Elkmont Roof Repairs done at Trailmanor

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bigbit

Make sure that the plastic will "take" the paint you use, or you'll just have a peeling mess on your hands.

We're getting some significant rains this weekend in So. Cal., so this will be another good test to see how our "virgin" factory roof will hold up. We're leaving tomorrow for Buellton for some pre-Thanksgiving camping, so we'll be towing the rig in the rain with a bit of wind - a first for us with the Elkmont. We plan to take it slow.

Good luck with it. I hope that this isn't as big an event as they are forecasting.

Well, since our RV storage facility isn't open until 10AM tomorrow, and we want to hit the road earlier than that, we went and got the trailer and put it in the driveway late this afternoon. After some pretty hard and prolonged rain today, still no sign of leaks. So far, so good!

Originally Posted by Bigbit

Make sure that the plastic will "take" the paint you use, or you'll just have a peeling mess on your hands.

Yes, I was wondering about that. This plastic is really shiny and water beads up on it. I could fine sand it, but maybe there is a chemical primer that is better?

Is the original caulk on yours silicone based? Ours was. The new stuff they're using (polyurethane-hybrid) is quite different. More solid feeling, not near as stretchy and seems to stick to just about anything. Apparently this is what they're using on all the new ones.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by brulaz

Yes, I was wondering about that. This plastic is really shiny and water beads up on it. I could fine sand it, but maybe there is a chemical primer that is better?

Is the original caulk on yours silicone based? Ours was. The new stuff they're using (polyurethane-hybrid) is quite different. More solid feeling, not near as stretchy and seems to stick to just about anything. Apparently this is what they're using on all the new ones.

If the plastic is really shiny, it isn't polyethylene. It's more than likely good old fashion Plexiglas. It has the same characteristics as F/G (for painting).

I would sand it with 180g paper, put a coat of epoxy primer on it (allow primer to dry 24 hours), quick-sand it with 220G paper then a coat or 2 of LP Marine paint (wet-on-wet). It will protect that panel for 20 years and look great. It can be done with a roller. If you leave the plexi exposed to the Sun, I give it 5 years before it starts cracking (unless you cover the trailer).

Originally Posted by brulaz

Is the original caulk on yours silicone based? Ours was. The new stuff they're using (polyurethane-hybrid) is quite different. More solid feeling, not near as stretchy and seems to stick to just about anything. Apparently this is what they're using on all the new ones.

I have no idea. I've never been up on the roof or at roof level. But it's been through several healthy rainfalls now without any sign of leakage.

Thanks Wayne, that's what I'll do.

Bigbit, it sounds like you got a good one. Congrats.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by brulaz

Thanks Wayne, that's what I'll do.

Bigbit, it sounds like you got a good one. Congrats.

When you do the 1st sanding, be sure to get rid of 100% of the shiny surface.

When sanding the primer, just a light hand sanding. All you want to do is remove the wax that comes out during the drying stage. Don't let the primer sit on there more than a couple of days without painting. A lot of people make that mistake. Primer attracts all sorts of contaminants (that's it's job) and if left too long, it does more harm than good.

Also remember not to try to put down thick coats. A thin coat of primer is fine. 2 thin coats of LP is a lot better than 1 thick coat.

We've had a couple of good rain events down here near Fort Myers Fl and the factory roof patch has held up very well. It's such a relief not to worry about leaks.

Wayne, that paint you recommended (LP Marine TopDeck Polyurethane with a separate marine epoxy primer) is OUTGAGEOUSLY expensive. I was looking at $150 for a quart of primer plus a quart of white topdeck.

So I went to Lowes and bought a quart of Rustoleum Topdeck Marine for $12, no primer, and rolled on 2 coats after a thorough sanding (150grit). Following your recommendation (in spirit at least) I figured marine topdeck designed for fibreglass and high UV environments would be best.

I don't really care how it looks as it's on the roof (of an upright), it's just the UV protection that's needed. And there's still half a quart left in case I need to redo it in a couple of years.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by brulaz

We've had a couple of good rain events down here near Fort Myers Fl and the factory roof patch has held up very well. It's such a relief not to worry about leaks.

Wayne, that paint you recommended (LP Marine TopDeck Polyurethane with a separate marine epoxy primer) is OUTGAGEOUSLY expensive. I was looking at $150 for a quart of primer plus a quart of white topdeck.

So I went to Lowes and bought a quart of Rustoleum Topdeck Marine for $12, no primer, and rolled on 2 coats after a thorough sanding (150grit). Following your recommendation (in spirit at least) I figured marine topdeck designed for fibreglass and high UV environments would be best.

I don't really care how it looks as it's on the roof (of an upright), it's just the UV protection that's needed. And there's still half a quart left in case I need to redo it in a couple of years.

Sounds like a good choice. It should protect the plastic from UV. That's all that's important. I mainly recommended the other because I wanted it to last until I get the camper.......

How would you compare this treatment to a professionally applied coat of high quality wax? Since the surface you applied the topdeck to is not fiberglass, would there be a concern of any negative affects between the topdeck and that surface?

We had serious moisture issues with our 3326 last winter after many consecutive days of rain under an ADCO cover. We decided to go w/o a cover on our Elkmont for this reason. Your solution is interesting. We thought of having the roof waxed each Spring and waxing the rest of the trailer ourselves each year.