Someone recommended this product:Duck Coat Roof CoatingThe info on the web page looks promising -- but when I did a search of our archive, I came up empty, which is strange.If you've used this product on your RV, please feel free to chime in!Thanks in advance for your advice.

Hi,I have not heard of that product for RV's; they offer two products. https://duckcoat.com/white-silicone-rv-roof-coating/ and https://duckcoat.com/duck-coat-rv-15-year-white-elastomeric-roof-coating/Which exact product are you looking at? They offer both acrylic and high-solids silicone products, but both are very different. And a heads up, they have elected not to include tech data on the RV coating products on their site; why? They have the SDSs as required by law, but there do not have tech data sheets for their RV coatings. See here: https://duckcoat.com/resources/Does your roof leak now? What is your want/need by doing the coating? How long do you want the coating to last?Trying to help, not challenge. I have experience with high-solids silicone RV coatings using Henry's 885/887 Tropi-cool and Crazy Seal brands. I have done 3 campers already and soon a 4th with these coatings. Each one there was learning from doing them. There is a learning curve pending what you are doing and trying to accomplish. I am just trying to help you avoid some of the pitfalls of marketing, not spelling out or needing to make the warranty work hiding in the fine print. Let us know some of what and why you want to roof coat your camper, we can help better.Hope this helps,John

John, thanks for that detailed answer! I don't have a leak, and my roof looks fine -- but I am one of those "be prepared" folks, so I am doing my homework ahead of time.And the fact that Duck Coat does not have data sheets is not encouraging. I will keep on going with my research.In my dreams, there is some sort of an easy to use, pour-on roof coating that dries quickly.I guess that as I have gotten older, my dreams have become much less interesting than they were when I was young! ;)

As a former industrial coatings chemist, I can tell you that "easy pour-on" generally also means "almost good." While I have never (yet) coated an RV roof with any of these products, the nature of the beast is such that a clean roof, good surface prep, and smear -- not simple dump the bucket -- technique is at least as important as the product chosen for the job.I just bought a 4.7 gallon bucket of Henry Tropicool to do my RV roof, a task I'll be undertaking this spring before camping season. @JBarca, I'm all ears for your experience and tips regarding that product.

I been using this pressure washer accessory on the roof for a few years now. No scrubbing just pass it back and forth.Roof cleaner

