replacing the rubber roof

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joester

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Posts
415
Location
Tempe, Arizona
called my rv repairman today - he's coming out in a few days to give us a good look-see and estimate to replace our rubber roof on our class C with a new rubber roof. looks like labor costs are the most expensive parts of this process - having to remove all the vents, A/C, awning, drip edges, mouldings, roof rack, etc. we want to keep this rv as long as possible, so a new rubber roof seems to be our best option.
from anyone who has done this - what questions should I ask him, and what should we expect/look for?
thank you all - and have a Happy New Year!
 
My buddy changed his own. A/C never came off the roof, only moved it. Vents and other things are simple to remove.
Are you handy, he was a R/V newbie.
J
 
It may not be necessary to actually replace the rubber material. The most common approach is to coat the roof with a liquid rubber, which is basically painted on.  That allows you to leave the basic stuff in place, though it is best to remove the a/c so you can seal underneath it. Here are some products you might try (yu can do it yourself).

http://www.koolseal.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=63-900
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/dicor-white-rubber-roof-acrylic-coating-gallon/32151
http://www.epdmcoatings.com/rv_roof_repair.html?cam=14&productid=5&gclid=CMS3_pXDx7QCFRQcnAoddjAApA

Another solution is to use the stuff they coat pick-up truck beds with. It's terrifically tough!
http://www.prweb.com/releases/rv/roofrepair/prweb9564741.htm
 
I just did it, and it is a heck of a lot of work. None of it is particularly hard, just VERY time consuming. I have an 23 yr old coach, and the local guy told me that it probably wasn't going to be worth it. I didn't get an actual estimate, because his "sight unseen" ballpark price was $2-3,000. I was able to do it for about $800 in materials, including all new vents, and eternabond tape - and 6 part time days of labor. I am glad I did it, because the roof was completely trashed - and the coach unusable. Now I can at least get some use out of it.


Mylo
 
I'm looking forward to what my RV repairman says tomorrow. With our class C being 22 years old now, a new roof is going to cost more than half of what the NADA book value is, but if we consider what our options are, spending 3k or a bit more on this Rv makes a lot more sense to us than buying something else.
 
joester said:
I'm looking forward to what my RV repairman says tomorrow. With our class C being 22 years old now, a new roof is going to cost more than half of what the NADA book value is, but if we consider what our options are, spending 3k or a bit more on this Rv makes a lot more sense to us than buying something else.
Question him about getting rid of that overhead window. My buddy got rid of his, that's wear a lot of the leakage was.
He now has the smooth look like a lot of the new Class C's. The cost was minimal, couple sheets of luan and extra filon. He also installed new fans, vents, modern antennas, etc.
J
 
after further review and a close look, it was decided to replace the rubber roof and install a new EPDM roof. waiting for estimate and schedule. will update once repair is complete.
not replacing front window as suggested - it's not cheap, and not the source of any leaks.
our original rubber roof has multiple cracks thru the rubber, exposing the wood in these narrow cracks. we have one spot about 6" dia where the wood is spongy and it seems the laminate has separated. we'll know more once the existing rubber is peeled off. the rest of the roof is solid and in good shape.
 
going with the new roof and a 1/8" wood overlay of the existing wood to ensure a smooth surface for the new rubber. new refer vents and other vent covers as needed, and a new bathroom fan/vent while it's out. might as well make it as new as possible.
 
One of the biggest problems with replacing EPDM roofing is bubbles or areas where the glue is not holding.  You might be advised to discuss this with whoever will be doing the roofing job as to how they will handle it in the event bubbles occur.
 
thanks, good idea. My RV repairman has just completed another class C, so hopefully he has learned a few more tricks.
 
Picked up our rv with the new roof this weekend and we're very happy with results. The original rubber was stripped after the vents and a/c were removed, and 1/8" wood sheeting was applied. additional reinforcement along side edges was added at overlap areas  prior to new EPDM sheeting (Dicor). he added new trim along both sides, new fridge roof vents, new center roof vents, and affixed Sirius antenna also. I'd like to post the name of the Rv repairman if that's ok - he's in Surprise and also is a mobile rv mechanic who does excellent work. here's a few pics:
 

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DH and I replaced our rubber roof, as well as all the decking. DH built a slide device to get the A/C units off and back on. The device consisted of 2 runners that reached up to the top of the RV, and a sliding tray with edges that kept the units from falling off. Rope was used to lower, and then to raise, the units. The two of us were able to handle the entire job except for removing and replacing the big awning. 

Btw, we did the job at the end of July thru beginning of August in north Texas heat.  He only took 2 days off work, so it was mostly done at night and on weekends, unless there were things I could do alone during the day.  Be sure and wear sunglasses so you don't go blind!
 
Feel free to post the names of places that have provided quality work. Or those that have not, for that matter.  Factual reports are always welcome - it's only the rants and the self-serving ads that we do not allow.
 

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