jleslie48
Advanced Member
I've read a bit about this online and all the sites make a major production about this. I've owned my 1976 Micro 13' TT for 10 years now, and this is what I do/did to keep it fresh, for less that $40 a year, less than 2 hours a year of maintenance. so first off, you re-tar the roof seams. Gloppy, use the yellow latex cleaning gloves, to grab hand fulls of the stuff and coat all the seams with about 1/4" thick layer use a stick to stir it in place to remove air pockets. It comes in a red can by the gallon for about $20. It's root tar, but looks and feels like the road tar stuff they use to fill cracks in the road. Incredibly sticky. Gets on everything. try not to get it on the sides but its no big deal if you do.
It's ready for the road in about 2 days, but it really takes about 3 months to fully dry/cure. I do this about 1x every 2 to 3 years in the fall, just around my last trip for the year and let it sit all winter. In the spring, that tar will be pretty hard, and mostly faded to a dark grey, that is fine, but alas an lot of the watery stuff will have run down all over your trailer. That's bad but good: It's impossible to get off, but it is also takes paint like no other primer I have ever used.
Taking advantage of this mess I created with this sticky stuff, The following spring, I just use a can of household exterior grade paint, one gallon was more than enough for my 13' trailer. I go to the "oops" section and pick up a gallon of the good stuff that is normally $60+ a can for $20. In 2023, they had an off white that was perfect. Bright white from last time always looked dirty, This time with it off white it still looks great now in the spring of 2025. Apply with a brush, takes no time:
I do cover my trailer with a canvas tarp over the winter. but that's it. I repeat this every 2-3 years.
It's ready for the road in about 2 days, but it really takes about 3 months to fully dry/cure. I do this about 1x every 2 to 3 years in the fall, just around my last trip for the year and let it sit all winter. In the spring, that tar will be pretty hard, and mostly faded to a dark grey, that is fine, but alas an lot of the watery stuff will have run down all over your trailer. That's bad but good: It's impossible to get off, but it is also takes paint like no other primer I have ever used.
Taking advantage of this mess I created with this sticky stuff, The following spring, I just use a can of household exterior grade paint, one gallon was more than enough for my 13' trailer. I go to the "oops" section and pick up a gallon of the good stuff that is normally $60+ a can for $20. In 2023, they had an off white that was perfect. Bright white from last time always looked dirty, This time with it off white it still looks great now in the spring of 2025. Apply with a brush, takes no time:
I do cover my trailer with a canvas tarp over the winter. but that's it. I repeat this every 2-3 years.
