Roof Air Conditioner Seal Replacement

[frosty]

I have a nasty water leak coming in from my air conditioner opening.  I have tried to tighten the unit down better, with no success.  I am going to wash the rubber roof and seal it, but want to replace the gasket while I am up there.

How hard is it to replace?  Do you remove the four hold down bolts from inside and lift from above?  Do the electrical connections allow for enough movement?  It is set up on site and not something I can tow to a shop for repair.

Anybody ever done it?  It is a 1998 Cardinal fifth wheel.  Also, what sealer is the best to use?

Thanks!

 

[Bob Flight]

This is a 2 person operation.  You need to take the entire a/c unit off of the roof.  By that I mean disconnect the wires, unbolt all bolts, and lift it to an area next to the normal location.  Be sure to use padding on the roof to protect the roof.  To remove the old seal you will need to roll the a/c unit on its side and peel the old gasket off.  The gasket uses double sided tape to hold it to the underside of the a/c unit.  The old gasket may not come off in one piece.  Also the old gasket may stick to the roof.  If so use a knife to cut in half.  It is about 1-1/2 tall and square shaped.  The electrical wires need to be disconnected to get the new gasket on.  When reinstalling I use a caulk between the gasket and roof to insure a water tight seal.   

While the a/c is off, inspect the roof for any possible signs of a hole thru the roof and not thru the a/c gasket.  I've had cases where the a/c unit had a long screw that created a hole (& leak) in the roof.

 

[Bob Flight]

We are just finishing up our reroof project (see project link below) and we put the a/c units on today.  Thought you might like to see the pictures of the a/c gasket and the underside of the a/c unit.

The gasket is about 2" wide and 1-1/2" thick.  The underside of the a/c unit shows the old gasket, that I cut near the a/c unit, while taking it out.  I've found that cutting it apart and then removing the old gasket is the easiest way to get the a/c off of the roof.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thanks for the photos, Bob, Very helpful.

 

[JerArdra]

Monaco always uses TWO gaskets and then cinches the A/C unit down.

JerryF

 

[frosty]

Thanks for the info!  Upon closer inspection, I found that the gasket was not the culprit.  It was leaking in on the roof edge adjacent to the air conditioner unit, following the interior roof panel, and leaking in around the air conditioner, not through it.  I happened to notice water stains on the interior of the door panel, with a water trail leading directly toward the air conditioner.

There was a small patch on the roof edge (poorly applied), that had a small hole under it in the rubber.  It was wet underneath.  I cleaned the entire roof, and removed the patch.  There was also some small (half inch) slits on the roof edge in the same general area.  I purchased endurabond patch (wow $85 bucks a roll), an applied it to the damaged area, and worked it up the roof line past the small slits I mentioned earlier. 

I inspected the rest of the roof which seems in good shape overall for a 1998 unit.  Now that it is clean, I would like to apply a sealer/preservative to it for protection.  What is the best kind to use?  Can it be applied over the endurabond Eternabond patched area, or should I leave that alone?  The directions for the endurabond Eternabond do not say anything about coating sealants/conditioners over it.

Thanks so much for the help!  So far, with all your help, I have replaced a window, water heater, and now repaired a roof!  Not too bad for a newbie... 

Pat

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Pat,
Did you intend to add some comment to your last? It's merely a quote of your previous message... ??? ??? ???

 

[frosty]

I called "eternabond" (endurabond), which I was tryiong to correct. 

Sorry for the confusion...