rubber roof sealant

hhoenig · 08-26-2007, 08:00 PM

from reading all the posts, it seems a lot of owners are having problems with leaks, either from the vents, or the air conditioner. Has anyone tried rubber roof sealants? Is there something about TM that makes this kind of roof sealant undesirable or unworkable? I have been plauged with various leaks on an intermittent basis, (sometimes parking slightly off level alleviates the problem), but I would like to think a rubber roof would solve my problems is that wishful thinking or what???

**Bill** · 08-27-2007, 07:13 PM

Well first, let's be careful with the phrase "a lot of owners". One of the purposes of this board is to give owners a place to describe problems and ask for help. But if 3 owners have a problem, and 1000 owners DON'T have a problem, there is no place for the happy owners to say so. As a result, the 3 unhappy owners may seem like "a lot of owners".

That having been said, yes, there have been roof leaks. In every case, a touch-up of the caulking has been necessary (and I think sufficient) to fix the problem. We all wish that the problems didn't happen, but sometimes they do.

From your post, I'm not sure if you are asking about daubing on a spot-fix of rubber roof sealant, or about painting a rubber roof on the entire TM. The former seems to be the same as re-caulking, and I don't know of any problems (though I don't know anyone who has tried it).

The latter - a whole new rubber roof - might not be so good. First, I don't know how well the rubber-roof compound would stick to whatever is used to coat the TM's factory roof. Second, I don't think that rubber roofing compound is designed to withstand the rubbing that occurs where the roof seal of the TM's inner front shell rides on the outer roof of the TM's rear shell. I'm thinking that it might roll the rubber roofing right off the roof in that contact area, in the same way that rubber cement can be rolled off your fingers.

All things considered, I would tend to stick with refreshing the caulking. When done properly, those 1000 owners I mentioned above will tell you that it doesn't leak.

Bill

countrygirl · 08-27-2007, 07:16 PM

Well said Bill!

Wingedryder · 02-13-2015, 11:09 AM

I'm curious...
In the issue of Trailer Life I just rec'd (Good Sam's Spec Ed) is an ad for a product called "RV Flex Armor". Apparently it's about a 3/16" sprayed-on product (and process - done with specialized equip) that purports to end & preclude caulking forever, with a LIFETIME guarantee against leaks.
(See "RVRoof.com" for some pretty convincing 'before & after' pics.)

I don't know if this is an application that will adhere to aluminum or not, and the mfr. in FL doesn't list 'dealers' or application sites - instead gives a phone number. I'm sure it's not an inexpensive process, but rather an investment. It does make me wonder, however, other than cost, 1) why RV mfrs don't use this on new construction, and 2) why this product isn't more commonly used on after market RV's as the end-all, cure-all to messy and labor-intensive re-caulking around everything protruding from TT and RV roofs. Though don't know how it holds up to large hail, nor any added weight, the finish is one glistening, clean look! IF one ever needs to "break the seal" to replace a roof mounted vent, etc., sealant has to be cut out w/a grinder and reapplied in that area by trained personnel. Product apparently has been around since 2005.

Anyone here on the TM Forum have any familiarity of this life-time roof sealant system, or, if practical for the TM, where available?....Just thinking ahead!

**Bill** · 02-13-2015, 11:55 AM

I have no knowledge of this product. Let me just say that whenever I hear about a "lifetime guarantee" on a product, I ask myself "Whose lifetime?"

Is it my lifetime?
Is it the trailer's lifetime?
Is it the lifetime of the company that sold the product?
Is it the lifetime of the product itself?

Most often, it turns out to be the lifetime of the company that sold the product, which may be only a couple years. But I heard a funny story about a guy who took a failed electronic product back to the store and asked for a replacement. He was told "Since the product failed, its lifetime is obviously over, so the warranty no longer applies."

Funny? Maybe.

You also need to read the fine print that goes along with the guarantee. Commonly, you have to do something, often an "inspection", at regular intervals. And the inspection is not free.

Again, I don't know the product. But to echo your own question, if it is so wonderful, why wouldn't the trailer manufacturers adopt it, and avoid a lot of bad customer relations down the road?

