Slide out roof question

[cav123]

I have a permanent roof on the main part of my camper is it ok to put something like what I have on the main roof on my slideout roof to coat it would that be something that would be logical on would a slide topper be better cause I don't see much on people coating there slideout roofs any advise out there thanks in advance

[JBarca]

Hi cav123,

Not seeing any feedback on your post, I'll pass along some I have learned from restoring older campers, roof coatings, and slide leaks water damage.

Your camper is new enough that unless there is a defect in the slide roof EPDM membrane or a hole in it from something, your leak is elsewhere than the membrane itself. There are many ways a slide can leak; we need more info about the leaks and how the slide is made to help tell you where to look. If you need help to sort this out, ask away.

Since you had the main roof done with flex armor, that is a good investment if you want to keep your camper a long time. The product you talked about RVMagic. Is it this one? https://www.rvroofmagic.com

I have not used that coating, I'm not saying it is bad, but I see a lot of marketing on the website in favor of their product. Before you go down the coating route, ensure you understand all the needs and prep work before doing the coating, how to repair the roof or roof items after the coating, and, most importantly, do an adhesion test after cleaning before applying the main coating.

I'll pass along my view on roof coatings; if you have an active leak on your slide, the coating may not correct the leak if you do not know the source. And if there is water damage, the damage should be repaired before any brand coating is done. These roof coatings should be considered a preventative longer life measure on a known nonleaking roof. They should be used to extend a sound roof's life, not as the main source to stop a leak by using it.

You talked about slide toppers; there are a lot of personal opinions on using a slide topper or not using one. From my view of doing water damage repairs on slides with no topper, I believe they are good to have in "most" cases. A slide topper sheds a lot of water off the slide roof; the slide ends walls, the slide seals, and the corner transitions from roof to sidewall. It is a good defense tool to help not get a leak. I have found that a topper will not solve everything regarding a slide leak, but it does more good than harm. I can explain why and how I have this belief, but not sure yet if you want or need that.

You asked why you have not seen many roof coatings on a slide roof; I'll give you some thoughts. I have done four camper roof coatings and many total roof replacements restoring older campers.

The slide roof membrane can have a slower deterioration rate than the main camper roof membrane; let's talk EPDM since that is yours. RV-type EPDM has a white shed layer on top and a black layer on the bottom. The shed layer sheds over time when exposed to the sun's UV rays. It slowly thins out the white layer and washes off with the rain. When you see large spots of black showing on the membrane after lots of years in the sun or intense sun, it is time for a re-roof or a coating to build back up the shed layer. The shed layer protects the waterproof black layer from deteriorating.

If the camper is always stored outside, and the slide is closed, the slide does not get sun damage. The slide membrane does not age like the main roof, as the sun is not beating down on the slide roof being closed.

If the camper has a topper on it and the slide is open, the topper protects the membrane from the intense sun.

The point is the slide roof membrane can have a lower deterioration rate than the main roof. It all depends on how the camper is used and stored.

The four campers I coated the roofs on were all slide-type campers. But, only two of those campers had the slide coated. There were specific reasons why each camper owner did or did not get a slide roof coating. It all depends on how the camper is used, how long the owner will keep the camper, the condition the slide roof is in, and if there is a topper on the slide.

I would suggest this, find the reason why your slide is leaking. Correct the leak source ('s) and repair any damage. Then sort out; should I coat the slide roof or add a topper if you do not have one now? If your membrane is in good condition and you add a topper, the topper may add more total overall value in preventing leaks than coating a slide roof with no topper.

I hope this helps

John

[cav123]

So my main roof was done by RV Masters out of Kenner Louisiana they use a product called flexarmor but I found a product call rvmagic which is applyed the same way, my roof over the main part of the camper was EPDM and the same over my slide out is EPDM and this product can be applied over it I was just wondering if people do that not very much videos online showing people doing it I was not sure if there was a reason why people were not doing it,over last weekend I had a small leak form and I am trying to stop it before it gets worst the camper is a 2013 model

[JBarca]

It will help if you can tell us this

What permanent process was used on your main roof?

What type of roof membrane ( EPDM, TPO, PVC etc.) is on your slide roof?

I have coated slide roofs with the same material as the main roof. But in this case, both slide and main roof were the same material and the coating did not damage the slide seals.

A slide topper helps with keeping water out of the camper and sun damage away from top slide seal. There is merit to doing a roof coating on the slide plus a topper but it all depends on how you use the camper and how long you plan on keeping it.

Hope this helps

John