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yankeeslover's avatar
yankeeslover
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013

parking under tree.. how durable are rubber roofs?

im sorry, still learning all this.. 2014 TT.. only place at my house to park is right directly below a tree... there are no overhanging branches withen 5 feet of the roof as I trimed it down.. but im just wondering how durable these roofs are... of course being under a tree I will have leafs and twigs fall down on the roof but do twigs usually present a problem? I imagine it should be somewhat durable as they are designed for camping in the woods, but I still worry a bit. there is a nice rain storm coming later today with lots of wind, so naturally im gonna panic like crazy, but living in the city I have no options today of moving it anywhere else... the tree is sturdy and other then the occasional twigs it holds up well.... this winter I will take to my local rv dealer and store it outdoors there, they have a big open parking lot.. but cant get it there till November when they start the storage.... sorry if dumb question, I don't know unless I ask..thanks

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  • camperdave's avatar
    camperdave
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2013
    I've never cleaned my roof, other than local cleaning when inspecting/fixing stuff. It's very dirty, I'm not sure why I would care about that. :?

    Just last week I was up on a ladder inspecting my roof for needed repairs (it's a 15 year old rubber roof, and in a constant state of needing repair at this point) and I noticed a 1" cut in the rubber close to the edge. I assume it was a tree branch sometime camping recently, I don't really know. I washed the area locally with Windex, and slapped on a small piece of Eternabond (I've got a roll in my garage). I now have one shiny spot on my filthy roof. :B

    I have an Adco cover that I'll use in the winter if I know a big storm is coming and I won't be using the trailer for a few weeks (we camp year round), but usually don't put it on. The trailer is only about 1 foot from the side of my house, and it's a complete PITA to put the cover on.
  • 2012Coleman's avatar
    2012Coleman
    Explorer II
    Oct 07, 2013
    Follow the advice to get a cover. Look into ADCO. Your roof won't stay clean no matter where you park it, but under a tree it will get dirty very fast. If you are worried about some big limb crashing into it, I'm not sure what to tell you besided just don't park it there. good luck
  • Artum_Snowbird's avatar
    Artum_Snowbird
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2013
    While most twigs and branches will deflect, what about the ones big enough to land on a roof vent or that might punch a hole in a place where water pools and make a major leak. Perhaps tarping it until the wind is over will help deflect most and keep it a lot cleaner.
  • yankeeslover's avatar
    yankeeslover
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2013
    thank you, with that said as far as dirt is concerned, I have heard others never clean the roof because other then not looking good a dirty roof does nothing to hurt it and cleaning can actually wear it down faster then not cleaning it? does this have any merit? my TT is tall enough where you don't see the roof nor how dirty it can be.... it is only a few months old so the roof still looks almost new, but should these roofs be cleaned? or is it true that dirty roofs don't really hurt them?
  • You_can_t_take_'s avatar
    You_can_t_take_
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2013
    BB_TX wrote:
    Leaves, twigs, even small branches falling from the tree will not harm the roof. Larger stuff can possibly poke holes in it. But overall the roof is fairly strong.
    X2

    I would be more concerned about the roof becoming very dirty if it were parked in one particular spot under a tree for an extended period. For me it would mean I'd want to wash it more often. But the rubber roofs are designed to withstand wind (being driven along highways) and the odd brush with low hanging branches is not normally an issue.
  • BB_TX's avatar
    BB_TX
    Nomad
    Oct 07, 2013
    Leaves, twigs, even small branches falling from the tree will not harm the roof. Larger stuff can possibly poke holes in it. But overall the roof is fairly strong. I have accidently raked the top of mine under some low limbs before and did nothing but leave some lines where the limbs brushed across. Not something to do, but does show it is fairly strong.
    I did poke a small 1" hole in mine trying to remove a limb over mine at a campground. But a small piece of eternabond easily took care of that.
  • djsamuel's avatar
    djsamuel
    Nomad
    Oct 07, 2013
    My trailer has an aluminum roof, so I'm not experienced with the rubber roof. However, perhaps you may think about getting a cover for the trailer.

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