Forum Discussion

Scottiemom's avatar
Scottiemom
Nomad
Apr 29, 2021

Rubber Roof help

Trip is going very well. Left Florida almost 2 weeks ago and drove to Virginia to see my daughter and family, then headed to Indiana. Arrived here safe and sound. Refrigerator is not working on electric. I knew this before I left, so it's running on gas. I made an appointment with the Amish in Shipshewana. Turns out fridge works fine on electric, but the receptacle in the fridge box does not work. The Amish was not an electrician and didn't want to delve into it further, so I have an appointment Monday with Charger Enterprises in Elkhart to get it fixed. I am camped down at my sister's south of Warsaw. I have electric and water here which is fine.

I have another problem I need help with. I have a leak that is dripping from the roof A/C when it rains. I mentioned to a friend I wanted to get some sealant and reseal around the A/C. He cautioned that because of the rubber roof, I had to be careful what I used on it. So what products should I use? I figure I need a cleaner to clean the area first, then I would add new caulk to stem the water drip. I can go to Factory surplus in Elkhart or Johnson's in White PIgeon and either one should have it. Just wondered what your go-to product is for such a repair.

Thanks!

Dale
Class C
  • Scottiemom's avatar
    Scottiemom
    Nomad
    Apr 29, 2021
    Thank you all for the thoughts. With regard to the fridge, there is no juice going to the outlet. Glen checked the converter for broken wires, bad breaker and blown fuses. His idea is the recep is bad or there is a broken wire from the converter to the fridge. He was using a volt ohm meter. Billy was sure they would be able to find it. Every other outlet and everything electrical is working. I have one GFI outlet and I use it every day. I only have 5 inside outlets and they all work. I have 2 outside and they both work.

    I don't know how to get the A/C plate on the ceiling off. There are only two visible screws and they look like pop rivets. I will do some checking on it. I'm not sure they will be able to look at that when I get the fridge fixed as I think they are working me in, but I will ask.

    Thanks for your help. I know now what NOT to do!

    Dale
  • Krusty's avatar
    Krusty
    Nomad II
    Apr 29, 2021
    Check all your GFCI outlets to make sure none are tripped. Fridge outlet may be connected to one
  • bobndot's avatar
    bobndot
    Explorer II
    Apr 29, 2021
    ronfisherman wrote:
    Stopping the leak may be as simple as tightening the bolts that hold AC to roof. They can be accessed by removing grill in ceiling to AC. Do not over tighten.


    X2. Thats the first thing to try. Worked twice for me.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Apr 29, 2021
    Scottiemom wrote:
    the receptacle in the fridge box does not work.
    Could be as simple as a loose wire, disconnected wire, breaker..

    Going to a shop for this kind of stuff can get time consuming and expensive. I'd check those things first. A voltmeter is a must-have tool.
  • ronfisherman's avatar
    ronfisherman
    Moderator
    Apr 29, 2021
    Stopping the leak may be as simple as tightening the bolts that hold AC to roof. They can be accessed by removing grill in ceiling to AC. Do not over tighten.
  • BurbMan's avatar
    BurbMan
    Explorer II
    Apr 29, 2021
    On a rubber roof, don't use anything that contains petroleum distillates or mineral spirits. Dicor is the big brand in rubber (EDPM) roofs, and for caulk/sealant you would use lap sealant, either self-leveling or regular.

    HOWEVER, there is no caulk around the a/c unit, there is a rubber gasket that seals the a/c to the roof. When the a/c unit is fastened to the roof, the gasket compresses and forms the water tight seal. Many times that gasket will shrink over time, and the unit can be resealed by removing the interior trim and tightening the mounting screws to further compress the gasket. This is a relatively easy process and the RV shop that's fixing your outlet can probably do this in 10 minutes.

    IF the gasket is due for replacement, the a/c unit needs to be lifted off the roof so the gasket can be replaced and reinstalled, obviously a much bigger job because those units are heavy.

    DO NOT try to caulk or apply sealant around the outside of the a/c, you won't be able to get the caulk in far enough under the exterior shroud to reach the mounting plate, and it will just gum things up if the gasket needs to be replaced.

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