roof leak

[mckind]

Went on a weekend camping trip this weekend. We had a moderate shower for about 30 minutes Saturday afternoon. Saturday night I get into the overhead storage above the bed to grab some clothes and they are wet. No signs of a leak anywhere in the storage compartment, just wet clothes. I look at the roof of the camper and I see what I suspect is the culprit, a crack in the sealant where the roof meets the nose of the camper. I assume water entered and then wicked to the easiest exit point, my underwear and socks. Since I am relatively handy, and cheap, what is the best way to go about repairing this?

[voodoo101]

The seam where the end cap meets the roof requires constant attention. Both front and rear but front has caused me more issues. Clean and re-caulk as suggested. Look at the seam and at the edge of the caulk where it can wick under. Check them each time you have a reason to be on the roof. My 16 year old fiver has seen it many times. Next worst place is a skylight-another name for a hole in the roof. Just part of the continuing preventive maintenance. Bill

[fj12ryder]

Slownsy wrote:
Re cork it, chech at least every 6 months, they all get that way.
Frank

Yep, mine didn't leak, but I did notice the crack like that the last time I was on the roof. Cleaned and re-caulked.

[gbopp]

Use a heat gun on low setting and a plastic putty knife to remove the old caulk.
Then recall with Dicor self leveling lap sealant (caulk).

Probably the best repair is a wide strip of Eternabond from the roof to the nose cap.

If you use only caulk, check it a few times a year.
Eternabond and Dicor are excellent products.

[mike-s]

Remove as much of the old stuff as you can without damaging the roof, scrub it as clean as you can, let it dry, and cover with Dicor self-leveling lap sealant.

Or, do basically the same, but finish by covering with Permabond tape.

The Dicor is cheaper, and should do a better job with what you've got. Permabond works best with fairly smooth/level surfaces, and you have some uneven edges to seal.

[Slownsy]

Re cork it, chech at least every 6 months, they all get that way.
Frank