White rubber roof life and replacement cost?

[slacker_cruster]

How long does the white rubber roof last and how much for replacement cost?

Mine roof is near 7 years old. Some of the caulk cracked so I recaulked it. It is outside 365 a year and never cleaned it.

If I get it re roofed down the road I will take out the escape hatch on the Northstar's roof. The shade gets to 120 degrees in the summer. I've blocked it off for all practical purposes, so never use it other than to get irritated at when I look at it.

[zulu52]

gitpicker2009 wrote:
There's a company here in Houston that does the spray on bed liner stuff, 1/4 inch thick and it's amazing. My roof is still flawless, but when it starts to show wear, I'm going that route. Their systems is more soundproof and virtually indestructible, AND it's seamless. A 25 foot RV is only 1700 bucks, so I'm betting that a small truck camper would be maybe half of that. One time, and you're done. No more resealing.

This sounds like a great idea to me and I live in Houston.
Where is this place?
The roof on my 2008 Northstar is okay for now but this still sounds good.

Anyone else have anything to say about this?
Zulu

[slacker_cruster]

kohldad wrote:

If I get it re roofed down the road I will take out the escape hatch on the Northstar's roof.

Please don't remove the escape hatch. While it is highly unlikely you would ever need it, it would be a shame not to have it when you did.

I have a piece of 3/4" foam board in mine so almost as well insulated as the roof. But if I ever need to, I can easily pop it out. And it's not just in case of a fire, but also bear or two legged nasty trying to come in the back door.

OK, thanks for the advice!

[egarant]

My TC roof is only 4 years old but I went ahead and covered it with Henry's Tropic-Cool 887. It is available at Home Depot for $50 a gallon, which is all I needed to do my roof.

It is safe for both TPO and EDPM roofs. There are plenty of blogs and videos showing people doing the RV roofs. It was formulated for the intense heat and UV rays of the tropics (Florida) so it is tough stuff.

You can even paint over your clear skylights like the Heiki if you want to cool your interior down and protect it from UV rays forever. I went and rolled my bathroom skylight so I never have to replace it again. I get plenty of light from the bathroom fan vent.

Here is the RV flyer regarding the stuff: Henry's RV Roof

[gitpicker2009]

Here are some before and after pics

http://www.epdmcoatings.com/photo.php

[gitpicker2009]

here's a link to what I used:

http://www.epdmcoatings.com/liquid-roof.php

[gitpicker2009]

You can also redo the rubber roof yourself. You can buy the EPDM rubber in a 5 gallon bucket pretty cheap. I did it myself on my old class A. You just scrub the roof really clean, scrape off the old caulk/sealant and paint it with the liquid rubber. It's like spreading thick honey. Very easy and when it's done, you've got a brand new rubber roof. The entire project took me about 4 hours and that was for a 30 foot class A. A truck camper roof is MUCH smaller and you can buy the 1 or 2 gallon supply. It is EXACTLY the same product the manufacture uses only they buy it in rolls. This stuff goes on THICK and you're done.

[SidecarFlip]

I pressure was mine as well and never scrub on it. I don't see it anyway, it's above my head.

[ScottG]

pianotuna wrote:
Scrubbing it may reduce the lifespan. Leave it alone other than caulking.

This is so true.
Also, life span depends greatly on where it resides. If it's bathed in the Arizonal sun all it life then 12 years may be about it.
In the PNW where I live, it should outlast the RV as long as maint. (caulking and inspection) are kept up.

I was once quoted $3400 to replace my 24' roof if ever needed. But stuff is very expensive here.

[Triker33]

Mine is now almost 19 years old, used the last 15 Full Time and still looks good. White is starting to fade a little. I pressure wash it two time a year and don't use any soap or scrubbing.

[kohldad]

If I get it re roofed down the road I will take out the escape hatch on the Northstar's roof.

Please don't remove the escape hatch. While it is highly unlikely you would ever need it, it would be a shame not to have it when you did.

I have a piece of 3/4" foam board in mine so almost as well insulated as the roof. But if I ever need to, I can easily pop it out. And it's not just in case of a fire, but also bear or two legged nasty trying to come in the back door.

[slacker_cruster]

Never knew bed liner spray could be done. Sounds like a fantastic and cheap alternative.

I called up a RV dealer and he said it is about $3000 for a new rubber roof on a TC. Said he could repaint it for a fraction. I never thought the rubber roofs were so $$.

[gitpicker2009]

There's a company here in Houston that does the spray on bed liner stuff, 1/4 inch thick and it's amazing. My roof is still flawless, but when it starts to show wear, I'm going that route. Their systems is more soundproof and virtually indestructible, AND it's seamless. A 25 foot RV is only 1700 bucks, so I'm betting that a small truck camper would be maybe half of that. One time, and you're done. No more resealing.

[kohldad]

My father replaced his 97 Snowbird FW roof last year and said it could have gone a few more years. It's never been covered, was washed once or twice a year and spent about 1/3 of it's life out west.

He also replaced his 99 Bigfoot TC roof last year and said it was due. That camper was from Texas until about two years ago and we have no idea if it was washed regular or maintained.

For all of our RVs, regardless of roof type, we paint the seams any time they start showing cracks with a elastomic paint. This is a maximum of once a year, sometimes we can go two or three years between painting depending on the weather.

[azrving]

Mine is 17 years old and still looks great. Most of the time it's been stored under cover but last 3 years have been uncovered and cleaned twice a year.