RV Roof Reseal

93Cobra2771 wrote:
If done correctly, the existing caulk is removed, and new dicor self leveling caulk is applied. Most manufacturers say to do this on a yearly basis. You can also apply a new layer over an existing layer, but it is generally suggested to only do it once like that.

It is a bit tedious to do, but can be done if you are decently handy and feel up to the task. Materials wise, you can expect anywhere from 8-14 tubes of self leveling dicor. It will vary according to how heavy you lay it on, and how many items you have stuck through your roof (vents, etc).

I have done a couple. I personally went with eternabond tape over all my seams, so I never have to worry about the sealing on my roof again.

Materials for eternabond will be less that what you will spend at the dealer. Plan on a couple of good weekends to apply it correctly, but it is so worth it in the end.

I agree with all the points made by cobra, especailly the part about removing the old sealant and using Eternabond for a one time permanent reseal that should outlast the life of the roof. I did this over 8 years ago and haven't had to touch anything on the roof since then except to replace two plumbing vent caps just last week which was a breeze. I simply cut the Eternabond right at the edge of the old vent flange, left all the other Eternabond there, removed the old vent, put the new one on using some double sided Eternabond between the new flange and the roof w/o even having to screw it into the roof and it sat right down inside the old area. I then put some new Eternabond roof seal over the new vent flange and up onto the old Eternabond tape and was good to go. Took about 30min per vent and most of that time was removing most of the old butyl caulk that was used on the original vent flange between it and the roof and sort of smoothing out that area so the new double sided Eternabond on my new vent flange would adhere to the roof area good.

Many, many use the more Dicor method, but I don't like that, especially if adding more ontop of what is already there. In many cases the way the Dicor is applied at the factory like around vents you already have an area where pooling had happen right next to the vent vertical flange part which I don't like and IMO if you have caulk that is cracked there is no way to clean all the dirt and grime out of that crack so additional caulk can get down into that crack and seal it up properly. Also, I believe the Dicor instructions say when putting new caulk over existing caulk you should cover all the old caulk (i.e. totally entombing it) and extend the new caulk like an inch beyond the old onto virgin surfaces which is often not feasible especially around most roof penetrations along the interior edge of the old caulk.

I would not trust any RV service center to seal anything on my camper cause I would not trust that they would do a good job and are grossly overpriced for the minimalist job they might do. To remove all the old caulk and apply Eternabond properly can be a tremendous time consuming project and take just two to three hours to completely remove all existing caulk around a single vent and then properly prep and apply Eternabond, but it's a one time thing and IMO is the only 100% sure way of having a leak free roof. Also, IMO it's almost impossible to really properly check the condition of normal caulking on the roof unless you physically poke along every edge to ensure it is still properly adhered to the roof whereas with Eternabond a quick visual look will tell you immediately if every inch is still properly adhered along all the tape edges.

Take a look at your roof and then look thru the following album detailing all my Eternabond sealing on my trailer and decide for yourself which is the better way to go. BTW those pics are 8 years old and my roof while dirtier, the Eternabond still looks like I put it on yesterday.

Eternabond Install

Larry