Beating a Dead horse...Roof Cleaner\Conditioner

DownTheAvenue wrote:

2oldman wrote:
My owner's manual says I don't need to do anything. I don't consider this a conspiracy to make my roof degrade faster.

This is exactly correct. The EPDM roofing material "sheds" as it is exposed to UV light. That material "shed" from the roof actually shields the remaining material from the UV light and prolongs the life of the roof. EPDM roofing material is widely used in commercial applications, primarily on flat roofs such as warehouses and factories, and those roofs are never washed and coated with a "protectant".

IMO THE CORRECT ANSWER. Want to wear out your roof quicker then mess around with it and spend $$$ on cleaners/conditioners, etc. I haven't touched mine in almost 9 years except for inspections and intend to keep doing what has worked so far.

As far a black streaks, I have none from the roof since I installed the RainKap system.

Larry

falconbrother wrote:
CW told me that if I don't get up there once a year it voids the roof warranty. So, I have to clean it and treat it every year to maintain the ten year roof warranty. And, I have to document that with receipts etc.. Based on what the guy that gave us the walk-around was saying I have little to no confidence that the warranties will be honored without lots of fussing and fighting if I need it in a few years.

Just keep in mind that the "10 year warranty" is only for the membrane itself, which is unlikely to disintegrate and fail.

If the manufacturer did a crappy job at installing it, or there is a leak at a seam, you are out of luck. Those are on you to inspect and keep maintained.

Tom/Barb wrote:
Good old soap and water does it for us.

then a good hard wax, no need to buff it out. Johnson's paste is as goo as it get,

since epdm roofs all say NEVER use any petroleum distilates on the roof, I'd stay away from any paste wax. virtually all of them have petroleum distilates mixed in whatever they use for was.

falconbrother wrote:
CW told me that if I don't get up there once a year it voids the roof warranty. So, I have to clean it and treat it every year to maintain the ten year roof warranty. And, I have to document that with receipts etc.. Based on what the guy that gave us the walk-around was saying I have little to no confidence that the warranties will be honored without lots of fussing and fighting if I need it in a few years.

Nonsense... get that in writing from them about their requirements. Oh, by the way, the warranty is through the MANUFACTURER for that warranty, not Camping World. The MANUFACTURER would have to require yearly treatment and would have to provide a list of acceptable treatments.

And more nonsense, I am fairly certain that most RV's clearly state that you have to check it 3-4 times per year... not simply once per year. All you have to do is INSPECT it and MAINTAIN any deficiencies (failed caulking, hole in roof) to maintain your warranty.

And one other thing... I have never met a single person who has ever had the rubber roof fail. I have only heard of a single person on the internet (edatlanta on this forum) who has ever had the rubber roof fail. Everybody that has issues with leaking from the roof is from the poor quality caulk that is used. The caulk fails and allows water in. Your warranty with Alpha Systems (manufacturer) doesn't cover a shoddy caulk job.

CW told me that if I don't get up there once a year it voids the roof warranty. So, I have to clean it and treat it every year to maintain the ten year roof warranty. And, I have to document that with receipts etc.. Based on what the guy that gave us the walk-around was saying I have little to no confidence that the warranties will be honored without lots of fussing and fighting if I need it in a few years.

I too have a TT with a roof that doesn't need anything. Its supposedly impregnated with UV Protectant. Per owners manual, I wash it using a mild dish soap 3 times a year. Clean roof and a nice coat of wax on the sidewalls, black streaks are almost non-existent. If I do get them, they come right off with normal washing

DutchmenSport wrote:
if I don't get mine a couple times a year, I start getting all kinds of black stuff streaking from the roof and down the sides.

Yeah, I'd clean mine too if that happened.

I travel a lot and am in mostly dry but dusty country. I never park under dirty sappy trees. Once in a while I need to get up there to wipe the dust off the solar panels, but the roof itself is never dirty. Rain now and then takes care of that.

You all can skip washing the roof of your RV if you want. All I know is, if I don't get mine a couple times a year, I start getting all kinds of black stuff streaking from the roof and down the sides. When I keep it clean, I very seldom get the black streaks, or at least if I do, they are mild.

Don't know about yours, but mine gets covered with bird poo and farm dust. I live in the country. I have fields all around me. Dust when plowing and disking the fields; dust when planting; dust when cultivating; horrid dust when combining. Beans are horrible. Looks like a dust bowl being kicked up. All that stuff lands all over the camper, roof too. It get's mixed with dew in the morning, and next thing you know, corn dust is glued to the roof, and the sides, and every where else. If you live in town and park your RV in a storage facility, you probably won't have that problem. But live where it's dusty, dirt get's kicked up in the air from all directions for miles and miles, and things DO get dirty! Yes, our house get's dirty too. I wash the vinyl siding once a year too on the house. Car windows are hideous if the vehicles are not parked in the garage. A farmer can be working one of the fields a mile away and the wind will blow the dust right over us. It's part of country living. So YES... my roof needs washed, as does the sides, the windows, the vehicles, and even the siding of the house!

Huntindog wrote:
But they got so many questions from RVers on how to wash their roofs, that they saw a buck to be made. They started making roof cleaning products, and now recommend frequent washing.

I guess that's the result of not reading, or not trusting your owner's manual.

DownTheAvenue wrote:

2oldman wrote:
My owner's manual says I don't need to do anything. I don't consider this a conspiracy to make my roof degrade faster.

This is exactly correct. The EPDM roofing material "sheds" as it is exposed to UV light. That material "shed" from the roof actually shields the remaining material from the UV light and prolongs the life of the roof. EPDM roofing material is widely used in commercial applications, primarily on flat roofs such as warehouses and factories, and those roofs are never washed and coated with a "protectant".

We have a winner!
The roofing material is actually made by Carlise for the commercial building roofing market. Carlise is the largest supplier of this product, and they also manufacture it for Dicor.
Carlise doesn't condone washing the material.. They state that the white roofing may be washed occasionally, ONLY to maintain it's reflective properties if so desired... But washing is not required for warranty purposes. Dicor USED to mirror what Carlise says. But they got so many questions from RVers on how to wash their roofs, that they saw a buck to be made. They started making roof cleaning products, and now recommend frequent washing.

My roof gets washed when it rains, same as my house.:B