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What is the best way to repair a soft spot on the roof.

crispyc21
Explorer
Explorer
Last year I found a crack in the caulk/seam where the rubber roof meets the fiberglass rear/back of the camper at the corner. It did little damage to the wall inside where you can see itโ€™s a little wavy but it was not bad. I added caulking to crack to stop the leak. I checked it in the spring and it was still sealed. I checked in again today and found another crack. But this time, the roof is soft around the crack (back corner of the roof). I would say itโ€™s a 7x7 inch area in size. What is the best way to repair that portion of the roof? Can I inject something into the area that will harden it up or is it to big? Do I need to cut the rubber roof and peal it away and replace the wood? Then Iโ€™m guessing using eternalbond to seal back up?
7 REPLIES 7

westend
Explorer
Explorer
crispyc21 wrote:
Thank you for the feedback so far. Quick question. If I replace the soft spot with new wood/sheathing, it will most likely be a flat piece. Where as my roof is slightly curved. Will that be an issue?
Not at all, the sheathing bends. Your original roof is comprised of sheets that were originally flat.
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RVcircus
Explorer II
Explorer II
My plan was to replace the wood in the corners too, but once I started tearing into it there was more rot than expected (I replaced the entire roof). I'd plan to replace the width of the trailer and start by sitting the membrane 2' back. Peel that section of roof back and evaluate what you're dealing with. You can always go further. Also, when I peeled my TPO roof back it destroyed the material, so you may need to purchase some additional material there.

I also agree with west end, if you plan to keep the trailer don't skimp on the repair.
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beemerphile1
Explorer
Explorer
Remove trim pieces,
peel up membrane,
replace all damaged wood,
glue membrane back down,
replace the trim,
caulk or Eternabond all joints.
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crispyc21
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you for the feedback so far. Quick question. If I replace the soft spot with new wood/sheathing, it will most likely be a flat piece. Where as my roof is slightly curved. Will that be an issue?

westend
Explorer
Explorer
Attempting to fix a bad spot on the roof will cost you more time and money and patients that you'll want. Here's a very simple and easy solution.

Almost guaranteed to fail, also. I think most folks that have used expanding foam know about the drawbacks from trying to seal anything, the foam shrinks and nothing remains sealed. The video linked to in the previous post shows the correct way to replace rotten roof sheathing. Trying these hack half assed steps to circumvent the work is inviting just more work or, in this case, more leaks and destruction of the trailer.

My suggestion would be to do it right and replace the small soft spot with new sheathing. By the time you have the roof membrane pulled back, you are half-way done. Don't listen to these hackers with their lazy solutions.
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
Attempting to fix a bad spot on the roof will cost you more time and money and patients that you'll want. Here's a very simple and easy solution.

Do not rip anything out.
Simply drill a small hole (or maybe several small holes) and get a several cans of the foamy "Stuff" and begin pumping it through those holes.

It will fill up any air space, and seal tight any water intrusion. And because it dries like styrofoam, it will add some extra strength and support to your roof, and it weighs almost nothing. Believe it or not, this stuff is great!

When done, just put a bit of good tape over the holes you've drilled. If you've used the foamy "Stuff" right, it will probably come out of the holes you drilled and seal them tight. A bit of tape will just make it look a little better and protect anything from getting under (your rubber roof, if you have one).

Doing this, you will not have to tear anything apart. I've used the foamy "Stuff" on everything from sealing a turn signal assembly on a truck when the plastic holes broke out (which lasted 10 years), to sealing cracks around windows, to sealing the concrete cracks around the foundation of my house.

Many years ago, my mother had a rotten spot on her roof (near the edge). I pulled off as much of the rotten wood as I could by simply lifting up the shingles. I then pumped that area completely full of the foamy "Stuff" and simply put the shingles back on top of that (no nails either). It lasted 15 years. She had other shingle loss one Spring that pulled off a bunch of shingles. Insurance paid for the repair, so she had them finally replace that spot with lumber. They actually left the foamy stuff there, and put a thin sheet of plywood over that spot and nailed them down. That was 30 years ago!

Really, this is the simplest and easiest way, and probably lest expensive, and it will work.

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lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
This is how to do it right...

I have same issue and the corner of my roof rotted away.. But I aint going through all that as I paid 5 k for my camper..

Leak is fixed but hole still there. I will just junk the trailer if I have to down the road as its not worth it to me. I believe my whole back wall is rotted too as well as floors in corners...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx6p8u8HuKY
Mike L ... N.J.

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