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savvvvard's avatar
savvvvard
Explorer
May 24, 2016

Sealing an aluminum roof

Hey All,

I picked up my first travel trailer, a 1984 Coachmen 21.5". I paid $2000 for it and it is in very reasonable shape. We took it out this past weekend and spent much of it in raining conditions and found out the hard way that the roof leaks in a number of places. Most of them are small, but I am doing research to find the best solution to seal the roof. The roof is aluminum with a number of patches all over. I am looking to apply some sort of rubber product on the entire roof. What would be the best product to use for this?

Thanks in advance for any help!

3 Replies

  • Congrats on you new (to you) trailer!

    As said, if you find the holes in the roof a little Eternabond tape (and a LOT of rollering down) will seal it up permanently. Make sure to clean off ALL dirt and grime and then wipe it with acetone.

    Toughest part will be finding the leak, because on aluminum the water can travel quite a distance underneath. Additionally, condensation on the inside might appear to be a leak from the outside.

    IMO aluminum roofs are FAR superior to any other roof out there, and do not wear out unless they take a hit with a sharp object. The exception would be a two-piece roof with a seam in it. In that case the entire seam will need to be carefully covered with Eternabond.

    Good luck!
  • What kind of aluminium is it? My 50 years old Airstream had aluminium roof and only seams require some new Dicor or other sealer every few years.
  • Unles you have a professional spray it with LineX type coatings, there is no coating solution that will fix your aluminum roof leaks.

    Typical leak points are where vents and pipes extend through, around the perimeter of the roof, and in any standing seams.

    I removed the previous repair efforts and coatings on my aluminum roof and covered those leak points with Eternabond tape. I no longer have a leaking roof. I check it about every other year with a pressurized leak test.

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