How bad is this? (urgent) Roof

[Happy_Camper3]

The first picture just looks like mold, is that okay relatively speaking ? what should I do with that ?

the second picture it looks like a chunk of the roof is missing just below the round think on the roof ?

the third picture it looks like the eternabond tape came loose and is peeling off ?

Backgroun: 2003 forest river travel trailer. I have owned it 3 years. I did all the eternabond 2 years ago. 2 years ago everything looked pretty good, there was mold spots but not nearly as much

What I really want to know is, this an emergency and I should bring it to the dealer ASAP to get fixed before all my walls and roof rot away ?

Or is this just something I should work on and really no big deal ?

The camper is 90 miles up north, and the soonest I can get to it is this Satureday, the roof has probaly been like this since this spring. ...

[RVcircus]

Sloppy repair for sure. Do you see, or feel, any signs of leaking/water damage?

[boosTT]

It doesn't look that bad. I would just caulk a bit around the edges of the eternabond.

[spoon059]

Look into Liquid RV like I suggested.

There is also RV Armor (search for that term on this site, there is a thread where Edatlanta got it done and loves it).

To me, $2600 to replace the roofing sounds like a pretty good deal. The dealer would have to remove everything (AC, vents, skylights, etc) from the roof and get it down to bare wood. They would be able to determine if any leak caused structural damage and fix it at that time. Then you would get a new rubber roof with a 12 year warranty on the roofing.

[westend]

The good thing is that you are being proactive about your trailer maintenance. The bad news is that you have poor access to it. Any chance you can haul it home and work on it there? If not, you'll be in for more work, hauling tools and equipment up North to work on it.

Those areas that have peeling Eternabond need to be fixed. It would be better to remove any dirty, failing caulk than to assume a quick spray and wipe is going to make everything ready for Eternabond tape installation. I've used a few types of their tape and don't have any peeling areas like that. The trick is to get everything "Hospital clean". Use soap and water, then solvents (like the prep spray), to get the area to be covered scrupulously clean. You are rolling the tape after applying?

Those black spots on the roof look real typical of the molds and algaes that grow on roofs in Northern MN when the roof is under trees. I've replaced shingled roofs in those same locations. The ultimate cure for roofs in those locations is to install a sacrificial zinc or copper plate on the roof so the oxides of the metals kills the algae/mold. On a travel trailer, that is going to be problematic.

I would advise anyone buying a used trailer or anyone owning one with a questionable roof, to do a interior pressurized leak test. It will uncover even the tiniest pinholes.

[93Cobra2771]

1. Wash roof as discussed above.
2. The spray is a great cleaner. I use acetone because of less cost involved.
3. Plan/map out how you want to lay it down. In my case, I trimmed and removed excess dicor so I could get a complete adhesion on both sides of the joint. I used 4" wide tape, and lapped over joint all the way into the gutter.

You either had a bad batch of tape, or improper/incomplete surface prep, or just didn't lay it down/adhere it properly (requires a roller to make sure it is adhered). Assuming all tape laid down at same time, and that's the only place where it's peeling, I'm going to go with improper surface prep or not adhering it properly after applied. Stuff is crazy sticky when adhered properly.

I also tried to avoid having short pieces when covering side seams. I ran one piece the entire length from front to back, and one piece side to side on each end.

I would remove the peeling tape to the point where it is adhered good, and replace.

Look for soft spots in roof, or soft spots inside, moldy smells, water staining in corners, at floor or at ceiling.

Hope this helps.

[Happy_Camper3]

93Cobra2771 wrote:
You don't want to eternabond the whole roof. Way to expensive. A quote from the dealer for new membrane over the phone, said $2600,

Those pics are proof that some people should stay away from eternabond. It was either a bad batch, or terrible surface prep. Looking at how sloppy it was applied, I lean toward terrible surface prep.

Pic two, is that a hole in the rubber, or is it a drip of dicor or? A short piece of eternabond over that and it will be fine.

