Forum Discussion

yankeeslover's avatar
yankeeslover
Explorer
May 08, 2013

What kind of maintence on my Jayco roof? non handy person

now that I have my 2011 featherlite at my house, what kind of maintence does one need to do on the roof? I admit that I jumped into this purchase.. too late now. for those who read and helped me last couple weeks I thank you. I was in market for brand new PUP when I came across this 17c featherlite. I jumped at the deal and purchased this used htt instead of the new pup.
im not having buyers remorse yet, just wish I did alittle more research(I now know for next time) anways, as far as I can tell the roof is in great condition.. I belive its a EPDM roof... the previous owner did no maintence at all. I do have a bottle of that dicholr sealeant if I ever need to touch up the seems...
This is my question and what im afraid of. I did not know that these EPDM roofs are much less durable then a PUP roof??? and needs a lot of care to make sure it doesn't leak. I am the least handy person you will ever meet as I always seem to make repairs or easy jobs worse..LOL... I also don't want to spend arm and leg at rv place to do simple work either if I can avoid it.. what kind of maintence needs to be done on these roofs? I am now reading on different sites that epdm roofs need to be cleaned and recoated atleast once per year? this has never been done on this camper per previous person. Is this all true? what kind of job is this? how does one take care of EPDM?
this is my one regret, I really wish I did my homework with this first, I had no idea that these epdm roofs are a lot of work and need a lot of care, and now wonder if I should have opted for the new PUP instead. I cant afford to replace a roof in a couple years if it comes down to it...im sorry for asking this here... this is the best site I have come across yet..thank you..

10 Replies

Sort By
  • Campfire_Time's avatar
    Campfire_Time
    Explorer
    May 09, 2013
    I use a cleaner made for cars and a soft brush. Check the seams once a year and that's about it. 10 years old and its in great condition.
  • Garry_Gayle's avatar
    Garry_Gayle
    Explorer
    May 09, 2013
    I washed mine with Protectall Wash then put some 303 protectant on everything up there.
  • drenjoey's avatar
    drenjoey
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    brirene wrote:
    Relax, you're making more of it than it really is.


    I agree with Brirene...........you really have to relax. The questions just keep pouring on your part.....when all the answers are already in here.

    Start searching :)
  • skipnchar's avatar
    skipnchar
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    I BELIEVE that Jayco uses Vinyl roofs but possibly not all models. For what it's worth EPDM (Rubber) or TPO (vinyl) are very close to maintenance free, requiring only cleaning (for cosmetic purposes. They like ALL roofs require caulking around through roof openings but that has nothing to do with the roof membrane. MOst have a 12 year warranty against leaks and it's rarely needed. Probably 99.9% of all leaky RVs are caused by caulking issues, not leaky roofs. About the only exception to this is physical damage from tree limbs etc.
    Good luck / Skip
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    May 08, 2013
    Inspect it on a regular basis but cleaning is optional and excessive cleaning will shorten its life.
  • brirene's avatar
    brirene
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    Relax, you're making more of it than it really is. First do an inspection to see how it looks. Might need to be cleaned, and that might be all for now. You don't need to be a mechanic for this one. You can find answers to almost any question on the forum. Enjoy!
  • drenjoey's avatar
    drenjoey
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    That question like many others have been asked time and time again. Start searching the forums and you'll get your answers.

    Dre
  • Padlin's avatar
    Padlin
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    Maybe cleaned and inspected once or twice a year, you don't recoat anything. If you see cracks in the caulking or holes in the EPDM, have it fixed right away at the dealer. As you are The Most Unhandy Man in the World, kick back with a Dos Equis while they do the work. A coworker brings his 5th into the dealer before the 1st use of the year, they do all his maintenance, all he does is drop it off and pay the bill.

    Like most things, if you keep up the maint on the roof, it's not a lot of work. All you have to do is inspect it and touch-up the caulk now and then. Clean it if you wish but it's not imperative.
  • cougar88nw's avatar
    cougar88nw
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    I use Spic & Span and a soft/medium brush (or mop) to scrub the roof and then rinse. Check seams for damaged or cracked caulking and apply Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant on any problem areas. You may want to invest in some of the RV roof cleaning and protector/conditioner products.

    Clicky

About Travel Trailer Group

44,031 PostsLatest Activity: Mar 12, 2025