Noob has questions on repairing roof.

[Eastbound_and_d]

Ok so I just bought a travel trailer off of a relative this week. It is a 2010 coachmen catalina 29rls. They had it parked at a campground and a tree fell and poked 3 holes in the top. It didn't rain and it was immediately tarped when it happened so I don't think it seen much if any water. One branch did go all the way thru and punctured to the inside (2 inch hole on roof and 4 inch hole in cabin). What all do I need to buy to patch the holes and seal the roof. I figure I might as well reseal the whole roof since I'm already up there. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Joe417]

Sounds like a simple repair, much easier than water damage.

With only a 2" hole in the outside, from your description, I would temporarily patch the outside with a piece of tape and cover it with dicor so you don't have contend with keeping the rain out.

Then, repair the inside first.

What is your ceiling material? You can cut out the splintered area(Oscillating saws are great for cutting a hole to be patched), glue in backer material around the edge, and then patch it with a piece of plywood of the same thickness. Is it 1/8 or 1/4?

The last interior ceiling I repaired, I found a piece of plastic coated wall paper with a similar texture to the ceiling and then painted only the patched area. It turned out to match very well.

Insulate from the roof with expanding polyurethane foam and place a 1/16" piece of aluminum sheet 4"x4" under the rubber. The foam insulation will fix the plates position when it cures so no need for screws, just some weight until it cures and some support in the ceiling area to prevent a bulge from the expanding foam.

Then repair the hole in the rubber with either Dicor or Eternabond.

I'm a Dicor fan. The cost would be the interior ceiling, insulating foam, a piece of aluminum sheet, and the caulk you were going to buy to do the regular maintenance.

Post some pictures, might give everyone more insight into the extent of damage.

Good luck with the project.

[westend]

I doubt you can repair the ceiling to any where near showroom finish. I'd suggest to mount a metal plate, a light fixture, or some other material across the hole. If you're considering using Styrofoam bead board, that is the worst choice, IMO. Styrofoam will separate and you'll have white beads over everything, always. Extruded polystyrene is similar in weight but is a better material.

The roof would typically be fixed by repairing the wood sheathing and installing an EPDM patch or covering with Eternabond tape.

[gbopp]

Eastbound and down wrote:
The interior damage is a little rough as the hole is large but it splintered out around the hole even more. My wife is wanting to replace that section with bead board.

You have a plan for the interior, that's good. After you repair and seal the roof/rubber, the interior will be relatively simple.

The exterior repairs will not be very difficult. Keep it tarped until you get it repaired and sealed.

There are different coatings to use on the roof. Bus Kote and Rubber Roof are two popular brands.

Don't hesitate to ask questions, someone will have the answer.

Keep us updated on your progress.

[Eastbound_and_d]

BarneyS wrote:
Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

My apologies.

[BarneyS]

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

[Eastbound_and_d]

The interior damage is a little rough as the hole is large but it splintered out around the hole even more. My wife is wanting to replace that section with bead board.

[gbopp]

Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant and/or Eternabond will take care of the holes in the rubber roof.

You will have to lift (slice open) the rubber on the roof to get access to repair the wood under the rubber.

The above products will keep it dry once you repair the wood.

Cover the seams and cut area with the Eternabond tape. It will be leak free for a long time.

How bad is the interior damage to the ceiling?