I sold my 1972 Timberline "Twenty-Two- Six" last year after having our third kid. It was an oldie but goodie, we just outgrew it. It was my Grandpas since 1985 and he gave it to me in 1996 when he decided to quit camping due to age. Now I'm looking at a 2004 Komfort Trailblazer 25TBS local to me. This is a huge difference in size, performance, and cost for me compared to what I had. I basically rebuilt the Timberline from plumbing, toilet, fresh tank, roof vents, resealed all windows with butyl tape, welded on the frame, did woodwork inside, new propane tanks and gas lines, jack, stabilizers, lights, brakes, bearings, wiring, 6v batteries, etc etc etc. Nothing modified or hacked, all restored to look factory original. I looked this Komfort over from tires to roof and every nook and cranny between. Everything looks good except some caulking above one small window which I can pull out and reseal no problem. My question is the rubber roof. I took a ladder and checked it over from front to rear. I don't see any cracks. It's fairly clean no dark spots or anything. It has a crown on it from side to side so water won't stand. Any screw heads that are in view are caulked and look factory. What kind of lifespan do you get out of these roofs? I'm coming from an aluminum roof that was 40 years old and didn't leak. We have harsh summers here where I live, lots of 100 degree days 3/4 of the year is full sun. With a 10 year old trailer that has been stored outdoors in this environment will I be looking at spending a significant amount of money on this roof to keep it leak free? I plan to keep this trailer 10 years minimum. Also I don't know if it's EDPM or TPO or what. Komfort doesn't have a very good site with archives for older trailers so I can narrow it down and research better. Thanks for any help you can provide. Signed, "afraid to pull the trigger" :/

Most are good for 20 years as long as you re-seal the seems as they need it. Use to live in Modesto in 83. With a carport they can last a very long time.

colliehauler wrote:Most are good for 20 years as long as you re-seal the seems as they need it. Use to live in Modesto in 83. With a carport they can last a very long time.Is a seam reseal something a DIY guy can do or does this require the work of a RV shop? I most likely won't have any chance to store it out of the sun, but a cover is not out of the question if it will prolong the life. Thanks.

plessm wrote:colliehauler wrote:Most are good for 20 years as long as you re-seal the seems as they need it. Use to live in Modesto in 83. With a carport they can last a very long time.Is a seam reseal something a DIY guy can do or does this require the work of a RV shop? I most likely won't have any chance to store it out of the sun, but a cover is not out of the question if it will prolong the life. Thanks.Yes where the ruber roof meets the front or rear cap and any cut outs are sealed with dicor lap sealent. As the sealent gets old it dries out and cracks witch lets in water. They recomend you check it twice a year. Not a hard job but needs to be done. The sun will dry it out over time.

I wouldn't want another rubber roofed RV. I would get, but not prefer, a TPO one.determine exactly which roof it has, the Dicor sealant website has a good video on how to determine it. and the advertised age limit of a rubber roof is 12 years so take that expense into the amount you are willing to pay for the RV.bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:I wouldn't want another rubber roofed RV. I would get, but not prefer, a TPO one.determine exactly which roof it has, the Dicor sealant website has a good video on how to determine it. and the advertised age limit of a rubber roof is 12 years so take that expense into the amount you are willing to pay for the RV.bumpyMy EDPM had a 20 year warrenty. I never had a RV over 12 years old. I think the next new RV I'll try the Rino roof coating.

Looking at 10 year old Komfort new to rubber roof

spike99
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
Within my region, rubber roofs last 10 to 25 years. It all depends if the owner does regular / proper maintenance and how the TT was stored during winter months. And, if that TT was constantly used in direct sunlight during its summer usage months. On average, I'd say 15-18 years is normal lifespan (for my harsh environment region).

Some folks think a TT roof is like a car roof. They simply look at it on day 1, ignore it for many years and when they sell the vehicle, they might wash / wax its roof. They might not. TT roofs need yearly inspections. When their caulking has cracks, they must be re-caulked. And to better protect the new caulk, apply Eternabond tape over it. Thus, double protection of that seam or repair. For my TT's roof, I do "on roof" inspection at spring time and "on roof" inspection at winterization time. This task takes 15 - 20 minutes each time. And, it isn't much time away from my family. And if I do this inspection yearly, it will make my TT roof last the full 25+ years.

This works for me...
Lowsuv
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
Regarding maintenance , trailers are a simple device .
The Komfort TT's & 5ths , made in Oregon , is a regional branded trailer and is a heavy (duty ) trailer .
I have an 11 year old one and consider it to be among the best made , including the Arctic Fox / Nash lineup also made in Oregon .
TT's are easy for the novice DIY guy .
Suck it up , do your maintenance , fix things as soon as they go gunnysack , and you can keep it a very long time .
Let the leak continue and you can expect more expensive repairs .
Parking under a carport doubles the life of an RV .
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Nov 16, 2013
Bumpyroad wrote:
CavemanCharlie wrote:

Sure, I see, the price was borderline anyway and you don't want to deal with any possible roof problems. But, the bad news is a awful lot of anything made in the last 20-25 years will have some sort of rubber roof. I'm not sure why they went to this other then the fact that when it rains it's quieter and doesn't have that trailer house sound during rain. I've learned to just roll with it myself.

