Eternabond prep and install advice

[N-Trouble]

I purchased a 50' roll of 6" wide to lay along the roof edge on each side of my 5er. You can see i have had a couple of incidents with trees that put a few quarter size tears in the rubber roof.

I hear prep and install is everything when it comes to laying this stuff down. My plan is to wash with soap/water then use some mineral spirits along the area to remove anything else.

As far as laying the Eternabond down you can see there is an arch in the roof line about 5' back from the front cap. Should I use two separate strips that meet/overlap at the arch or is the stuff playable/bendable enough to start at the front cap and run one continuous 25' strip down each side?

I've also heard its a good idea to take something like a rolling pin to it after installing to make sure good contact which I plan on doing.

Any other advice?

[LarryJM]

N-Trouble wrote:
Thanks for all the recommendations. The Acetone suggestions do make me nervous though. I use the stuff all the time for cleaning and its extremely strong stuff and I would be worried about compromising the rubber roof with it. Think I'll stick to something not quite as strong.

Going to tackle this in the next couple weeks.

Acetone is the recommended surface prep cleaner by the makers of Eternabond and if you don't feel comfortable in following their detailed directions for it's use, you might want to reconsider using Eternabond in the first place. Eternabond is a fantastic product, but one has to do the install correctly and using an inferior cleaner or one that might leave a residue is a sure way to have a failed Eternabond install. I used lacquer thinner and did all my work back in 2008 and you can see what I did in the link in my signature and it looks as good today almost 8 years later than the day I did it back in 2008.

Larry

[mlts22]

In my experience, two things kill Eternabond installs. The first is a dirty surface that the tape is being placed on. The second is not pressing down hard enough (and it takes significant pressure... far more than a palm of a hand can do, so a wood or metal roller is a must.) Do not stretch the tape either.

Of course, there is appearance. I like caulking the seams, just so less dirt adheres to the edges, and it adds another barrier for water.

[brulaz]

It's tempting to do this as preventive maintenance.
Ran into a lot of branches this summer ...

But, nah, I've still got four bearings to repack, and luckily the branches didn't tear up the rubber roof.

These trailers are a lot of work!

[N-Trouble]

Thanks for all the recommendations. The Acetone suggestions do make me nervous though. I use the stuff all the time for cleaning and its extremely strong stuff and I would be worried about compromising the rubber roof with it. Think I'll stick to something not quite as strong.

Going to tackle this in the next couple weeks.

[Campfire_Time]

Be careful with acetone. It's hot and can burn through the roof material if you're too generous with it. Mineral spirits will work just fine and won't damage the surface. Make sure to clean thoroughly prior to applying the mineral spirits using a cleaner that can remove grease. Oxy clean or the orange stuff from the dollar store work really well for this. Rinse it good after the cleaning to make sure all the soap is off.

As Mr. Wizard suggests, you can you use a small wall paper roller to roll it. I rolling pin might work in your case for the top, but you'll want something small on the sides.

[MrWizard]

look in the paint and wallpaper section of your local hardware store
you will find rollers there
get one with a wood roller or a steel roller, do not get a rubber roller
you need a hard roller one that does not give, you need a hard surface to do the job right
and roll firmly
your hands will be tired, maybe achey, when you are done
if not you did not roll hard enough
eternabond needs good hard firm pressure to make the adhesive seal and bond correctly

[Gale_Hawkins]

gbopp wrote:
Spend the money and buy a roller. Eternabond sells one but, you can get the same thing cheaper on Ebay. I like the steel roller, some like the wood roller. They do a good job.

I would probably use two sections for the arch. It will be easier.
Maybe someone has a better idea for the arch area.

2x on getting the roller. There is the mechanical sticking more like duct tape then there is the chemical bonding. It takes a lot of pressure to pop the chemical bonding properties (westend covered that well). We use acetone to clean.

Eternabond typically comes off for two reasons over time. The surface had silicone on it or not enough pressure was used to trigger the chemical bonding.

In direct hot sun in hot weather it will stick to itself fast after you remove the plastic film we found if not carefully. We started it and pulled the plastic film out as we hand pressed it into place then rolled with a lot of pressure.

This is all covered well on Eternabond site. It is not hard but doing a short test strip in a place it is need can be helpful.

IF you have to lap it on the edges of the roof because you run out of a roll we started from the rear so limbs would not find a catch edge.

Just like cutting lumber we did the long runs first to reduce odds of splicing. It is awesome stuff.

[Tom_Barb]

Use acetone, and the surface must be very clean and dry. I found that applying a little heat helps in getting it to stick.

[TechWriter]

I also suggest using EternaCaulk along all the tape edges -- it prevents "tenting".

I used the caulk on just some of my tape edges and after 2 years there's no tenting on those sealed edges. However, on the unsealed edges I'm getting some minor tenting.

[westend]

For final cleanup, use Acetone or Alcohol instead of mineral spirits. ISTR, a poster stated that the Eternabond Preparation product is primarily acetone.

You must use a roller with a good amount of pressure to break the encapsulated adhesive within the tape's matrix. Roll it good, using a small roller with handle.

The tape should roll over that arch. Lay a piece of tape with the plastic backer still on before proceeding and see if it buckles too much. If warm out, I think the top vinyl layer has enough give to make the bend.

Good luck on the taping, Eternabond is a great product.

[pugslyyy]

Warm roof, clean surface, pressure - that's about it!

[Kennyg]

TechWriter wrote:
Don't stretch it! Just lay it down.

This is great advise. Also do the job when the roof is warm. It helps the sealing processand you definately need the roller to insure a good seal.

[TechWriter]

Don't stretch it! Just lay it down.

[gbopp]

Spend the money and buy a roller. Eternabond sells one but, you can get the same thing cheaper on Ebay. I like the steel roller, some like the wood roller. They do a good job.

I would probably use two sections for the arch. It will be easier.
Maybe someone has a better idea for the arch area.