Black spots on EPDM roof ?

[Happy_Camper3]

Hello, is this mold, or the roof simply wearing out ? the camper is a 2003.

Also, am I using the decor lap sealant correctly ?

[spadoctor]

its NORMAL...leave it alone. Washing shortens the life of EPDM as you remove material every time you scrub.

[LarryJM]

Happy Camper,

Personally I'm against washing these rubber roofs. Dirt/mold, etc. don';t do any harm and I believe washing it actually reduces it's overall life since you are removing manually the self flaking residue. The only reason to clean your roof is to reduce the black streaks and there are much better and more effective solutions IMO for that issue.

Larry

[Joe417]

Happy.camper, I agree with ScottG.

The sealer around the antenna is suppose to be white. It has lots of dirt stuck to it.

If you don't clean the old caulking before re-sealing it you could have a path for water as the new Dicor can separate from the "dirt/mold". I also use mineral spirits for cleaning old caulk.

I had a 93 Prowler that molded similar to yours.

I've experienced that once the rubber gets molded like yours it can't be scrubbed completely off. I too do not think it causes any problem other than not being bright white.

I put a coat of roof treatment on my current 5thW each year after it's spring cleaning. The roof still gets dirty through the winter but after 14 years it hasn't molded.

[Winnebago_Bob]

I use a super soft brush and usually use Dawn. It does a great job and is very forgiving and it doesn't leave a bunch of nasty streaking as the rinse goes over the skin of the camper.

Lots of cleaners can stain the side of your rig or even permanently stain r discolor your stripes/graphics.

[ScottG]

We get a ton of that here - it's mold. The thing is, it doesn't hurt anything or shorten the life of the roof.
OTOH, you should clean it off with mineral spirits (per directions) before applying lap sealant or it may not stick well.

FWIW, your roof looks to be in great shape and doesn't need any coatings. Wait till the black membrane starts showing through before you worry about that - it may never happen.

[Happy_Camper3]

Thanks everyone !

I think i will wash the roof really good then seal it, were you able to do that all in one day ?

I'm just curious, what if the roof was so bad that it needed replacement? How much does something like that cost ? My camper is 26ft,

[TucsonJim]

I used this product from Camping World, and when I was done, my roof looked brand new!

Rubber Roof Cleaner

When I got done, I did two coats with this sealer to protect it:

Rubber Roof Treatment

If you act now, your roof is probably worth saving.

[enblethen]

You are probably around polar or alder trees. That is sap from the trees. Will not hurt just looks like sh*t. Clean roof with recommended cleaner. Bon-ami worked but it does not remove spots.

[gbopp]

Happy.Camper wrote:
Ok thanks, so it's not rotting from the inside out or anything crazy? Mold is normal to accur when not washed ? Is has been in the woods for two years , and hasn't been washed. Thank you.

No, it's not rotting from the inside out or anything crazy.
Just wash it.
Some use Simple Green or Murphy's Oil Soap.
I put a little bleach in the water when washing the roof.

[Happy_Camper3]

Ok thanks, so it's not rotting from the inside out or anything crazy? Mold is normal to accur when not washed ? Is has been in the woods for two years , and hasn't been washed. Thank you.

[Winnebago_Bob]

Wash it! Lots of things can cause mold chief among them is moisture, letting your camper sit in the shade, etc.

If you wash it from time to time you won't have this problem.

I think I see some green up there as well - beginnings of moss?

[Happy_Camper3]

so what is causing the mold ? what am I supposed to do ?

can I cover the whole entire roof with eternabond ?

[Winnebago_Bob]

Looks like mold to me, and the lap sealant looks good. I'm usually a little more generous.