Haven't been on for a while, but spring is here...I have an older Class C - 29 ft. '93 Ford E350 - pretty good shape but I have to do something with the roof. I have to replace the shower skylight - cracks in the corners and I have some leaks in the roof, primarily where the EPDM wraps over the top along the edges and is then secured to the side of the RV. These problems are much worse in the rear of the coach...I have patched along the sides numerous times and places with 4" Eternabond tape - generally with good success. But, I feel like I need to "fix it better"...So, I'm considering 3 options - 1) coat the roof with one of those rubberized paints, probably just rolling it on over the Eternabond, 2) replacing all of the EPDM rubber, and 3) replaced the EPDM rubber from the shower skylight back to the rear of the coach only - about 12 ft. of the roof. I know the 3rd option may not make sense, but it would take care of almost all of my problem - PLUS it would be a whole lot easier. I know it adds another seam, but I don't have to fool with the AC or most of the top vents if I go this route and I could easily get it done in a day or two...I think! What do you guys think? Is option 3 particularly short-sighted? Any other options I'm missing? We would like to keep this coach for another 3-5 years, but it is over 20 years old...Thanks for any advice!Ryan

I doubt #1 will help very much in your case; if the rubber is being punctured or worn through at the edges, a coating of paint--even thick elastomeric paint--isn't going to prevent that very well or for very long.#2 or some variant of it is the correct answer.#3 may work, but is clearly a stop-gap measure and may be wasted effort if you later decide to replace the front portion of the roof. Adding an unnecessary seam doesn't strike me as a particularly wise idea.In your shoes, I would investigate the possibility of using something like RV Flex-Armor or RV Armor. I have no personal experience with either of these (nor any other similar products or processes), nor know anyone who does, but they do sound promising to me.

Thanks for the reply. After reading a bit about the Flex-Armor products - sounds expensive. I'm looking for something I can do myself - economically...ryan

I have fought roof issues in the past. I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. First I assume that you're sure that you have EPDM. I have seen people who thought they had EPDM and it was TPO. The modern units now have a third kind of rubber roof that's similar to EPDM but, it's not. If you have TPO and try using EPDM products it wont work for very long. If you're real motivated covering the whole roof with a sheet of rubber will fix it. Every other option on an old roof starts the process of playing catch up every couple of years with leaks. Some people have had good success with a five gallon bucket of EPDM liquid rubber. If you go that route watch for air bubbles. They will turn into little funnels and compound any leak. But, the liquid rubber works pretty well, as long as you get the right product. The one gallon cans of stuff that you see at camper supply stores doesn't seem to do well. If you go that route clean the roof really well before you start putting it down. Personally, I would order something else. I really hate to say what I used because it was EPDM liquid rubber that wasn't specifically for RVs although the label said it could be used for RVs. It was thicker than the stuff at the camper stores. It was a two part deal in a five gallon bucket that I mixed with a paint mixer on a drill. It dries really slow but, can be rained on while still wet. I can't really recommend it as a long term fix though. It's rolled on with a paint roller but, it needs to be redone every few years. It's messy, real messy. It will ruin whatever clothes you're wearing when you use it. It sticks forever to anything it touches. But, it's not as good as the sheet rubber, which is a big job because the AC, vents, antennas and such all have to come off to recover the roof with a sheet of EPDM. The 5 gallon bucket was $300.00 bucks. It will never cure in the fridge so, I used most of it on the first cover. Then I put what was left in a container and stored it in the fridge for six months. Then I got back up there and went over it a second time. That lasted for a few years then it started leaking again in a different place. I learned to get on the roof every few months and cover any suspicious places.

IMHO get rid of the rubber completely. It will leak somewhere sometime. I replaced my failed rubber roof in January 2016 with RV Flex Armor. Expensive yes, but about the same price is a replacement rubber roof and there are zero caulking joints to constantly monitor and wonder when a leak will happen at a spot you missed. My roof is completely zero maintenance except for an occasional washing with Dawn and a soft brush if I want the dirt gone. Another benefit is the RV Flex Armor roof is 3/16" thick which ads some insulation benefit as well as sound from hard rain. I am hearing impaired and I can now hear my television even during hard rain storms.Would I make this change again? Yes, and I would do it immediately on a brand new unit before I ever used it.

I have not done extensive research here...is RV Flex Armor something I can install? I'm assuming I still have to remove all of the rooftop stuff...? And how much does it cost?Again, this RV is already 24 years old...Thanks - ryan

Advice - Roofing options | Good Sam Community

LifeInsideJack
Explorer
Jul 08, 2017
We replaced out roof finally. We pulled everything off down to the bare wood. What we found is the 2x2s along the edges were rotted but the plywood was in very good condition. We made the necessary repairs. We then rolled on the LaSalle Bristol XTRM PVC roof material. This came with in installation kit which is basically glue and sealers. Lots of it also.

Top Tip: The 35' roll was less expensive than the 30' roll. I ordered this from Amazon and got free shipping on it. Good thing too because all of this is oversize and heavy.

Since we were replacing the roof and it would be bright white we replaced all of the vents, dormers and a/c cover. All of this looks fantastic. We removed the antennas up there and left them off. Since we had to lay down 1/16" sheets to deal with the old glue issue those holes were covered up. We put our solar panels up there (3 x 250x) and the panels are huge. They barely fit and in the end the roof looks wonderful.

We pulled the roof material down the front of the coach. There was a seam at the top of the sleeping loft. A seam. So foolish. So we gooped that seam up, filled it in and pulled the roof material over it. The other thing we did that Fleetwood did not do was pull the roof material over the sides. Why would they not do this? These two changes will prevent those areas from leaking again.

It was nearly 110* when the new roof material went on. Stupid hot if you ask me, so the glue set fast and the material was easy to work.

