Sealing roof vents and AC??? Is it necessary?

[ramyankee]

Our 5th wheel is 3 1/2 years old. Patti is nervous about leaks. Is it a necessity to seal those areas and if so what recommendations.

I am figuring they should be fine but what say you???

Thanks

[Mickeyfan0805]

opnspaces wrote:


If by sealing you mean cover with a plastic bag or something then that is not necessary.

True, although I would add that you want to check the sturdiness of your vent covers. Those standard covers that come with the rig degrade in the sun and become brittle pretty quickly. I happened to stop by my trailer for a winter check (I try to check it monthly over the winter), and noticed that one of mine had cracked and now had a 1x3 hole in the middle of it. If I hadn't seen that, all of the winter's snow and rain would have ended up streaming inside. I now have MaxxAirs to make sure I don't have to worry about that in the future!

[opnspaces]

What is your definition of sealing roof vents and AC? Are you referring to completely covering the vents and AC? Or are you talking about renewing any existing caulking?

You should be inspecting all the caulking at least once a year for any cracks or lifting. You can use Dicor self leveling sealant for horizontal surfaces. And Dicor non-sag sealant for vertical surfaces. Or you can clean the sealant off and use eternabond tape which should be good for many years.

If by sealing you mean cover with a plastic bag or something then that is not necessary.

[Mickeyfan0805]

Hondavalk wrote:
I inspect my roof and seams at the beginning and end of every season. Found a few minor issues every now and then that would have led to major problems. Dicor self leveling caulk is a good choice.

I do the same. I'm generally on the roof 4x per year. 2x for a good wash and 2x for checking sealants.

[Hondavalk]

I inspect my roof and seams at the beginning and end of every season. Found a few minor issues every now and then that would have led to major problems. Dicor self leveling caulk is a good choice.

[ScottG]

Mine is a year and a half old and will need some attention this fall (some cracking). I would inspect it for cracking and correct those area's (if any).
AC has its own foam gasket and doesn't use sealant.

[gbopp]

Use Eternabond whenever possible on the roof. Clean the area well before applying.

[ReneeG]

Do you mean to seal around the existing base? If so, yes, you should always inspect your roof and sealants. If they look like there are areas compromised then you should re-seal using a leveling sealant. We've never done it around our AC though and our unit is 9 years old with no leak, but we had it inspected two years ago.

[the_bear_II]

5 years is when I would walk the roof and closely inspect all seams, openings and roof vents to make sure there are no cracks in the sealant.