profdant139 wrote:John, thanks for that detailed answer! I don't have a leak, and my roof looks fine -- but I am one of those "be prepared" folks, so I am doing my homework ahead of time.And the fact that Duck Coat does not have data sheets is not encouraging. I will keep on going with my research.In my dreams, there is some sort of an easy to use, pour-on roof coating that dries quickly.I guess that as I have gotten older, my dreams have become much less interesting than they were when I was young! ;)Hi profdant139,Thanks for your openness and for starting a search before the need comes. I'll say a few big-picture statements about camper roof coatings. I can get deeper into this if wanted. I do not want to bury you so early in the investigation. These are my "view" on the topics, and my views may be very different than yours or others. Feel free to ask for a more in-depth understanding of where I'm coming from.There are many things RV roof coatings do well, and there are some that do not do well at all.You mentioned Profdant139 wrote:"In my dreams, there is some sort of an easy to use, pour-on roof coating that dries quickly" 1. How long do you want this coating to last? And are you thinking that the coating will get you out of roof caulking inspections? I'm trying to present some options that better fit your camping situation. If you sell the camper in 3 to 5 years, which is the life of the coating system expectation, then there are some lower-cost, less work-to-do options. They may fit your dream of being quick and easier to use. 2. If you want the coating or other ways to eliminate roof caulking inspections and touch-ups with high confidence those roof seams and roof penetrations will remain leak-free for a long or short time, then there are a few ways to do this. I know of two ways I have used on several campers with and without a roof coating to deal with the seams. One method is to Eternabond every roof seam and penetration, including the gutter rails. If the roof membrane requires a coating due to age, there are lesser-cost options for the coating; they do not last as long. We must discuss your roof membrane; what is it? EPDM, PVC, TPO, metal or fiberglass? This option can be done in phases, and it will take time. It takes me three days straight, once the roof is cleaned and prepped (yet another topic, cleaning, and prep), to Ebond the entire roof where caulk was used. Depending on how many years you want out of the coating, the cost and life of the coating will vary pending want you want to do. NOTE: Many coatings will not bond long-term to E Bond's TPO surface unless treated. In this case, the coating enhances the exposed membrane, not the seams/penetrations, as that is what the Ebond is for. 3. If you want to keep your camper for a good long time (20 plus years), you want the coating to deal with all seams and joints that caulk use to be used, and you want close to a maintenance-free roof, then this option will take more effort and have more cost. But, it has a higher odds of lasting the camper's life. The actual work will take a little more time than option 2, but the cost will be higher, but when you're done, you are done. The coating must have a 50-year to lifetime warranty and be applied "right". How to do this right will take more time to type as there is this learning curve; you will need to understand how coatings bond to all the materials used on a camper roof, not just the membrane. The learning here is more involved than in option 2. This is where Henry's 885 and 887 products come in, and the Crazy Seal if you want to go that route. And then there are pre-existing leaks. Roof seam leaks and siding penetration leaks have tricked many a good camper. If they do not see a leak in the living space, they feel and think they are leak free. Have you scanned your camper with a moisture meter and have high confidence there are no leaks? If there is water damage in the walls or ceiling, those areas need to be accessed and a determination made on what to do with them. Stop the leak and determine whether you will mitigate water damage or not. Option 2 or 3, when you have a wall or ceiling leak, can mean removing the gutter rails or corner moldings to assess the water damage. Ideally, these area gets addressed before the roof treatment system goes on so you do not disturb them. Again, I'm trying to help explain what a roof coating can do well, but it comes with your expectations. So, what do your expectations fit into, Item 1, 2, or 3? Many folks have just gone and applied a roof coating, thinking it will solve all their problems, to find out later they never knew what all is included and find out the hard way the coating failed them. I'm trying to help you not fall into that group. I have done options 2 and 3 when the friend I am helping wants to keep their camper for a long time or my family's campers. If you are doing this work yourself, It will take time; some can be done in stages, and for some, you must go for it and get it done. Please tell us what your roof membrane is, ideally a few pics of it and the seams now, how confident you have no ceiling or wall leaks, what you have done to confirm you have no leaks, and what options listed above your expectations fall into. I'm glad to explain more, but we need to hone in on what you want to get out of all this. I hope this helps,John

Are you familiar with Duck Coat Roof Coating?? | Good Sam Community

Y-Guy
Moderator
Feb 11, 2023
JBarca - major kudos for such a detailed and helpful write up - Thank you!!!
JBarca
Nomad II
Feb 12, 2023
Y-Guy wrote:
JBarca - major kudos for such a detailed and helpful write up - Thank you!!!

Thank you Y-Guy! :)
JBarca
Nomad II
Feb 12, 2023
profdant139 wrote:
John, I am astonished by your internet sleuthing skills -- yes, my trailer is tiny -- it is a box 12 feet long by 7 feet wide. As soon as I am able (which may be a while), I will climb up on the roof to see what it is made of.

Your write-up of how to waterproof the roof and the siding is just excellent -- so detailed. Have you considered publishing it as a stand-alone post under the DIY forum? I think it would be very valuable to the membership at large -- as matters now stand, it is just a part of my Duck Coat post, which is not going to get very many views by comparison.

Thanks again for your clear and comprehensive comments!

Hi Profdant139,

Thank you for the good words. They humble me.

I will consider creating a post in the DIY forum. I have uploaded many of the pics of the process on my picture server, but I have not yet made it to posting about it. The hope is, in time, it will come. If someone needs help before then, I'm glad to help with specific questions.

The roof coating topic is a big one to understand what can go wrong if one does not do certain steps in order and a need for a better understanding of what was meant in the directions from the manufacturer. It's not hard, it just needs to be understood you have to follow the right method. There is more to getting a lifetime roof coating to last than a quick paint-it-on approach. You must start with a proven track record coating and apply it correctly understanding how RV roofs leak. And then there are the RV-specific items not always spelled out in the directions that can be missed just not knowing about them. I believe and have tested to prove what works and what does not; the right roof coating will give good service if applied correctly and for the right owner's reasons on what they want to accomplish with it. But a coating is not for everyone and does not fix every problem.

Good luck with your camper.

Thanks

John

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