life of a rubber roof, without any damage

Depends on where you live and how you store you RV. I have original epdm roof on 92 and it seems to be doing fine ... I did seal all the seams with Eternabond many years ago and it sits in the shade when not being used. Doubt many who live in hot/sunny areas would have the same experience.

SoundGuy wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
The warranty is typically 7-10yrs but that gives the manufacturer a good margin of error so 15-20yrs with a moderate level of maintenance should be expected.

I'd like to see documentation to support this claim as any roof membrane warranty I've seen is 12 years, no less, no more, the point being one should expect it to last at least this long provided it's been correctly maintained.

Are you nitpicking over whether the warranty is 10 vs 12 years or that the manufacturers warranty is typically significantly less then what they expect the product to achieve?

My 5th wheel has sat outside in Southern California for over 22 years. I would hose off the roof once per year and use a soft brush to scrub the roof to make sure all the dirt was removed.

About 6 years ago a drive thru RV detail company in the RV Resort we were staying at offered to use a two stage conditioner on the roof for $65.

I had them do the roof and it looked like new.

2 years ago the roof membrane where it curves over onto the sides of the 5th wheel began to split open. I used 4 inch eternabond tape to seal the cracks. No leaks. The rest of the roof still looks good.

ScottG wrote:
If it's someplace extremely hot and sunny, like Fl, the life can be as short as 15 years or so. Around here they easily go 30+ years.

I'm not sure which is worse, PNW moss or Nevada sun.

If it's someplace extremely hot and sunny, like Fl, the life can be as short as 15 years or so. Around here they easily go 30+ years.

Mine is about 20 years old and the membrane is okay, though obviously not new. The outer coating is pretty much intact still. I have had the glue attaching the rubber to the underlayment gradually give out over the past year or tow or three and for that reason will see about replacing it before too long, but the membrane itself would be good for at least a few more years I think and possibly quite a few. I suspect the glue loosening is mostly due to aging, but don't know absolutely for sure.

Depends where you are as well. In the South they do not last near as long as the North. The intense UV degradation is what shortens their life. My seasonal in the North will probably last 20 years.

valhalla360 wrote:
The warranty is typically 7-10yrs but that gives the manufacturer a good margin of error so 15-20yrs with a moderate level of maintenance should be expected.

I'd like to see documentation to support this claim as any roof membrane warranty I've seen is 12 years, no less, no more, the point being one should expect it to last at least this long provided it's been correctly maintained.

Sold the last one at 20yrs...because the roof was nearing the end (the white layer was worn thru).

The warranty is typically 7-10yrs but that gives the manufacturer a good margin of error so 15-20yrs with a moderate level of maintenance should be expected.

The problem is when you get to 15-20yrs, replacing the rubber is more than the value of the trailer.

Agree on treating it annually or bi-annualy. As for the life of your roof, you should refer to your original paperwork. I believe ours is 10 years, but some are 20. We've had ours inspected and were told it should be replaced in a year and we bought it brand new in 2010, so that's close to its life expectancy.