By Dustin Simpson
Let this post be your reminder to keep up on routine maintenance, especially when concerning your roof. You do not want to have to do a full RV roof replacement, so be sure to keep up with its maintenance. This includes keeping up with your roof sealants, side seams and insert moldings at the roof line. The below video shows the dangers of not keeping up on RV routine maintenance.
A full RV roof replacement
Check out this trailer roof replacement from start to finish! This is one of the worst roofs we have seen, as the roof is literally scooped away in pieces. Dustin and Dave share their best practices.
DIY products
There are the products my technicians use on a repair like this:
- Scrapers – These are perfect to use when removing sealant/silicone on the edges and the side of the body for resealing.
- Acrysol – This is a great, low-grade solvent that we use to clean silicone/sealant, decal remover, etc.
- My technicians favor BOSS 378 silicone:
- CRL Tapered Plastic End Stick Tool CRL216
- Kent Auto Body Cleaner
- Heavy Duty Vinyl Insert Trim, 1 inch wide, 100-foot roll (comes in black, white or colonial)
- Dicor Non-Sag Sealant — You will want to use non-sag sealant on all corners and side seams on the roof. Non-Sag Sealant is offered in several colors.
- Dicor Self-Leveling Sealant – Roof surface, for moldings, seams, vents, skylights, etc. It is offered in several colors.
More from Dustin
Read more of Dustin’s articles here.
##RVDT2366
Inspected every 90 days? They say this at the 1:25 point of the video. I’m afraid I’ve been remiss.
He said to have the customer bring the RV back in 90 days for a free inspection, to inspect the new roof for any possible defects in the installation.
That’s right, but I believe at the 1:25 spot in his video I seem to recall him saying something about having an inspection every 90 days, in addition to the 90 day inspection after the new roof. I could be wrong – and I’m too lazy to go back and watch it again . . .
I just replaced the vinyl insert in the roof to wall trim a couple months ago. That was probably the easy half of the job. I then cleaned the roof edge, used painter’s tape on the trim and non-leveling roof sealant in that tiny crack between the trim and the rubber roof. You want to make sure water flows over the trim and into the gutter and does not wick behind the trim and into your walls.
Thank you, Dustin! Wow! What a job! Thank you for sharing this. It certainly emphasizes the importance of inspecting ones RV roof and maintaining seals. Thank you for showing us the logical outcome of neglect! Safe travels! 🙂
Lost roof due to high winds, Winnebago dealer $12,000 to $15,000, went with Flex Armor, $8,000. Lifetime warranty. Transferable to new owner.
Also cooler and quieter….