Aluminum Roof Repair?

Question

So went camping over Father's Day weekend and found we had some water issues. Wall paper above the dinette on our 1994 Sunline Saturn T-2251 was bubbled and wall felt a little mushy. Left it go until we parked it, at which point I ripped open the wall...wasnt't good. Figure the cosmetic stuff will wait until I fix the roof.

It's an aluminum roof, but I can't tell where the water is coming from. So I am going to Eternabond the heck out of all the seams and then was thinking about sealing the rest of the roof with some type of elastomeric coating. Any recommendations? Should I even do it? If so, what product should I use? And if by chance the water is coming in where my awning bolts onto the side of the camper (which I suspect may be the case), what's the best way to fix that?

westend · Answer

I ended up applying Eternabond to all the seams, around the vents, and over the edge trim on my aluminum roof. Haven't had a problem since.

If you want to see where your leaks are, do a pressurized leak test.

To seal any screw that enters the siding or roof, remove the screw and fasten back in through Eternabond or a filled hole of sealant.

blstrahan04 · Answer

Thanks westend...gonna start with the taping of seams and see if that does the trick. the roof itself looks great for being 20+ years old.

Any idea what the darker colored sealant might be that I need to deal with? Would you remove it or tape over it?

blstrahan04 · Answer

Sorry -

gbopp · Answer

Welcome to the forum.Eternabond is an excellent choice for covering the roof seams.Another option is Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant.Use Dicor non-leveling for the side walls. Shop around for the best price.I would use the Eternabond. It's a one time repair.The dark sealant on your roof could be silicone, which is not a good choice for a RV. I would remove as much as possible. Try a heat gun on low and a plastic scraper.It's difficult to get something to stick to silicone, including more silicone.Hopefully it's just a non-silicone type caulk.If you really want to check for leaks, consider a Pressure Test.Enjoy your travels.

westend · Answer

Any idea what the darker colored sealant might be that I need to deal with? Would you remove it or tape over it?

Folks put all kind of stuff on roofs to seal them, I had asphalt on mine. What you have appears to be caulk (and probably contains silicone). I'd use some 3M caulk remover and mineral spirits as a final wash. There's no short cuts with this roof sealing. If you leave the old stuff on there, there's a pretty good chance anything you put on top will peel off with the failing stuff.
Also, any kind of roof topping you apply, short of a LineX style material, will not seal your roof.

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Aluminum Roof Repair?

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