Dear Dave,
I was wondering if you have ever or could possibly do a non-biased review on RV Roof Magic? It sounds very interesting, but I’m not a big truster of these kinds of products until a non-biased review is done. Thank you! —Don, 2022 Forest River Salem Hemisphere
Dear Don,
There have been quite a few RV roof products that have entered the market over the years. I’ve spent years researching various RV products, including roof coatings. Over the past 20+ years, I have come across many that came from the commercial building industry and found that suddenly, “overnight,” they were RV experts.
I have talked with several applicators and even company reps at the various shows I do seminars at. It can get quite confusing as they all claim to be “the best”!
One of our readers asked about RV Roof Magic about two years ago, so I called the company and did some research.
Different roof coatings available
For many years, owners have been very positive regarding the Dicor roof coating product. However, I have found that what works in one part of the country doesn’t necessarily work in other parts, such as the blazing heat of California and Arizona. Dustin Simpson has several posts regarding products that get hard and brittle in the Lodi, CA, area he is in.
RV Roof Magic is a solvent-based liquid butyl coating that can be applied to any roof material except PVC. It does not require a primer and is UV- and ozone-resistant. OK, sure, they all claim something similar, so my first step was to test it out.
Unbiased test of RV Roof Magic
One of the RVtravel.com writers, Cheri Sicard, had a trailer with a roof leak issue. We got some product sent to her for a demo. Keep in mind that no roof coating will completely eliminate roof leaks if the seams are not taken care of first: roof to front and rear cap, roof to sidewall, and around any cut-out in the roof like a skylight or vent. All these have a self-leveling lap sealant that must be inspected and resealed if there are cracks or peeling.
Cheri cleaned the roof of her RV and applied the RV Roof Magic product by herself, even though she was very hesitant at first. You can read about the process and her experience here.
According to Greg, my contact at RV Roof Magic, it is important to not only clean and degrease the roof material, but also to use a fungicide to get rid of mold and mildew. If you don’t, the mold will actually grow through any roof coating material. They have a proprietary RV Roof Cleaner that will do the job.
Cheri was very pleased with the outcome of her project. I have talked with her since the application more than a year ago she says it is still looking great. The first unbiased test is positive!
My unbiased test of RV Roof Magic
So, I decided to try it myself with the 1997 Forest River Salem trailer we were working on for RV Lifestyle and Repair.
This 21’ trailer has a TPO roof material and is in fair condition with some mold and mildew. I know it has not been cleaned and conditioned for at least the five years we have owned it. Greg sent me a gallon of the cleaner and a four-gallon bucket of RV Roof Magic. We used the project as video content for the site.
As most of you know, I have been a Dawn Dish Soap fan for many years. However, I have had a change of opinion or, as I like to call it, an “update of ideas” about how it deteriorates wax and ceramic coatings. Greg did indicate that although it was a great degreaser, it was not a fungicide, so I used their cleaner.
The cleaner was outstanding and, after I was done, it looked like a new roof! I then let it dry overnight and started on the process the next day.
Applying the RV Roof Magic
The first step was to “cut in” the product around the edge with a brush as I did not want it to run down the sides. That was the hardest part of the whole procedure. These old knees let me know how much they disliked this part. Later, as I was rolling the rest of the roof with a paint roller, it was obvious the material was thick enough to stay in place and I really didn’t need to do that.
Some applications recommended a “flash coat”. However, I felt this roof was in pretty good shape and just applied one good thick coat. It went on easily and covered well, using about three gallons of product. I did notice bubbling in areas similar to what Cheri experienced. However, in about 4-5 days, they had settled back down.
I recommend RV Roof Magic
The application was in the first week of August. Although it has only been a few months, I love the product and do recommend it. Hopefully, most of our readers know that I do not sell anything or get commission on products other than a tool here or there on Amazon. The products I recommend are ones that I have used and have been satisfied with. RV Roof Magic is one of those
EDITOR’S NOTE: Roof Magic has advertised with RVtravel.com off and on for many years.
Learn more about RV Roof Magic here.
You might also enjoy this from Dave
Can you use Flex Seal on an RV roof? If not, then what?
Dear Dave,
Can Flex Seal Liquid Rubber or Flex Caulk be used to seal cracks or small holes on a Winnebago roof without damaging it? —Dan, 2021 Winnebago Voyage
DAVE HAS ANSWERED MORE THAN 1,000 readers’ maintenance and repair questions. Read a directory here. There is so much to learn!
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
RVDT2763
Those pics look very similar to mine after I cleaned and coated my 34′ class A fiberglass roof with Dicor for Fiberglass – white – products. That was on 17 July 2018 and it still looks near new! The Dicor cleaner is mandatory! I used two coats of the finished coating. There is minimal staining from leaves, sap, etc.. The MH is stored outside year around and also uncovered as I can’t handle the cover!