Bill

Wingedryder · 02-13-2015, 12:26 PM

Bill,

The suspected nature of 'lifetime' guarantees is a given. However, I'm still curious just how effective this RV Flex Armor might be against what must be one of the RV industry's most inherent epidemics (roof leaks & caulk that doesn't last long).

The website indicates it is a 'pure' polyuria product(?). I'll call them, but first wanted to know if anyone here on the Forum had any direct knowledge of the product or mfr.

**Bill** · 02-14-2015, 09:26 AM

Fair enough.

I googled "polyurea", and the big hit was RhinoLinings. These are the folks that make spray-on bed liners for pickup trucks. I don't think that these bed liners are pure polyurea, so the roof stuff might be better. But you should be able to gain some more info by going to their site, especially the sub-site called "Industrial".

Bill

Wingedryder · 02-14-2015, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Fair enough.

I googled "polyurea", and the big hit was RhinoLinings. These are the folks that make spray-on bed liners for pickup trucks. I don't think that these bed liners are pure polyurea, so the roof stuff might be better. But you should be able to gain some more info by going to their site, especially the sub-site called "Industrial".

Bill

Suppose the RV 'Flex Armor' reading & 'Youtube' video watching was just good exercise at this point in time. Or that a similar product's time has yet to be realized for the RV industry as a whole.

I did learn some of the current uses for similar elastomers (a polyurea, my spell-checker likes spell polyuria, & resin flexible coating) under other names such as RhinoLining, VersaFlex, & RoughGuard. Thus far it seems their use for RV roof coatings is rather limited, and at the moment are more commonly known for vehicle linings in or on ambulances, commercial utility, all-terrain, & construction vehicles, as well as marine tank linings, (besides the p/u bed liners mentioned). This is not to mention other applications, such as concrete coatings - garage floors, in particular.

Given the durability of elastomer coatings against UV rays, the heat & cold, it's inherent flexibility, and yet tremendous tear strength, to mention just a few of its attributes, I would think it wouldn't be terribly long before a similar product finds a worthy niche in the RV industry, in both new builds and aftermarket roof revitalization. Whether that product is 'Flex Armor' or not, I wouldn't hazard a guess, but it could revolutionize the industry and end owners constant roof maintenance practices for good.

The one obvious disadvantage to this type of product for a permanently coated roof that I can see, would be when replacing roof fixtures that require openings in the roof, where the coating needs to be cut out and then re-applied after the new fixture/appliance has been installed. Making the same coating available as a paint on for repairs, such as 'EDPM' has for rubber roofs, and maybe it would be the catalyst to move the RV industry away from the dreaded 'scrape, peel, re-caulk (with who knows what brand/type), and then pray' routine that plagues most RV owners. Having been through the mental anguish of trying to locate and eliminate roof leaks, I can't wait for such a day - or at least more consensus on effective roof sealers, hence my curiosity!

**ShrimpBurrito** · 02-14-2015, 02:38 PM

If you're talking about coating the entire roof with a 3/16" thick layer of this stuff, that could be some substantial weight....perhaps enough to necessitate a need for a new torsion bar (or more).

Dave

YNPKing · 02-14-2015, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Re: Post #2 last sentence.

All things considered, I would tend to stick with refreshing the caulking. When done properly, those 1000 owners I mentioned above will tell you that it doesn't leak.

Bill

Bill,
Although my TM is 1 year old in May, I found the silicone the factory used can peel off very easy requiring care during washing. I have no leaks that I am aware of in 60 days of camping last year so I have not touched it up.

I've read many posts on caulking and I'm still trying to decide what to use, maybe like others on the forum. What caulk do you use to "refresh" the old?

What would be helpful from my perspective is if a few of those 1000 owners that don't have leaks would tell us what caulk product(s) they use, what product(s) they used to prep, how long the caulk lasted, how often they refresh, how many days they camp per year, how many days in storage per year including the type of storage (indoor or outdoor with or without a cover). I ask this hoping that 2-3 months of use does not necessitate this to become an annual activity.

Also, there has been much discussion about what to caulk and what locations not to caulk on the TM. I know it is important to not trap water. From your experience with the TM, can you summarize your thoughts on this for us? Thanks.

Dan