailer that have the moulding on it (aluminum extrusion) and then vinyl screw cover on top of it? They should have putty tape behind them, and I wouldn't expect them to start leaking until after 10 years or so, unless the coach has a lot of miles on it. Anyway, the only way to repair that is to either use a caulking around the outside of the moulding or take it all the way off and put new putty tape behind there.

Jon

[shelly66]

Thank you! What about the rubber itself? I see lots of products in the CW catalog, but wonder how long we have before we need to start worrying about the main roof.

[Sunline Fan]

It's probably a good idea to treat the roof with a treatment coating after every or every other cleaning. I've never really had an inservice on how and how often the treatments should be used, so I really can't give you a professional opinion.

IMO, just keeping it clean is most important. But, the material won't last all that long if not treated, because the sun just bakes it and destroys the rubber material. This is where the treatment comes in, to make it pliable again. Some of the first rubber roofs had a 10 year warranty, and I had one when it was 10 years and about a month or two and the rubber was so brittle that it actually devoloped a couple holes, which turned into leaks. I thought about replacing the rubber, but that's a major job (only about $500 in parts though), and certainly not worth it on a ten year old trailer. I was able to patch it from the inside once the ceiling and insulation were down.

Jon

[shelly66]

Can you recommend a treatment to use for the roof? I fear to say that the 2363's roof hasn't had any attention yet ...

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by shelly66

Can you recommend a treatment to use for the roof? I fear to say that the 2363's roof hasn't had any attention yet ...

Care & Maintenance

Roof Renew Kit

Patch & Repair Kits

[vcrt]

Adding my .02;
I can't say what treatment my '92 Solaris did or didn't have before about 3years ago when we bought it, but having lifted the front and back of the rubber roof for repairs, I can say that it looks like it still has a good bit of life left in it. It was pliable and didn't seem to be getting thin anywhere. I haven't been diligient about adding roof treatment to it (I'd like to put a new white EPDM coating on it though, I think a kit for that is about $150.00 if I remember correctly) but I am meticulous about checking for cracks in the Dicor sealant along all the edges. Once you have a water leak you NEVER want to see evidence of another one! I use a vinyl cleaner followed by a wax and grease remover (probably overkill on the remover part) on any seal area where a crack has developed and add a liberal amount of Dicor sealer. I think baking in the sun as well as flexing during towing causing the structure to move produces cracks in the sealer.
Rich

[partimcmpr]

Originally Posted by Steve Collins

Care & Maintenance

Roof Renew Kit

Patch & Repair Kits

Has anyone used this kit before? My roof is way overdue for a good cleaning. I plan to do this as well as inspecting and resealing as required. I am trying to decide if using this kit would be the way to go for the cleaning.

I read the instructions and it sounds a little involved. Would be interested in hearing others experience as well as other options for roof care.

Thanks,
David

[henryj]

Sealant can crack and leak, the rubber membrane can be torn by tree branches. Beyond that a rubber roof is amazingly durable. Two examples:

A friend in construction told me the same membrane is the preferred method of covering the flat roof on all kinds of commercial/industrial buildings.

Our church has a section of flat roof that has had a rubber membrane for at least 20 years, and trust me, nobody has climbed up there to wash it or "treat" it.

The "maintenance myth" of RV roofs stems from the need to constantly monitor the lap sealant for any cracks or drying chunks breaking away in the wind. Water leaks on the roof are very destructive, but it's not the rubber that's going to leak. Part of the myth is also the fact that the roof needs to washed to keep it looking good--a tedious/dangerous job.

Here's one company's point of view:
http://www.303products.com/tech/inde...Product_ID=279

Henry

[Hematite]

Originally Posted by henryj

Sealant can crack and leak, the rubber membrane can be torn by tree branches. Beyond that a rubber roof is amazingly durable. Two examples:

A friend in construction told me the same membrane is the preferred method of covering the flat roof on all kinds of commercial/industrial buildings.

Our church has a section of flat roof that has had a rubber membrane for at least 20 years, and trust me, nobody has climbed up there to wash it or "treat" it.

The "maintenance myth" of RV roofs stems from the need to constantly monitor the lap sealant for any cracks or drying chunks breaking away in the wind. Water leaks on the roof are very destructive, but it's not the rubber that's going to leak. Part of the myth is also the fact that the roof needs to washed to keep it looking good--a tedious/dangerous job.

Here's one company's point of view:
http://www.303products.com/tech/inde...Product_ID=279

Henry

Absolutely correct! My house has a flat roof with a "rubber" membrane and I seriously doubt that I'll ever need to worry about it, I'm 60 and it will surely last 30 more years. Every year or two I check the seams and they always look the same.
The EPDM roof is easily one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated features of any RV unit. Doesn't expand and contract, it's flexible and quiet, doesn't corrode, and is nonconductive. If you wash the industrial pollutant fallout off the roof, the sides of the TT stay clean and the roof looks clean. Keeping an eye on the seams and caulk material are really the only required maintenance and that would be true for any roof material. Stay away from sharp heavy low branches (DUH) and the roof will last a long long time. Considering how low a Sunline rides and how high other units ride, the low branches will be broken off by the high riders anyway!