Took the Tropic Cool plunge

[dktool]

After 3 years of saying I was going to do it, I finally did.
My roof had been coated with who knows what before I bought it 9+ years ago, then I coated it with a product that had catalist to mix in. Don't recall the name now but it was terrible to apply and did not last !
The 887 was very easy to work with.
I started with a super pressure wash with a gas powered unit with a spinning turbo nozzle, then a strub with TSP original formula from the 80's and a second pressure wash.
I went back and forth with multiple emails to a guy at Henry's tech support to get straight on factors of using the 887, I was starting to lean toward using the 687 instead, he convinced me it was not advised for rv's. And also to use 885 for patching and crack filling which I had quite a bit to do.
I did 2 coates 48 hrs. apart using a total of just over 2-3/4 gallons on 160 square feet which works out to more per sq. ft. (58) than Henry's spec of 1 gallon per 67 sq. ft.
Here's some pics, before, after 885 patch and after 2 coates of 887.
My roof was 10 miles of very bad road, some very rough !

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Sounds like you did everything right and it looks great. Please plan to post an update next year and let us know how it holds up. Hopefully those other two layers underneath the 887 adhered well enough to make a reliable base for the Henry's..

 

[LMHS]

Don't forget, the only thing you can roll over the Tropic cool is another silicone roofing compound. If you sell your rig, make sure you tell the next owners as well.

I have a base coat of SolarFlex (the cheapest). 6 years later, I top coated with DuraWhite (next tier up). I love this stuff. The difference in the temp of the roof and the interior of the bus post coat is impressive. I didn't do the TropicCool because it had to be ordered in to a store 75 miles away and the initial price. Another surprising benefit is that the rain and hail on my metal roof is much quieter. I've been saying how great elastomeric roof coatings are since 2005 (on my Class C and on my husband's 16ft cargo trailer). I've been saying how great Henry's elastomeric roof coatings are since 2010 when I rolled it on the bus.

 

[dktool]

I was leaning toward the 687, Enviro-White which is the top tier of the elastomerics, I was leery to use the silicone only for the reason you stated.

Yes, the sticker shock of the Tropic and the 885 patching brew is a little rough but wth...
can't take it with ya right ?

 

[chuckbear]

We did our roof with Tropic Cool several months ago and so far love it. Chuck

 

[dktool]

Henry's tech spec is to achieve a coating of 20 mil (.022") in a single coat.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

So what was the application method? Guessing it's a roller but what kind? Did you cut the edges in first or last? Was the volume/thickness metered, as in dumping out a known amount and applying it over a measured area, or just tray dipping the roller and rolled on?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[chuckbear]

Go to Henry's website for the installation process. Preparation is the key to success for any coating. Chuck

 

[dktool]

So what was the application method? Guessing it's a roller but what kind? Did you cut the edges in first or last? Was the volume/thickness metered, as in dumping out a known amount and applying it over a measured area, or just tray dipping the roller and rolled on?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

I did the patching with the 885 using putty knifes and brushes, the next day I cut in the 887 with brushes then rolled from a trap with a 1/2" nap roller.
The second coat was roller first with the small areas that were reachable from a ladder with a small roller and brush.

I have the large radius side edges.

 

[dktool]

Also, regarding 887 and Eternabond tape which I have none of on my roof, this is Henry tech comment....

" The Eternabond Tape is made to not allow anything to adhere to it, so the 887 will not stick to that. You can go right up to it, but it won’t stick to it. "

AND...
In reply to a question of future repairs with Eternabond....

" Eternabond WILL NOT adhere to the 887. Only silicone will adhere to silicone. So we would recommend either our 884 or 885 Repair Sealants for any future repairs. "

AND....
Today was the first day I got a feel of it's heat reflecting / insulating results, one word..WOW !
Huge difference in internal temp, I would previously pull it out from under it's shaded cover and it would be instantly hot, today it sat for 30 minutes before I went back inside and it was remarkable how much cooler it was.

One more edit...
This is Henry's statement regarding using 687 or other elastomerics which I was leaning toward for a short time..

" For an RV roof, the only product you can use would be the 887. Two reasons. First, 687 does not adhere to EPDM. Second, Silicone is the only product that will hold up to the over the road traffic, the elastomerics will peel and chip away over time.