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efiguero's avatar
efiguero
Explorer
Jun 25, 2013

Faded Roof and sealing questions, need guidence.

So my roof has some issues, it is a rubber roof, and it seems to have completely faded to the rubber material. It seems it used to be white, as there are small spots of white (Under the AC, and other spots). I have had two RV mechanics do a quick look (One before I bought it and another recently). The first told me I needed to paint it as it had faded; the other told me it was just dirty. So I got up on the roof to clean it, and I came to the conclusion that the first guy was right, after scrubbing with a brush and mild soap, there was black residue coming off the roof (Assuming was just dirt), but there was no white under it. So with that said, what would be the best paint or coating to use? I thought I had it figured out, but I have read sooo many different things on roof coatings I am now confused. I thought I could do the Liquid Roof, but it I cannot use it from what I was told. So I figure some of that elasti stuff would be the other option.

On another note, some of Dicor seals need to be resealed; the previous owner took some of that "As Seen On TV" sealant spray and attempted to seal some of the Dicor. As I was cleaning the roof that spray sealant which is black started to peel off. So I want to re-seal the Dicor with more Dicor as I read that is common practice. I would rather peal off all the old stuff and reseal it with new, but not sure I want to tackle that job as I don't want to mess anything up. Anyhow, I assume I need to clean off all the spray sealant and then clean the old dicor prior to adding new dicor, what should I use to do this? Mineral Spirits was what I saw on youtube, or Alcohol (Regular Rubbing, dunno)? If there is something I can use that I can go pick up at my local hardware store which would be safe for my roof, that would be my first choice as I don't want to have to order something special if I don't have to.
Lastly, I think I have a role of Eternabond that was given to me that looks to have never been used. Once I re-seal with Dicor, can I stick the Eternabond over it or do I need to put some sort of primer since my roof is the bare rubber material? If I have to use a Primer, is there something I can use from the hardware store or do I have to order Eternabonds primer? Oh and the Dicor tube I have is the self-leveling, I need to do my shower skylight as well, can I use self-leveling for the skylight or do I have to use the non-leveling kind?

Then to seal my window over the cab, and the marker lights. It is as simple as just removing the old silicon and reapplying new silicon? Is it the normal silicon (Currently has the clear type) you can buy at the hardware store? This also goes for the seams along the sides and underneath the over the cab area. It all seems to be sealed with a bead of clear silicon.

Lastly, I read that Eternabond does not adhere to silicone, so I was thinking that once I resealed the seams to the over the cab area, I could stick a strip of Eternabond over the seams for added protection, will this not work since there is a bead of silicon along the seam? I hope these questions made since. Thanks in advance.
  • I replaced the RR on my coach with my wifes help. Was not as hard as I had imagined.
  • Thanks for the info so far, I think the roof is the original roof, which would be from 98, so it is quite old, however it has no tears and the edges look fine. THe only issue is the white paint has faded away. One of the mechanics mentioned that I should just paint it and I would be good. So that is what I would rather do instead of replacing the roof. At least for the time being, as we just bought it and spent most of our extra money on other mechanical issues, as the roof was not leaking, but had in the past prior to the "As seen of TV" sealer being added. I would like to replace in the next year or so, or look into the bed liner option as that sounds like a good option. I found some mentions of a place in Cleburne, Texas which is a couple of hours from me that has done the rino liner roof covering on RVs. So I may look into that, but I am trying to get a temporary fix for the time being. So if anyone has any suggestions on paint, I would appreciate it. I am basically looking for a solution that does not involve replacing the roof at the moment. Any suggestions on the questions involving the silicon?
  • I'd say, re-paint the roof. Several good products out there.
    Paint everything, those dicored layers will seal with the paint,
    Save the eternabond for problem spots (tears and rips).
  • As the roof ages it looses the protective white layer that keep UV from breaking down the black rubber. As long as the rubber is still in good shape I would just re-coat it with an appropriate product and it should be fine.
    The roof is a commercial product so you can go to a good roofing supply place and buy a coating that is specific to your type of roof. It will be cheaper than going to a RV store and may even be a better product.
  • If you use Dicor and do a proper job there is no need for Eternabond. If you use eternabond there is no need for Dicor. As for the roof itself? How old is the RV this roof is covering? It might simply be a time for a new roof. There are lots of posts about using bed liner material on roofs now days. There is one high end manufacturer that offers it as an option.
  • Those two RV"mechanics" had absolutely no idea what they were looking at. I can tell from your description that your roof has passed its life expectancy and should be replaced.

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