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CavemanCharlie's avatar
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Sep 10, 2013

Slight Crack in Rubber Roof

While checking out my roof the other day I noticed some very slight cracks on the edge of the roof. It's where the roof bends over the edge and most of them are not very big but, one of them was large enough that I could get my fingernail in it and pull up on it just a bit. The rest of the roof is in very good shape. I was going to use a tube of silicone calk and my finger to fill them in but, there was a thread recently where most of you were bashing silicone caulk. I stopped in at my local hardware store and found three shelves full of silicone calk, one shelf of latex caulk, and one tube of something called Butyl-flex rubber sealant. It says it's for gutters and flashing. I'm leaning toward using the Butyl-flex. Any thoughts? I'm certainly not going to fix the whole roof for a couple of spider web cracks on the edge and I don't want to use something on the edge that makes a hill so that the roof holds water and becomes a big bird bath. I just need something in a tube that I can smooth out with my finger to fill in the little cracks before water starts to get below them. Duck Tape would almost do it (or at least Red Green thinks it would) I'm probably going to use the camper this weekend and it might rain so the sooner I get this fixed the better.

Thank You for any thoughts you may have
Have a nice Day.
  • B_O__Plenty's avatar
    B_O__Plenty
    Explorer II
    Sep 12, 2013
    loulou57 wrote:
    Just curious....how old is your RV. I thought most rubber roofs have a 12 year warranty.
    The warranty only covers the roofing fabric, no labor, no sealants, no other parts...If that isn't bad enough, it's also going to be pro-rated. Read the warranty. That might be a little different than what the salesperson said?? Don't even think about using ANY silicon anywhere on the outside of your trailer. It doesn't hold up, it won't stick to the rubber roof very well and once you use it nothing else will stick where it once was. Eternabond or a good RV roof sealant like Dicor is what you need. Stay away from common household sealants...

    B.O.
  • CavemanCharlie's avatar
    CavemanCharlie
    Explorer III
    Sep 12, 2013
    Just to finish this post off in case anyone finds it doing a search the Dicor Sealant worked well. I could only find the self leveling version and I may have been better off with the other kind but, I got it to work by putting most of the bead on the top of the TT and letting a little ooze down the side covering up the cracks. I Had a latex glove on and I used my finder to smooth it out some. It still looks a little gobbered up but, it's way at the top of the trailer and you can't hardly see it. For some reason my roof is gray if it had been white like most modern roofs are I bet it would have blended right in.
  • CavemanCharlie's avatar
    CavemanCharlie
    Explorer III
    Sep 10, 2013
    Well what do you know. My local RV dealer had the Dicor Sealant. I guess I shouldn't count him out so quickly. I got some denatured alcohol form the local lumber yard. I'll clean the area tonight and let it dry until tomorrow and then apply. Thanks for the help!!

    Oh and loulou57 my RV is 20 years old. Although I bought it used a couple of years ago it's obvious it's been stored inside and does not have too many miles on it. So far this year I've slept in it for 32 nights and have put around 750-800 miles on it and I never go more then 75 miles from home. lol I sure love it and want to keep it around for as long as possible.
  • loulou57's avatar
    loulou57
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2013
    Just curious....how old is your RV. I thought most rubber roofs have a 12 year warranty.
  • CavemanCharlie's avatar
    CavemanCharlie
    Explorer III
    Sep 10, 2013
    The Dicor Sealant may be the answer. I don't want to use eternabond tape because it would leave behind a hill that would hold water on the roof. I want to go all the way around the very edge of the roof where the cracks are forming and the tape is to thick. I'll check at my local RV dealer but, I bet I'll have to order this stuff.
  • gbopp's avatar
    gbopp
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2013
    Use Eternabond, it's a one time repair.
    Clean the area well before you apply the tape.
    You can buy small rolls if you don't need a large one.
  • mbopp's avatar
    mbopp
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2013
    Ditto on Dicor Self-Leveling caulk (for flat surfaces) or Eternabond tape. Silicone caulk has no place in an RV.
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2013
    Eternabond Tape or Dicor self-leveling caulk.
    These products are made specifically for RV roofs and are exactly matched to what you are describing.

    Get them on-line or at any RV dealership parts department.

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