New Guy, need some advice please

[whitesquirrel45]

Just found this forum and I'm pleased that there seems to be some good activity here.I'm sure you have seen many people here before that asked the same questions that I'm going to ask.I have recently purchased a 2006 Gulfstream Cavalier FEMA trailer. I've done some searching on here, but can't really find what I'm looking for. The first thing I wanna go tackle is the roof leak I found today. Its near the front where the metal wraps from the front to the roof and meets the rubber...hope that makes sense...What is the best way to clean off all that old thick sealant without damaging the rubber part of the roof. It looks to be original and super thick. Its just cracked and needs to be redone. Any other tips or things I should look for while I'm weather proofing the outside? Thanks for your help!

[westend]

IMO, Eternabond tape is an improvement over the spreading of more sealants, especially in areas that see movement or a lot of water drainage.

If the "turn bar" is relatively flat to the surface, you can apply Eternabond Roof Seal on top of it. If it is say, 1/2" proud of the roof surface, Roof Seal will have a hard time bending over it. You can either remove it or use the more flexible Eternabond Webseal. Webseal needs the top surface to be coated with paint after installation. Roof Seal has it's own plastic top surface.

One tip about the tapes: The surface the tape is pressed on needs to be scrupulously clean---think "Hospital clean" or "body shop clean". I used mineral spirits followed by solvent. Acetone is a good final solvent for EPDM roofs.

[whitesquirrel45]

WyoTraveler wrote:
Like dutchmansport posted. Dico self leveling on horizontal surface. Clean with mineral spirits first and let dry. Very commn leak area is where the cap meets the roof. You could scrape old caulking off but probably not necessary. On vertical surface use Dicor non self leveling or proflex. Proflex comes in a few colors other than white. Bad large areas you can use eternabond tape. Newer product called stick n bond.

I'm the kind of guy who likes to do things right the first time to avoid having to do it again later. I understand rooves require maintenance. I was lucky to even catch the leak this early. If I were to use the eternabond, I should clean the old off and install it, right? There is, what I would call, a turn bar where the cap and rubber meet. This is where all the old gunk is located. Would I scrape the old stuff off, pull the turnbar, clean and prep the surface, install butyl tape to the turnbar, lay my eternabond, reinstall my turnbar, and finish it with dicor? Afterwards, I would continue with the interior and inspect the ceiling and walls to see if anything needed replaced. This TT needs to last me several years so doing things complete and thoroughly are very important to me. All your help and guidance is appreciated!

[WyoTraveler]

Like dutchmansport posted. Dico self leveling on horizontal surface. Clean with mineral spirits first and let dry. Very commn leak area is where the cap meets the roof. You could scrape old caulking off but probably not necessary. On vertical surface use Dicor non self leveling or proflex. Proflex comes in a few colors other than white. Bad large areas you can use eternabond tape. Newer product called stick n bond.

[Dakota98]

QUOTE:

Just found this forum and I'm pleased that there seems to be some good activity here. Activity ??? more like an addiction.

I'm sure you have seen many people here before that asked the same questions that I'm going to ask. Yes & NO, these will be new questions from you.

The first thing I wanna go tackle is the roof leak I found today.
Yes, find the source of the leak & repair it but, be more concerned with what damage has occurred by it being there in the first place.

Welcome to the Forum & good luck with the repairs. :B

[Kbf213]

heatgun and smooth scraper might help

[DutchmenSport]

Welcome to the forums and, yes, this web site is very active. I think a good portion of us live here! It's more entertaining (and sometimes informative) than television. You'll get all kinds of answers, some you'll agree with, some you'll disagree with.

About your camper. If it were mine, considering it's age and the fact it was a FEMA camper, I'd not worry too much about cleaning the old calking off the roof. I'd just go over the old and make sure the new covers the cracks very, very well. If you begin to dig too deep on the roof, you may end up having to do much more work than you want. If there is some roof rot because of the leak, you may be able to get away with it, providing the wood is now dried out and still has some good strength (not too saggy if you put weight on it).

It would be best to use Dicor Lap Sealant. Most RV dealerships sell it. The problem with different sealers is the danger of their chemicals deteriorating your rubber roof, making it even worse.

If it were a newer camper, I'd consider a different path. But for an immediate and quick fix, this is what I'd do until I got to know the camper better. It's just too easy to get in too deep with water damage that may end up being way more work and expense than you thought. Start simple. If it does not work, then go to the next level.

Congrats on your trailer purchase and welcome to the forums!