I need roof repaired

scubieman · December 23, 2014, 09:11 PM

So I bought a motorhome that I knew had water leaks and water damage. Well I just spend plenty of money using self leveling lap sealant. Dicor 4 inch wide tape and dicor metal roof sealant. I keep on getting many leaks all over the place and just getting flustered as can be about it. That being said would you guys just replace roof? Higher professional to do it? Redo what I put on?

I am just unsure what to do and the old lady is sick of putting tons of money into it for now. I also dont want to leave RV open to elements that could cause more damage yet. Any ideas what to do?

brians1969 · December 23, 2014, 09:28 PM

I would think that hiring a professional to put a new roof on would extremely expensive. I put a new roof (framing and inside ceiling included) on this summer. I have about $2,000 in materials into. It took me the better part of 2 months working a couple hours a day on it. Never again-my body is getting too old for this!

scubieman · December 23, 2014, 09:36 PM

Yes I dont like the idea of a new roof. However if I get a new roof on I know that I should be good for a long time. I think local dealer wanted 110 linear foot but unsure what that all includes.

LJ-TJ · December 23, 2014, 11:33 PM

Well the only thing I will suggest is clean all the crap off the roof and around the vents and scrub the stuff out of the roof and then buy some of this stuff http://www.polycoatings.com/rvroof.html and put it on right....as it's suppose to be put on and I would be surprised if you ever had trouble again. I say this from experience and a buddy Keith did his the same way and we've never had a lick of trouble since.

http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,6617.msg27784.html#msg27784

brians1969 · December 24, 2014, 05:32 AM

For $110/ft, he might be going over the existing roof with a rubber membrane. You could always cover yours with a blue tarp, and just remove it when you want to go camping somewhere. It's cheap and it buys you time until you decide what you want to do with the motorhome.

Rickf1985 · December 24, 2014, 10:30 AM

The problem with a tarp is that any moisture that is in it is now trapped and you get mold and rot. I think I saw in a previous post the Scubie is living in this? Maybe it is someone else. Tarp is good for covering when it rains but take it off when it is not raining.
Putting new rubber over old with leaks sounds like a REALLY BAD idea!!!!!!! What about any wood damage under the current roof? That price is about 2500.00 for a 22 footer. I don't know what you have but at that price I would want a LOT more than a roof over!!!

scubieman · December 24, 2014, 01:22 PM

No I do not full time.

This is the product I put on. I am unsure if I got it on good enough or prefect since it was just good enough day to put the product on.

http://dicorproducts.com/catalog/roof-products/restore-products/metal-rv-roof-coating/

LJ-TJ · December 24, 2014, 03:22 PM

See the thing is the product is probably quite good. Unfortunately I don't know that as I've never used it. How ever the stuff I suggested is really crazy stuff. We had some leaking problems four five years ago and put this stuff on and while it was easy to put on it was the wildest stuff I've ever seen and used. We've been through torrential down pours and Nair a drop has infiltrated the rig. So I based my suggestion on the face that I use the product and it worked for us and is guaranteed for something like 15 year. Hm?

legomybago · December 24, 2014, 03:37 PM

Sounds like you just covered up all the ports with new sealants....If the seal under the vents, and AC etc are already poor (sounds like they are), putting new elastrometric sealant over the top isnt going to work. You need to pull all the vents and AC's and reseal with butyl tape, and new AC seals. You may also need to reseal the front and rear marker lights. Then you apply your eternabond tape and sealers..MO

Or, just tarp it and keep some Dri-Z-Air in it...

TerryH · December 24, 2014, 05:14 PM

Just a thought.....
You said you used Dicor Roof Sealant and Tape but you didn't say that the Lap Sealant was Dicor's.
Nor did you say if you had cleaned (as much as possible) the old sealant from joints, vents etc., or if you taped all prior to applying the roof sealant.
Many of the products used today are not compatible or adhesive to others, or to a product that was used years ago and that you cannot identify.
Also, most roof sealants are a surface coating - not a void-filler. Same for lap sealants. A void and a lap joint require different treatment.
Most important part of the procedure, as with many others, is proper preparation.
I am tentatively planning to do mine this spring, and after researching a few have decided to use the same as LJ-TJ. Strongly recommend you scroll up and look at their links to Polycoatings and the photos/description of their application.
Hope you don't have to redo.
MO, hope it helps.
Terry

Rickf1985 · December 25, 2014, 07:55 PM

If there was any silicone on there then nothing will adhere to it until the silicone is gone. The water will just travel between the old silicone and the new sealant. There is nothing out there that will adhere to cured silicone including more silicone. As has been said, it is all in the preparation.

scubieman · December 25, 2014, 10:21 PM

Quote from: TerryH on December 24, 2014, 05:14 PM
Just a thought.....
You said you used Dicor Roof Sealant and Tape but you didn't say that the Lap Sealant was Dicor's.
Nor did you say if you had cleaned (as much as possible) the old sealant from joints, vents etc., or if you taped all prior to applying the roof sealant.
Many of the products used today are not compatible or adhesive to others, or to a product that was used years ago and that you cannot identify.
Also, most roof sealants are a surface coating - not a void-filler. Same for lap sealants. A void and a lap joint require different treatment.
Most important part of the procedure, as with many others, is proper preparation.
I am tentatively planning to do mine this spring, and after researching a few have decided to use the same as LJ-TJ. Strongly recommend you scroll up and look at their links to Polycoatings and the photos/description of their application.
Hope you don't have to redo.
MO, hope it helps.
Terry

Thank you for your response. However I had dicor 4 inch wide lap sealant. I put the silicone in the middle of the 4 inch lap sealant so there for it would be stuff to actual surface. I think I will buy a RV cover for it and cover till weather gets nice then I get really prep the roof. I bought 2 gallons and didn't even use 1(only did back half). Plus if I dont get to it for a few days or weeks I can put cover back over it inside of open to elements. i dont have a shop or even a covered shed to work on it which stinks but it's life. The high next week is like 10-15 degrees so i'm giving up for a while.

However I got the engine running

using a actual fuel tank.

Rickf1985 · December 26, 2014, 09:26 AM

I will NOT us silicone in any way, shape or form on an RV. I only use latex or urethane sealants. Getting silicone off is a labor of love/hate. They make special stuff for it but I have found that Acetone and Xylene will work. Plan on using a LOT of rags because all the solvents do is loosen it and then it rolls up in the rag and you have to throw the rag out, over and over, until you feel no silicon at all. Then clean it again. After you have to do that one time you will see why I will never, ever use it again. I try not to use it at home either. There is a reason it is the cheapest caulk, you get what you pay for.

scubieman · December 26, 2014, 08:01 PM

That was not very positive lol. I just want a sure way to fix. I thought I did but guess not.

LJ-TJ · December 26, 2014, 08:55 PM

Cover it up for the winter and wait till spring when you've got a couple of hot days coming up. There is now easy way. Even when you do the easy way it's hard work. But if you do it right with the proper material you won't have to worry again.

http://www.polycoatings.com/rvroof.html

Rickf1985 · December 26, 2014, 09:35 PM

Don't feel bad, after 6 plus inches of rain in the last couple weeks mine is leaking again. I know where it is though, I caulked it before, it didn't hold because of previous silicone. I did it over and cleaned as best you can clean 60 feet of seam and then bridged across the seam from good material over to good material. ow I am going to rip it all out and Eternabond the whole seem from front to back on both sides. I don't like that look but I figure this spring when I coat the roof I will mask just below the tape and coat down to there which will cover the tape.