By Chris Dougherty
Certified RV technician
When autumn arrives, it’s a good idea to spend a little time on RV roof maintenance. First, make sure the roof is clean, using a cleaner recommended for your roof. There are many RV roof cleaners that are safe to use, and some store-bought cleaners will work also.
Once that’s done, inspect the roof and all seals for damage. This includes the slideouts. Look for tears and signs the roof may be suffering other damage like soft spots or where it may be separating from the roof decking or from the seams.
Take a look at all the apparatus on the roof for damage, including vents, sewer vents, antennas, air conditioner shroud and so on. If any of these are cracked or broken they must be fixed right away.
With the appropriate sealant like Dicor rubber roof sealant, repair any problem areas on any of the seams of the roof, like around the vents, antennas and the termination seams at the front and rear of the coach. Don’t forget the seam all the way down the sides of the coach! I recently inspected a rig that had leak damage all the way down that seam on both sides of the coach. Eternabond tape is a great way to seal the seams on the roof and the slideout box.
