Dear Dave,
My RV’s roof is aluminum with just a few coats of paint. It has had no leaks, ever. What type of roof sealant would you recommend if I were to reseal the roof? —Lynn, 2003 Lazy Daze 30 ft. twin bed (M-30 TB)
Dear Lynn,
It has been a long time since I did any work on a unit with an aluminum skin roof. Most manufacturers quit using aluminum in the mid- to late-1980’s, as the one-piece rubber membrane became available and had several advantages. The old aluminum was only 4’ wide, so there was typically a seam running down the middle that was a constant battle to keep sealed.
Aluminum also oxidized and created black streaks down the side of the rigs. It was not very forgiving with branches or hail that would make it look like a golf ball. If moisture got under the skin, it would create electrolysis which would eat away at the material and create pin holes or worse. It would get hot in direct sunlight, and it was expensive.
The only advantage that I knew of was the aluminum added to the structural integrity of the roof better than the flexible rubber membranes.
Winnebago chose to move away from the aluminum roof material and used a pebble grained fiberglass that was a one-piece design. They started using that with the redesigned 1989 Winnebago Chieftain and Itasca Sunflyer.
Your Lazy Daze Class C was a unique RV built by an independent manufacturer out of Southern California that just recently stopped making RVs. I am not sure what sealant they used during manufacturing. However, I have used Titebond for the seams as it is designed for aluminum. It is weather-resistant, flexible, and comes in about 100 colors to match the paint. You can find it on Amazon here.
If you are looking to reseal or recondition the entire roof, I would recommend RV Roof Magic. I have used that on several rigs and the roofs still look like new. This product received the Metal Of Honor Award from Metal Roofing Magazine in 2024. This would cover the entire roof and seams; however, it only comes in white.
You might also enjoy these posts from Dave
- What is your opinion of RV Roof Magic? Does it work?
- DIY resealing an EPDM roof on your RV. If I can do it, so can you!
- Can you use Flex Seal on an RV roof? If not, then what?
- Learn more about RV Roof Magic here.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
Read more from Dave here.
HAVE A QUESTION FOR DAVE?
Send your inquiries to him using the form below.
RVDT2652
Had a couple old Holiday Ramblers with aluminum roofs…never had a problem like the newer ones do. They sure don’t make anything like they used to.
Our first RV was a 1993 Holiday Rambler 5W with an aluminum roof. It was well built. Oddly, when we replaced it with a 2003 Safari Class A, also an aluminum roof. They are out there!
Thank you for the discussion and history of aluminum roofs, Dave! All very interesting! Have a great day and safe travels!
We used to use a two part epoxy to repair aluminum skinned roofs and side patches in military vehicles. They called it Proseal, but only came in gray and was paintable.