EPDM roof compared to fiberglass roof

We had 2 TT that had rubber roofs, that were damaged the limbs NF campgrounds, or dispersed camping areas. First one, we tore off the ref. cap and ripped part of the roof. Simple patch fixed that. the Second TT, we were backing up to turn around and weren't watching up at the roof line and tore a pretty good size area in the back. A patch fixed that. Neither one ever leaked.
Any rood can be damaged, and may leak. Its just like a S & B house, you have to do up-keep.

I have owned 3 rv's with rubber roofs and never a problem or leaks, however I do live in Vegas where we don't get much rain but they do hold up in the sun good, my neighbor has owned 2 5th wheels with rubber roofs and he has not had any problems as of yet, I would say rubber roofs are ok and don't worry to much about them..

Keep in mind that the Monaco brand is still a very popular diesel. They used aluminum on their roofs up to 2005 in the Diplomat and below line ups.

blw2 wrote:
side question re durability.....
what holds up the best in hail?

I would go with EPDM or TPO Brite-Tek is the MFG brand name for their system of TPO(thermoplastic olefin) to resist hail damage. A lot depends on what is under neath to absorb the impact some of the TPO roofs have fleece underneath. Having said what has better impact the question is how much better. I think they all will come through a normal size (1/2 in or less)hailstorm fine. Golf ball or baseball size again I would be more worried about the structure of the roof more than the covering. Rubber roofs are quieter in a hail storm.

side question re durability.....
what holds up the best in hail?

Not all rubber roofsn are equal. I have a Brite-Tek on my Newmar and the warranty still has another year to go. While it can be considered a rubber roof ut is far above others on the market. Some of the Winnebago aluminum roofs had their problems also.

The only thing I would add to Scott's descriptive post is that TPO is a thermoplastic material and has less elongation and resists tearing better than EPDM. Having said that I have an 18 year old roof that I coated in 2006 with Cool Seal that someone gave me. It is now wearing off. Secondly I camp a lot in NFS campgrounds and back into tree limbs and branches and have never torn the rubber roof ( I have crushed the fins on my A/C and some plastic covers). So I would not let the roof be a show stopper if you like the M/H. As another data point my friend has an 18 year old Bounder and the white coating has entirely worn off and is black. It still does not leak but I think a white coating every 7-10 years would keep it cooler inside and looking nice.

I believe that Scott has given a very complete rundown of that can be done for a roof, and what can happen to them. Also check with Home Depot and Lowe's for the Dicor and other coatings for roofs.

Emptynest soon,
We've had all three. A solid sheet of aluminum, a rubber roof, and presently, a fiberglass one. Let's look at it in some different terms. First, a solid sheet of aluminum is by far, the strongest and most durable. Now, we're not talking about changing tires up there or, doing some other intentional damaging motions, just things like a possible strong tree limb that get's a bit too close every once in a while etc. The second strongest is the fiberglass. It's pretty tough too but, is suseptable to the more intense damage also, but, not very often.

The rubber is the weakest. Whether it's EDPM or, the other, newer version, it's still weaker than the first two. But, it's the cheapest and easiest to apply by multiple manufacturers. And, as many folks have testified, it can last for quite some time, even with minimal maintenance and care.

If you purchase a coach that has all the attributes and parameters you want and need but, it's in need of a new rubber roof because of wear, damage, deteriorated etc., the cost of replacement can be viewed in three ways.

1. You can replace it yourself. It's ton of work, there's no doubt about that. Not many guys have the drive, ability and place to work to handle such a large task. There's lots of work in getting the old one off, checking for underlayment damage (possible rot, rain seepage damage etc.) then, prepping for the new sheet. You can buy a full sized sheet, enough to cover the roof entirely with one sheet, for approximately $400-$500, depending on the size of your coach and, the size of the sheet/roll. Then, there's the cost of the glue, wood treatment, possibly new vents (both sewer/plumbing and, tilt-up)

2. Or, you can pay to have it done. The average cost for the average coach, again depending on multiple variables, hovers around $6500 plus or minus some. I've had a couple of friends that have had it done and that was the norm price back a few years ago.

3. Or, again, if you really like the coach and plan on keeping it for a long time but, it needs a new rubber roof, then you can take it to one of many RV repair centers that are now specializing in a "Spray on" roof. It's almost the same exact coating as the bed liners that are applied to pickup beds. I've seen in person, a few of these and they are by far, the best replacement roof for multiple reasons.

They are seriously thicker than a rubber roof. The insulate considerably better. They are quieter (especially in rain storms)and, the majority of the ones I saw applied in our area were "Silver" in color due to the fact that, silver reflects a phenomenal amount of the suns heat better than even white. When I asked about the price, the service manager where it was being done quoted me around $3500 for around a 35' coach. It's applied as a "Cap" that goes over the radius on all four edges. It is virtually sealed up there.

So, there's some ideas and options for you. I had a rubber roof on my previous coach, a '99 Fleetwood Bounder 34V and, the roof has lost about 90% of its white that was part of the coating of the original rubber. Needless to say, it was ugly up there and, it was getting hotter and hotter while camping due to an almost all black, rubber roof.

So, long story short, I coated with the Dicor system from Camping World and, it came out really nice. We've since sold the coach and to the best of my knowledge, it's still doing fine and that coating was applied around 5-6 years ago.
Scott

I don't believe okgc is totally correct. Our rubber roof is 15 years old and has only required routine maintenance - scrub twice a year and reseal as necessary. Roof sill looks ok and is doing its job. Roof has never been undercover. Has spent most of it's life travelling around the country or in Arizona or California. Maybe a fiberglass roof is lifetime with jus t routine maintenance, I don't know.