Remove as much of the loose EB and reseal with dicor or more EB.

Or, if that is white peeling off the black rubber of the roof, you may as well plan on having a new roof installed.

The dealer said about $2600 for new membrane, without seeing the camper

I put the EB on myself, 2 years ago. I used the spray that came with it, and wiped it down with a towel. That is all I did.

If I did not prep the surface good enough, can you please tell me how to do it differently ? any help is greatly appreciated..

Also, I am going up to the camper this weekend, is there an easy way to determine if I have water damage ? or what should I look for ?

thanks for all the help so far everyone!

[myredracer]

Unless you absolutely unequivocally trust a dealer, I would go elsewhere. There's to much at stake if not fixed properly. I would go to in independent RV repair shop before a dealer.

This would be a good candidate for a pressurized leak test. There could be other leaks you don't know about too.

[my_toys]

Looks like there is a gap between the eternabond and the exhaust "pipes". I hope there is sealant around them; not just the eternabond.

[phillyg]

I've had rubber roofs older than 12 years that have not needed replacement. How long the roof will last is unknown since it depends on the environment it lives in. Unless you have found active leaks I recommend you thoroughly wash the roof with rubber roof cleaner, re-caulk where needed, and consider using a coating.

[Triker33]

Dicor says:
1. Keep your roof clean. Clean your roof at least four (4) times annually(Probably way over due with your roof).

For normal cleaning:
- Use Dicor Rubber Roof Cleaner RP-RC160C concentrate to clean complete roof or RP RC320S ready to use cleaner in a spray bottle for smaller areas.
- Rinse complete roof with clean water to remove any loose dirt or debris.
- Using a medium bristle brush, along with the cleaner mixed with 2 or 3 gallons of water, scrub the entire roof. Rinse thoroughly with clean water to avoid residue build-up on the roof or sidewalls of the vehicle.

- For more difficult stains, you may use RP-RC160C in its original concentrated form. For stubborn stains, use a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. DO NOT use mineral spirits in a large area or allow it to soak into the membrane.

[clangille]

I would wash the roof like others have mentioned. Use a soft bristle brush, a car wash brush for example, and some non abrasive cleaner(roof cleaner). Do not use a pressure washer, nothing good can come of pressure washing a RV. Regular garden hose, water, soap, bucket and brush. There are coatings that you can buy to re seal the roof. I haven't used them myself. I would avoid using eternabond on the entire roof. I am up on my roof 2x a season, 1x at the beginning to check for any cracks in the caulking and once at the end to re-caulk and inspect. I have owned 4 trailers and have done this with every one. I am a big fan of dicor self levelling lap sealant. It's not extremely expensive and does the trick. If fact any monkey with a caulking gun can apply it. I have read that RV roofs are good for 12 years, however I have had an older unit that was meticulously maintained by the first owner and my roof was awesome never had an issue with it. Best of luck with everything.

[93Cobra2771]

You don't want to eternabond the whole roof. Way to expensive.

Those pics are proof that some people should stay away from eternabond. It was either a bad batch, or terrible surface prep. Looking at how sloppy it was applied, I lean toward terrible surface prep.

Pic two, is that a hole in the rubber, or is it a drip of dicor or? A short piece of eternabond over that and it will be fine.

Remove as much of the loose EB and reseal with dicor or more EB.

Or, if that is white peeling off the black rubber of the roof, you may as well plan on having a new roof installed.

[Happy_Camper3]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I am going up there this weekend with some Lap sealant and some more Eternabond


what do you guys mean by "clean" the roof ? I was going to spray the spray that comes with the Eternabond tape, wipe the area down good with a towel, then lay down eternabond ...

should I actually "wash" the roof or does that do more harm then good ?


Also I don't think that's mold that's the roof wearing away ? then how much life does this roof have left in it ? 2 years ? 5 years ?

what if I Eternabonded the entire roof ? does that make sense ?

[B-n-B]

Clean, rinse, repeat then seal IMO.