eternabond or Dicor

[bbaker2001]

am getting ready to install 2 fantastic vents, and then in about 3 months plan on cleaning and doing the roof.

could I put the eternabond on the seams now and then recoat over it.
and on the vent screws, should it be covered with Dicor, or eternabond. if I use eternabond, would I ever be able to take it off if a problem

[JIMNLIN]

if I use eternabond, would I ever be able to take it off if a problem

Good question. And one that most RV service folks that see this daily don't recommend its use over screw heads.

forest river forums

grhodes50
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern Oklahoma, USA
Posts: 2,355
Eternabond; The other side of the coin.

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After reading how fellow FRF members have added Eternabond Tape to the roof of their units, I was ready to do the same (and I still may).
However, I was talking to a Prime Time service tech the other day and I was telling him of my plans. He advised against it. He then mentioned a few reasons why.

First, Prime Time belives the Dicor sealant is the best way to go, otherwise they would place Eternabond on their trailers to begin with.

Second, the tape doesn't always adhere to the Dicor very well. This could possibly (not probable but possible) cause a leak under the tape that would be hard or impossible to detect, until it's too late.

Third, If you need to replace a vent or something else on the roof, the tape is very hard to remove safely. You have to be very careful not to damage the rubber roof.

He said Prime Time believes regular cleaning, inspection and maintenance of of your roof twice a year and reapplying Dicor when and where needed is the best way to prevent leaks.

You may or may not agree with what he told me. I'm still not too sure myself, but I thought I would pass this info on to those who may be interested.

I would ask a RV repair tech or your RV dealers service folks what they think about covering scr heads with any type of tape.

[bbaker2001]

thank you

[scbwr]

bbaker2001 wrote:
yes i want to reseal the whole roof.
i can wait to put in vents.

so you put the Eternabond around the vent edges and over the top of screws??
does seem like a easier job, but how do you get it off if a problem occurs

Yes, I used 4" wide Eternabond and it covered the vent flange and a more than enough beyond the edge of the flange. I used the standard dum dum tape under the flange as directed. I also put a dab of Dicor on each screw head. Then, the Eternabond. The hardest part of the job was removing the old Dicor sealant...slowly and carefully so I wouldn't damage the roof. Then, I cleaned everything very thoroughly with mineral spirits. And I used a good roller to insure adhesion of the Eternabond to the roof surface.

Removing Eternabond tape.

[IdaD]

I just re-did all the seams on my fifth wheel last weekend and used both. Eternabond along the main top edge seems and dicor as needed elsewhere. I feel like both provide a great seal, but the eternabond is going to last longer before needing additional work. Both are effective options and I wouldn't say either is particularly difficult, although the cleaning you need to do for the eternabond is a little tedious.

[bbaker2001]

yes i want to reseal the whole roof.
i can wait to put in vents.

so you put the Eternabond around the vent edges and over the top of screws??
does seem like a easier job, but how do you get it off if a problem occurs

[scbwr]

What do you mean by "doing the roof"? If you are going to put a special coating on the whole roof or replace it, don't install new vents until after the new coating or roof material.

If you use Eternabond, you wouldn't want to put anything on top of it. If you wish, you can put a small bead of Dicor lap sealant around the edges of the Eternabond. I put in a MaxxAir fan last summer, and used Eternabond for the first time. I really liked working with it and plan to use it when I replace the bathroom vent this year. And, I also plan to use it on the roof seams in the near future. It's easier to periodically inspect the Eternabond to make sure it's sealed properly than worrying about cracked sealant and dealing with Dicor.

[BarneyS]

Yes you can put Eternabond over the seam now and the coat over it.

I would put a small amount of Dicor self leveling caulk over the screws, let it set, and then cover them with Eternabond tape.
The tape can be removed later if necessary but it is not an easy task.
Barney