Cost of a new EPDM roof?

By the time most people know that they need a roof repair there is damage to the structure... rot, mold, etc.

I have never seen a painted on roof that lasts very long.... if it allows moisture to weep under voids, cracks, SCRATCHes the rot in the roof will be enough to doom the camper. When EDPM Oxidizes the surface washes away as a white milky looking mess... over time it all washes away and you'll be asking the same questions again.

TPO dosen't have seams... you can roll out a piece 60 foot long if you want.

Remember when the plastic dash boards in vehicles would crack as the pthlates (the chemical that has the new car smell) dried out.

TPO doesn't have pthlates and it doesn't oxidize.

Do it once and do it right. You have a $100,000 invested in your truck and TC if you bought them new.

Would you paint a thin coat of rubber on the roof of your house and expect it to last?

Photog, you really should consider this:

http://www.epdmcoatings.com/rv_roof_repair.html

I used it to repair and completely reseal the old roof on my class A.
Cost about 300 bucks and that was enough to completely redo a 36 foot roof.
This is the same liquid EPDM rubber roof material that the RV manufacturers use.
It can be purchased in rolls, as they do, but it can also be applied like paint.
It rolls out like thick honey, and is self leveling.
The best part is, you cover the whole roof, seams, etc. No more leaks.
It's like a brand new, one piece roof. Took me one half day to do the whole coach (they even used pictures of my coach on their website- it's the one with the barn in the background with a green X) The before and after pics speak for themselves.
I was quoted 7 grand by the dealer to remove the old roof and install a new one.
This process cost me 300 bucks and half a day. You have to clean the roof, let it dry, and then just roll it out like thick paint.
Amazing stuff.

Of course, all this assuming that the roof is structurally sound, and just needs a new EPDM waterproof coating.

Anthony

It runs about $100 per foot. There is not much difference in cost between EDPM and Brite tek TPO roof. I had mine replaced on MH. Shop that did work removed a replaced the old Luan ply, sealed joints and leveled roof prior to installing.

I agree with Sleepy:

Look VERY, very closely at TPO specs, and compare them very closely to EPDM rubber. TPO is a far more robust product. I have a relative (a rubber/plastics/coatings development scientist in the biz for 50+ years) look into TPO vs. rubber, and TPO (properly installed) offers numerous advantages.

After our research, we bought a camper with a TPO roof (properly installed: I know, because I was at the truck camper factory watching their install of a roof on the same camper), and today, 9 years later, our roof looks like the the day it was built. I'm anal at keeping the roof membrane clean. I inspect our roof once a month during truck camper season, and have done so the entire 9 years of ownership. Based on our roof's appearance today, I would estimate it's life to go at least another 5 years.

Caveat: I did drop a 10-lb tree cutter hardened steel cutting head onto our camper roof many years ago, from 20 feet up. The razor-sharp cutter head put only a deep impression into the TPO about 3/16th long, and crazed the TPO 3 inches lateral of the 1st impact (but no puncture) both of which I patched anyway.

Remember: the TPO has to be installed properly (replete with 3/16th thick roofing felt over the roof decking), and side rolled over the edge of the roof (like Sleepy notes, and like we have; not seamed on top), and properly stretched and fastened down. The last time I was at IKEA in early November (the store is about the size of 4 football fields) I noted that their TPO roof (installed 15+ years ago) looked like it was installed the day before I saw it. I could see a ~30,000 sq/ft section of their roof from the window at their 2nd floor restaurant...

Cost? No idea. It can't be cheap, for sure. Only a hand-full of RV manufacturers use TPO (Lance is one of them; so was Outfitter {but now Outfitter has a fiberglass roof}). We should actually have a running list of truck camper manufacturers, in this Forum, that build with TPO roof systems. Personally, a TPO roof membrane would be a weighting of 35 (out of 100) in our decision to buy a new camper (in the deal-breaker category!). Structure build would weight 45, and interior layout would weight a 20 (most truck camper interiors are very similar in cross-competitive models, and truck camper makers are mostly open to doing interior mods at the factory, thus the lower interior layout weighting).

Since you have to replace it.... you might think about TPO instead.

The sun doesn't hurt TPO, it is tough... almost impossible to punch a hole in without a firearm.

It will not oxidize (chalk)

No streaks on the sides of your camper from the milky edpm oxide run-off.

It comes in a roll 8' wide and as long as you need. Roll the edges over the roof's slightly... rain runs off. You can cut it with industrial sissors or a good utility knife... for the AC, and other vents.

I originally had an aluminum roof... I have had a TPO roof since 2006. Lance installed it (insurance job)

Good luck

Sleepy

Sent you a PM in reference.