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buckeyekj's avatar
buckeyekj
Explorer
Jul 31, 2014

So like an idiot, I.....

managed to run my TT along a large, low hanging branch THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT OUT yesterday. It could have been much worse, but basically, the branch ran along the corner of the rubber roof, and caused a few pulls in the rubber creating several small holes along the edge from about halfway back all the way to the rear.

I called the RV shop, and of course they said if insurance would cover it, they would replace the roof at a 5K cost. It didn't seem that bad, so I bought 4 rolls of the DICOR rubber tape,and put that along the entire left side and coated over that with silicon sealant. I don't see how any water can get through there.

the A/C unit seems to drain on this side of the TT though, so I wonder if the water will pool where the tape and sealant are at, and if I should cut a small drainage path, since the damage at this point of the roof was pretty much cosmetic, but I taped it anyway just in case there was a hole I couldn't see.

Any other idiots out there who have done similar roof repairs? If I did end up having issues, I think I would have a 3 year window to turn it in for insurance purposes.

Any insight to a newbie would be helpful.

Of course, a huge rainstorm came by 10 minutes after this happened. :)

16 Replies

  • Sorry for your luck also.
    I agree with westend that the silicone wont stick to your rubber roof very well. I would have used one of Dicor's self leveling products on the roof.
  • Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

    I don't think silicone is the best sealant for your RV, I'm about 100% assured it will separate from your roof rather quick. Dicor makes a lap sealant, Dicor self leveling that is recommended by a lot of folks for sealing EPDM roofs.

    Good luck with the repairs, don't beat yourself up too bad about the situation, we all have a story like that.
  • Don't feel bad...when we lived on Long Island I used to park the TT along the fenceline:



    There was just enough room next to the split rail fence to open the door:



    Backing in required coming in at a steep angle and cutting the wheel at just the right moment to spin the TT into place. With some practice I got pretty good at getting that 34' Sunnybrook parked, and never got a scratch on it.

    Fast forward to 2007, the brand spanking new Terry that is 2 FEET SHORTER than the Sunnybrook....you guessed it, backed it right into the fencepost and crumpled the metal skirt and crushed the back clearance light. Perfect end to our first camping trip in the new TT!!

    I banged out the tin as best I could, got a new clearance light and caulked the seam. You should be fine with the Dicor tape. I use Eternabond and keep a roll in the TT in case of accidents like this!
  • If the tape is good you should have NO problems. I myself have eternabond tape
    on mine for similar issues. Been 3 years with no leaks.

    Brian
  • I have friend who has been RV'n for many more years than me, who had nearly the exact same thing happen a few months ago with his then brand new TT. He scraped a low hanging branch pulling into a CG trying to stay off to one side and leave room for traffic on a busy Friday evening. He told me he didn't even concern himself with insurance / dealer repair - just sealed it up and kept on camping.

    As to the point of A/C drain -- that may vary depending on how it gets parked / leveled up. It may lean a slight bit either way and drain to any end / side on most units.
  • WOW!! Your luck seems pretty similar to ours. We have not experienced the same things with our travel trailer but in other areas of our toys we have. I guess that is where we have to take the good with the bad. Even when it is our own doing! UGH.