I believe that the industry went to EPDM because aluminum got too expensive and it is quick, cheap and easy to glue down a rubber membrane over the plywood. no real skill required. and there are plenty of TPO/aluminum/fiberglass roofed units available that have been made in the last 20 - 25 years.
bumpy

I'm sure there are and didn't mean to say that there weren't any made with a different type of roof. There has been a lot made with rubber roofs and a lot made without. Like you I would prefer a TT made without a rubber roof but, I found a 20 year old trailer I like the floor plan of, that was in good condition, but had the rubber roof and that's what I ended up with. I have made it work but, I do store it inside and the roof does show some wear. If he finds the perfect trailer for the perfect price I don't feel he should walk away just because of the roof. But, I know you feel differently. To each his own.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
CavemanCharlie wrote:

Sure, I see, the price was borderline anyway and you don't want to deal with any possible roof problems. But, the bad news is a awful lot of anything made in the last 20-25 years will have some sort of rubber roof. I'm not sure why they went to this other then the fact that when it rains it's quieter and doesn't have that trailer house sound during rain. I've learned to just roll with it myself.

I believe that the industry went to EPDM because aluminum got too expensive and it is quick, cheap and easy to glue down a rubber membrane over the plywood. no real skill required. and there are plenty of TPO/aluminum/fiberglass roofed units available that have been made in the last 20 - 25 years.
bumpy
camperfamily
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
Don't let the rubber roof scare you too much. Sounds like its in good condition. I check ours 2x a year and reseal anything that even looks suspect. I'd say i spend less than 3 hours/ year on it. Now keeping the rest of the rig clean and running right won't change and is another topic of conversation.
Boskie
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
My trailer is a 2000 with the EPDM roof. It gets inspected every spring. Next spring will do a very through inspection of roof and vents. Winter storage is under roof..
TurnThePage
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
You've been steered toward that Eternabond for good reason. Rubber roofs don't have to be a pain. Once you've completed sealing the edges, it's a done deal. Mine has been done nearly 10 years with no other maintenance needed. I had kids at home when I did it. They're grown and gone, the trailer is still here. :)

Aluminum roofs are not necessarily trouble free either. My first trailer had one that had pinhole leaks all over the place.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Nov 16, 2013
plessm wrote:
CavemanCharlie wrote:
plessm wrote:
Holy moly. I was hoping that a "newer" trailer than what I had would mean less work. I've already got a lot of stuff I have to do around my house and upkeep on my vehicles, plus spend time with the wife and 3 little boys. I don't know if a newer trailer is in the cards for me at this time, at least not one with a 10 year old rubber roof that will need constant babysitting. Maybe if I could store it inside I would feel better about it, but that is not possible.

Thanks everyone for your comments and experience. Maybe I'll run into a good old aluminum roof model in the future.

I think your looking at this from the "glass is half empty" perspective. I have a 20 year old TT with a rubber roof. This year I did use some sealant on the edges that were showing some wear. Other then that it has never had anything done to it. You can tell by looking at it. I will say that I've only owned this unit for a couple of years and I have no idea if it was stored outside or inside before that. But, I store it inside.

But, it's true of TT; just like everything else; that the older it is the better it was made.

I agree with your statement. I'm new to rubber roof and the expense of complete replacement in the worst case. I like to budget for worst case and not get overextended. I'm sure the roof on this trailer is in fine shape and will last many years. I'm just not sure if I'm in a financial position to risk it as the asking price is kind of high for a 10 year old rig in my opinion.

Sure, I see, the price was borderline anyway and you don't want to deal with any possible roof problems. But, the bad news is a awful lot of anything made in the last 20-25 years will have some sort of rubber roof. I'm not sure why they went to this other then the fact that when it rains it's quieter and doesn't have that trailer house sound during rain. I've learned to just roll with it myself.
plessm
Explorer
Nov 15, 2013
CavemanCharlie wrote:
plessm wrote:
Holy moly. I was hoping that a "newer" trailer than what I had would mean less work. I've already got a lot of stuff I have to do around my house and upkeep on my vehicles, plus spend time with the wife and 3 little boys. I don't know if a newer trailer is in the cards for me at this time, at least not one with a 10 year old rubber roof that will need constant babysitting. Maybe if I could store it inside I would feel better about it, but that is not possible.

Thanks everyone for your comments and experience. Maybe I'll run into a good old aluminum roof model in the future.

I think your looking at this from the "glass is half empty" perspective. I have a 20 year old TT with a rubber roof. This year I did use some sealant on the edges that were showing some wear. Other then that it has never had anything done to it. You can tell by looking at it. I will say that I've only owned this unit for a couple of years and I have no idea if it was stored outside or inside before that. But, I store it inside.

But, it's true of TT; just like everything else; that the older it is the better it was made.

I agree with your statement. I'm new to rubber roof and the expense of complete replacement in the worst case. I like to budget for worst case and not get overextended. I'm sure the roof on this trailer is in fine shape and will last many years. I'm just not sure if I'm in a financial position to risk it as the asking price is kind of high for a 10 year old rig in my opinion.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Nov 15, 2013
plessm wrote:
Holy moly. I was hoping that a "newer" trailer than what I had would mean less work. I've already got a lot of stuff I have to do around my house and upkeep on my vehicles, plus spend time with the wife and 3 little boys. I don't know if a newer trailer is in the cards for me at this time, at least not one with a 10 year old rubber roof that will need constant babysitting. Maybe if I could store it inside I would feel better about it, but that is not possible.

Thanks everyone for your comments and experience. Maybe I'll run into a good old aluminum roof model in the future.

I think your looking at this from the "glass is half empty" perspective. I have a 20 year old TT with a rubber roof. This year I did use some sealant on the edges that were showing some wear. Other then that it has never had anything done to it. You can tell by looking at it. I will say that I've only owned this unit for a couple of years and I have no idea if it was stored outside or inside before that. But, I store it inside.

But, it's true of TT; just like everything else; that the older it is the better it was made.