GE Supreme Silicone Sealant for sealing around roof vent

[PapillonOne]

Hello. I am fairly new to this site AND to camping in a travel trailer. I wonder if anyone can tell me if I can use the product GE Supreme Silicon Sealant for sealing around the roof vent and the fridge vent on the roof of my 1972 Shasta Compact? I noticed some water damage once the camper was delivered to me but as we are leaving for a few weeks, wonder if there would be any harm in sealing it with this product that has everything you'd want in a sealant; freeze proof, flexible, paintable, elastic, sun proof, 50 year warranty, etc. I could not find any sealant at any of the hardware or big box stores that has the words RV on it and the sealant that is around the vent definitely has cracks in it.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Janet, Colt & Honey (Papillon & Pomeranian traveling companions)

[vermilye]

badboy368 wrote:
i am a firm believer in the PRO-FLEX....:)

Me too, however it is not recommended by the manufacturer for rubber roofs. Works great on fiberglass.

[RVcircus]

+1 on Dicor self leveling lap sealant. Avoid silicone.

[badboy368]

i am a firm believer in the PRO-FLEX....:)

[Bumpyroad]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Silicone is the worst thing to use to seal the exterior of an RV. .

x2
bumpy

[gaymeadowsman]

I wouldn't use Silicone on it. But would he have a Rubber roof on a 1972 Shasta?

[BarneyS]

Dicor self leveling Lap Sealant is the product to use for your application.

The above posters are all correct in that you should not use a silicon product on the rubber roof.

If it were my RV, I would use Eternabond Tape around the vents and any other seams on the roof. I did this on our RV about 9 years ago and it still is holding and looks like new. Many others here report the same results. It is a permanent fix for most applications.


If you are looking for a short, temporary repair then the Dicor caulk would be the answer.
Barney

[fla-gypsy]

X8, Do not use silicone, Dicor is the ticket

[fairfaxjim]

Dicor is definitely what you want for rubber roof use. I have used both self-leveling and the regular. I personally like the regular when sealing around roof vents, antennas and anything with a flange on the roof. And of course on vertical surfaces. It lets you build a bead between the roof and the flange.

The self-leveling is great for use on areas where a flat finish is desired, like when patching leaks with eternal-bond tape.

[fallsrider]

You can buy Dicor self-leveling from Amazon.com if you don't have a dealer nearby.

[spadoctor]

Never use silicone on your rv you will regret it. As stated Dicor is a good product....self-leveling for the roof and regular for the verticle surfaces. I personally buy my sealant from my dealer so that I use the same as the factory....made by Alpha the maker of the roof membrane

[azrving]

Dicor self leveling. They also make the same product in a non self leveling. For vertical surface sealing around ladder hardware etc I have used 3m 5200. Some on here have recommended Proflex also.

[BobsYourUncle]

Silicone is the worst thing to use to seal the exterior of an RV. It will not seal properly nor will it offer a permanent solution. Silicone will cause a leak and then the subsequent damage.
Nearly 40 years in the window / siding / solarium / patio cover business and I have made a ton of money scrapping products sealed with silicone and replacing them entirely due to rot issues from water leaks, all caused by lack of silicone adhesion.

I have installed many RV roof vents, Fantastic Fans and other things and found the best solution for sealing to be Dicor self leveling caulking. I have tried many different products such as butyl, elastomeric, one part polyurethane and others, but found the Dicor to have the best results.

Make sure the surfaces are thoroughly cleaned first and you won't have any problems.

[robsouth]

I second the use of Dicor. It is a self leveling sealer made for just what you are wanting to do. Silicone will create a mess and will have to be completely removed before anything else is ever done cause nothing will stick to it.

[kend40]

i am not much more experienced than you on this, BUT....i have seen lots of posts that say on roof around vents use a product called DICOR.. I used it when i changed out my cheap vents for maxxflo vents. Easy to use and worked very well! I think any RV dealer will carry it in stock.

[Golden_HVAC]

You want to buy Rubber Roof Sealant from a RV supplier, such as Camping World, or someplace near your home.

CampingWorld.com then search for roof

Good luck,

Fred.