I recommend this material. Here's a estimated cost for this project:

Roof Material: $535.00
Installation Kit: $115.00
1/16" sheets: $65.00
New Vents and covers: $225.00
New Clearance Lights: $20.00
New Marker Lights: $15.00

Labor: $800.00
Tip: $200.00 (the hottest day of work was 114* and they stayed until noon)

Copious amounts of cold beverages: $35.00
LifeInsideJack
Explorer
May 13, 2017
No kidding. The other folks here that this couple have worked for have no complaints. Their pricing is very low. The best part is that I do not have to leave the coach somewhere as this is our home.

It's about $800 for materials and they quoted me another $800 for their work. I'm planning to replace all the vents, the AC cover and the fridge vent. When this coach was painted black those items were painted black also. That's just too much for my taste.

I'm not sure which of us will pull the trigger first but I'll post here when we start. Since we blog our build I'll post copious pictures of what we end up doing. I've budgeted more than double to deal with the unexpected or to make improvements if necessary.

Keep your progress posted.
rgnprof
Explorer
May 13, 2017
Thank you. Did some reading on that LaSalle Bristol product - it's PVC. Another option...

I called PPL in Texas and asked for advice and they said that regular EPDM is the easiest to install, but it seems like there are a variety of types...

I have looked at Brite Ply - which is a bit more expensive, Alpha Systems SuperFlex and then just EPDM as found all over the place...

I am looking for the easiest to install and the cheapest - and PPL said that would be EPDM, but I just watched an Alpha Systems video and it looks as easy to install as Dicor EPDM...and you can find it pretty cheap as well

It's hard to keep track of the different product lines...confusing. And then a PVC option??

ryan
LifeInsideJack
Explorer
May 13, 2017
This last weekend it rained pretty good. We had the roof recoated to buy us time before we did a major reroof project on this but at 4:30 in the morning we were at Wally World buying large tarps. So much for buying time.

What I noticed is that the roof is concave and holding water. I am very disappointed because I did so much work to remodel the inside and to lose any of that to a bad roof is just silly.

So, since our coach is a '94, we are looking at the RMA Xtrm product by LaSalle Bristol. In the RV Park where we are parked currently a couple of other folks have used this and there is a couple here that will do the installation. Beyond that we're going to put new splines up there to get the roof back up where it belongs so there is no more pooling of water.

I priced the products out and found what I needed at Amazon and with my Prime membership I get free shipping.

Very frustrating.
rgnprof
Explorer
May 12, 2017
Ok, I'm getting closer to doing this job and have decided to just replace the whole roof. After looking at it again last weekend, I almost changed my mind to just covering it with a liquid roof product, but I've had too many leaks and I know I have some wood that needs to be replaced.

As I've been searching for the best price, I have discovered that there are a lot of options...what do you guys recommend? TPO or EPDM? I have EPDM on it now, but I almost think I can go back with TPO a little cheaper...maybe???

Any thoughts?

ryan
falconbrother
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
rgnprof wrote:
Hey John, nice to hear from you. You think it's stupid to just do half the roof?? I plan on buying enough EPDM to do the whole thing, but...I may wait and do it in stages...

ryan

Doing it in stages will mean seams. Eternabond tape doesn't last an eternity, contrary to popular belief. If it's on a surface where water has become trapped the seal will eventually fail. I have seen it with my own eyes. With water trapped under it it will fail in a year or two. If however, it stays dry under there then it will last a good long time. It's really easy to trap moisture under your roof repair. I pulled the rubber off of mine when the weather was going to be hot and dry for a couple of days. I left it exposed till the wood under there was dry. Then I recovered it. If it has been leaking you can bet that there is water trapped under there. Over time it will rot the marine plywood. While you
re up there working you will find pin hole size leaks that you didn't see but, that when you push down on it water will leak out. This gets worse with age.. Obviously you need to do something and do it very soon.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do. I understand about monitoring how much you spend on an old RV. My old motorhome was 26 years old when I sold it. The roof was dry as a bone but, it took a lot of effort, some wrong turns, and patience to figure out what worked. The chassis will outlast the coach in most RVs simply due to water damage. The place where I store my RV has a few motorhomes rotting away.
j-d
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
Of course, I'd like to see anybody who gets into all the trouble for a roof, do it all and be done with it. I opted to have ours done "commercially" and notice I didn't say "professionally" because I'm not pleased with the work they did. Seaming across the roof, with Eternabond, is probably OK "structurally." But what about the edges? I'm far less concerned with the piercings, like vents, A/C, antenna... Than I'm concerned about the edges. The part I don't think I like, is taking the side edges off twice.

You'll probably learn more at the edges, about the condition of things, than around the center. I know the work is supposed to stay dry once it's all assembled and sealed. Still, I'd suggest you consider stainless steel screws.

You are Mr. Persistent. I'm sure that what you decide to do, either way, will get done. Methodically, Carefully, Effectively.
rgnprof
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
Hey John, nice to hear from you. You think it's stupid to just do half the roof?? I plan on buying enough EPDM to do the whole thing, but...I may wait and do it in stages...

ryan
j-d
Explorer II
Apr 23, 2017
Ryan, Sounds like you can get into and out of this job pretty quickly if you're only doing part of the roof.

Still... Do you have shelter to work under? We're basically in Summer Sun and you don't want heat exhaustion doing this. That, the savings ain't worth. You could probably tarp it against sudden rain, but you need sun shade for yourself.
rgnprof
Explorer
Apr 23, 2017
Yea, I think I will go the Dicor route...PPL Motorhomes has the EPDM on sale right now. I'm just trying to figure out if I can get way with just doing the rear 10-12 feet or so...I know I should do the whole thing...I think I can seal the seam pretty good using Eternabond tape and I can do the front half next year....