Dear Dave,
The EPDM roof on my 2018 fifth wheel is suddenly getting “gooey” areas on it that show the tread pattern of my shoes after I walk on it. It also feels sticky when touched. I have ALWAYS cleaned it with recommended products that don’t contain any petroleum ingredients. It just seems to be happening in random spots, not everywhere. What could be causing this and would it be possible to coat this with RV Roof Magic? Thanks. —Rich, 2018 Heartland Bighorn, Model 3760 EL
Update
I asked Rich for some photos and got this:
Good morning, Dave. Here are 3 pictures showing shoeprints in the gooey spots on my roof. I can push the gooey EPDM around with my finger. I can literally take my fingernail and move the outer layer of the EPDM exposing the black underside. The roof doesn’t appear to be soft underneath those spots.
My unit is a 2018 Heartland Bighorn, model 3760 EL. I have meticulously maintained it through the years. Again, I have never used any petroleum-based products on the roof and it is just doing this in 3 or 4 spots. —Rich
Dear Rich,
I spoke with the technician at RV Roof Magic and he has offered to send a quart to try it. He stated he has never seen anything like this. I tried calling Heartland—which is now part of Jayco, which is owned by Thor—and they had no records going back that far.
Roof may be EPDM
Since it is soft and you can scrape back the outer white surface to expose a black substance, I would believe it is EPDM, as that material starts as black rubber and has the color added to the exterior.
This past weekend I conducted seminars for the Ford Towing Bootcamp in Elkhart and met a technician from Jayco. Heartland was purchased by Jayco. The technician said that the documentation from past years was horrible. They could not tell what type of roof material was used, but they were using Dicor for some time and now Alpha.
The technician guessed it was Dicor EPDM, due to the black underneath material. But he felt that the issue was the adhesive application was uneven. He has seen a similar issue when the temps are hot and the “pooled adhesive” reacts with the substructure and literally melts the rubber membrane.
Since it is an internal chemistry item, there really is no fix other than to keep an eye on it. If it gets worse, it will require a new roof material. Hopefully, cooler temperatures will help it cure and become less gooey.
RV Roof Magic will send a quart for you to try, and we look forward to seeing the results.
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RVDT2758
This happened to my 2014 Heartland Landmark in late 2020. I was told at the time that the Dicor EPDM roof material (of which mine was made) had a chemistry problem during 2013-2014 and began failing at the ~7-year mark. Right or wrong, mine was failing. So, I opted for the Flex-Armer roof material. In April 2023, we experienced a horrible hailstorm in OK with baseball-sized hail. The roof was struck approximately six times, based on my findings (with very few visible marks), and the only damage was to one solar panel. I am so glad I went with the Flex-armer roof.
Dave, Any update on this issue from Rich? Did Roof Magic stick/cover the deterioration?
How is it holding up?
I am having the same problem and wondering if Roof Magic is worth a try?