Walking on roof & resealing it

[Tascia24]

Sent: 5/5/2003 2:03 PM

I have a 1986 Elandan, Winnebago and I was wondering if you can walk on the roof and seal it?  And what kind of sealer to use?  Should it just be sealed around roof vents or the entire roof?  I just want to prevent leaking.

[jbrt1989]

Sent: 5/5/2003 2:52 PM

I believe that most Winnebago models have roof constructions that will support your weight.  I'm no small guy and I can get up on mine and walk around and the roof gives very little.  However, I don't think it's reccomended to spend a whole lot of time up there, and I always try to step on support points and the edges.  I've only gotten up there to sweep off snow and check up on it after a major storm or something.  The best option is to get up there and take a couple of ginger steps near the edge to see and listen to what the roof does.  Be careful though, it's a long way down from these things should one fall.  I actually park mine under a large tree that has a couple of branches that I can hang on to for balance and safety.  Heights are not my favorite past time.

If your roof is in good shape, looks good and is not leaking right now, there shouldn't be much you need to do.  I'm a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" person.  I guess there wouldn't be any harm in going around roof vents seams and such with a little sealer just to be sure.  A small leak can go undetected for some time and do immeasuable damage in that time.  If the roof is visibly older, worn, checked, cracked, etc, then it's time to re-do the entire roof.  I haven't had that pleasure yet, but, I've seen a lot of folks here use Kool Seal and it seems to be a pretty good product.  I think it goes on pretty easy and isn't awfully expensive.  I'm sure folks here can offer much more help in that dept than I. Jeff

[denisondc]

Sent: 5/5/2003 5:07 PM

I seal any joint, every joint, all joints. I use an exacto knife to scoop out the old rtv sealant too, and a brass bristle brush to clean away the dust and any dirt. It is work that doesnt go real fast. denison

[mightybooboo]

Sent: 5/5/2003 7:15 PM

For sealing seams there is a 4 inch wide tape called eternbond.Once placed over seams they will never leak again and the stuff is said to last and stick forever.Some folks even seal all their seams on brand new MHs as a preventative measure,its a highly respected proven product.BooBoo  I just got a product from ACE I hadnt seen before.Its a cualking tube of EDPM rubber,the same stuff your rubber roofs are made of.Havent tried it yet,its about 6 bux a tube.It says guaranteed for life,whatever that means.

Some info about eternabond

You want to clean the areas that you want to apply the Eternabond to with mineral spirits lightly applied with a rag to remove anything that would prevent the sticky tape to adhere to. That said you must remove any silicone based caulking that may have been applied. Eternabond does not adhere to well to silicone.....and then apply the tape right over the existing caulking.   I see no reason to take off the old caulk. This stuff can be applied right over the seam with the caulk inside. That was the instructions given me by an Eternabond rep. Mine has been applied for three years and "it ain't comin up nohow". Why remove the protection afforded by the caulk.just traverse the seam with the 2" tape and forget it. consider it double protection

I applied Eternabond to all the roof seams of my rubber roof and can say it's one of the best things I've done to the MH. I applied the stuff a couple of years ago afer giving up on regular caulking. Previously, I had many leaks, I would re-caulk, and the leaks would reappear. After Eternabond, every leak has been permanently stopped. I wish I applied the tape sooner, but hadn't heard about it. Any way, I seem to have escaped any water damage.

Eternabond is not difficult to apply...just clean the area where it contacts the roof (I used liquid TSP...mineral spirits would also work, but must be used very sparingly). I also applied it around the roof vents, bathroom skylight, and air conditioners (leaving a little space for condensate run-off).

One thing I definitely will do...any new MH I buy in the future will have this tape installed from the beginning as a preventative measure...I would probably make that a condition of sale.
    i have definately used Eternabond and it works just fine-my old 77 class C got hit by a hail storm "wow"and i used Eternabond -after cleaning all the places off really good,plus on the a/c unit was rotting out the bottom well took it off wire brushed it used some more---works fine "no leak" i love the stuff.

[Boat Nut]

Sent: 5/9/2003 7:57 PM

Although I have sometimes seen a crowd of people standing on the roof of motorhomes (at events like auto races). I certainly don't feel my Winnie was built for even one persons weight. The weakest area of mine is because of & beside the air conditioner. I have some cut 2X4s that I brace the roof with when I'm going up there to work. ( II )I  lay one 2X4 on the floor, & hold one up to the ceiling. I then have 2 more cut to length to jam in between.

I just coated all of my seams with "Cool Seal" sealer, and I intend to paint the entire roof with their paint. It is available from Home Depot for 1/2 of what Camping World gets.
Chuck   

[TerryH]

Your roof should support your weight - within reason. Not meant for dancing, but PM is calculated into the building of it. A 4' x 4' (approx.) piece of plywood to distribute your weight, moved as required will not cause any damage, but won't hurt either. Cheap protection.
As above posts, cleaning and resealing of any suspect area is very good PM. Even if it is minimally suspect. Water infiltration is your enemy.
As to sealing your entire roof, check this out:
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,6617.0.html
Excellent info, photos and tutorial.
Your Profile doesn't tell what country you live in, so you may have to research available products.

[moonlitcoyote]

Well I must say, I have danced on mine and never felt any soft spots. I always felt that if the roof couldnt hold me then it needed work. I would hate to have it collapse and fall on me whilst I was sleeping. .. BUT I am also one of those people that dont believe in keeping new things new. I buy things to USE them not baby them. lol