Rv overhaul- first timers

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Dfiorentino87

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Nov 25, 2018
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Hello all! I need some help with my 97 ford lazy daze class c motorhome.  We just bought it and have discovered a leaky roof and extensive water damage to the inside. Basically we dont know jack squat what we have gotten into. First off, I'm looking at stuff to redo the roof... I dont know if its rubberized,  aluminum or this epdm stuff the websites keep mentioning.  Any recommendations  for how to find out the material of the roof and suggestions for what brands of tape, sealant, caulking we should use? Thanks in advance! I can take pics if that would help.
 
Hi Dfiorentino87, welcome to the RVForum. Unfortunately, water leaks can lead to big problems in RVs. It's hard to say what kind of roof you have without seeing it, but there are two types of roofs that people refer to as "rubber" roofs - TPO and EPDM. If you can peel back a section of the material, or remove a piece of trim, an EPDM roof will have a black backing. If the backing is the same color as the roof (usually white) you've got a TPO roof.

Sealing joints and seams on either type can be done with a good lap sealant. Dicor is a good brand, but if the damage is more extensive, it might be time for a new roof. It sounds like the RV probably wasn't maintained very well if it's got extensive water damage. Such damage can cause structural problems in the ceiling and between walls, and repairing it can be time consuming and expensive - sorry. You won't know until it's inspected, and the source of the leak is found.

Let us know if you have more questions.

Kev
 
It probably won't be TPO is a 1997 model - it didn't come into use until about 5 years later.  The classic RV "rubber" roof is EPDM rubber, and the terms EPDM and rubber are used interchangeably in roofing products.  TPO will always be referred to as TPO, even though it is technically in the  "rubber" family of membranes.

I'm pretty sure that your Lazydaze has an aluminum roof. They've used aluminum siding and roofs for years - it's one of their hallmarks vs the more common brands. Leaks are almost always at seams and around openings (vents and such), not the roof material itself.  You can use any kind of lap sealant on an aluminum roof - there are no compatibility problems as with EPDM rubber.
 
We owned two Lazy Daze Class Cs, 1981 and 1994.  Neither had a rubber roof.  Lazy Daze is still run by the same family except the younger generation now runs it.  One of the two original owners was in the aerospace industry which is why his motorhomes were smooth sided and had a roof of  aluminum sheet.  DearMissMermaid is correct.  You should call Lazy Daze and talk to them about the roof material for your specific year but I should think it will be aluminum like ours were.  By the way, our Lazy Dazes were great right from the factory.  Each had one minor item to correct.  We fixed one on the way home (hot water line went to the toilet instead of a cold water line) and the other was a leaky closure of an underbay which they fixed while we were out of the country on business.

ArdraF
 
Thanks so much to all that responded. We have basically gutted the interior now and see that there?s extensive water damage. We are going to redo the roof with lap sealant and Epdm. We also bought new vent fans with fittings because we noticed they were leaking pretty bad. Once the weather gives us a break we will work on the roof and seal around the windows and fix some corrosion to the siding before rebuilding the inside... very daunting. I read online about how to fix the small holes to the siding. Steel wool, clean, primer and repaint from what I understand. Do y?all think it would be ok to leave any wood framing that?s not rotten? I was also thinking about using a dehumidifier to speed up the process of drying out since we are in south Mississippi and it rains a lot here... any input on that?
 
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