Rubber Roof Leak Repair

[turf&snow98]

I just wanted to share this: I read this post a couple months ago so I bought a roll of eternabond from grainger, it worked great on most spots but the thaw out from this winter some of the eternabond came off, it just wont stick in some spots for some reason. I did some more reasearch and found this black jack 99 neoprene epdm roof cement, avail at lowes, I did go around the eternabond with lap sealant but that wasn't strong enough to hold it. I put some of this black jack stuff down its much stronger and works great in conjunction with the eternabond if you have some real hard to stick spots, I just sealed the eternabond down with it, it comes in a 10oz caulk tube, its a mess, like black tar but I am very happy with the results.

[happiestcamper]

I'm sure that works great, but now parts of your roof are black. When I used etrnabond, I put rubber roof sealer over the top of it - and it lasted until I sold the camper (4-5 years).
You could still get some rubber roof sealer and paint it over your black stuff and have a double seal, that looks white. A black roof in a harsh winter might not be a bad idea, but I would hate to have a black roof in the summer.

[turf&snow98]

I wouldn't go over the entire roof with this stuff, the AC would never keep up in the summer. I took a quick pic, this was my experiment spot, so its sloppy, Im going to go over ALL the eternabond edges before the spring is here and i'll do it a little nicer, Im really quite happy with this stuff.
x

[Kimber]

I joined here just after reading the opening post. Good read. I might also add you may want to add a dehumidifier inside the unit to help remove any dampness.

Right now I'm waiting for our 5th wheel to get fixed from a leaky roof and have the dehumidifier in there untill the roof is sealed.

Then on to the short. Uggh Camping is great and great for making family memories but its no fun when something goes wrong with the unit

[docgoc]

We bought an RV last fall, used, but didn't cover it over the winter. We had terrible leaks. So much so that my husband total gutted the rear (bedroom) of the rv. We now see LOTS of pin holes, and a couple of larger holes (1/4"?). Husband wants to remove that area of the metal and replace it.

Would this tape/rubber roof sealer be enough to repair this? Or, is replacement the way to go, and then seal that?

There was another leak up front, but he didn't remove that ceiling. I'm not sure, but I think that was leaking where the seam is, but the tape would probably be fine there.

[CO feline]

I contacted Eternabond about using the product on my 2000 Coleman Santa Fe pop-up with an ABS room and they responded saying not recommended for this application. We have the cracks everyone has experienced on this type of roof. Want to stop the leaks before they happen.

We are considering using an elastomeric marine sealant by Sudbury or 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant Fast Cure 4000 UV. We live in Colorado. Any experience with these products?

[Yushokuma]

Originally Posted by happiestcamper

If nothing else, everybody should cover their camper. Think about it - if there is a leak, and you keep it covered when not in use, it will probably not be exposed about 90% of the time.

If you know there is a leak, fix it.

Great idea, better safe than sorry. And water inside your RV is a sorry situation. Thanks.

[Yushokuma]

Thank you so much, I am new here & just started to renovate a 1977 NuWa trailer...rained last night...nasty leak at TV antenna opening. Will try your idea..loved the video!

[CO feline]

Many of the solutions posted in this thread are not recommended by the manufacturers of those products or look terrible aesthetically. After doing a tremendous amount of research and contacting manufacturers directly about their products, all shown in this thread and more, we found a viable solution. My husband and I spent a half-day applying 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant Fast Cure 4000 UV to the numerous cracks on the top of our 2000 Coleman Santa Fe Pop-up (ABS roof). It looks fantastic! Is holding up very well. It was also reasonably easy to apply.

1. Clean the cracks with denatured alcohol
2. Use a very fine sandpaper and very lightly brush the surface of the cracks. The sandpaper removes the small amount of dirt that may have accumulated at the surface of the crack and leaves a little ABS residue in the crack. This helps to hide the fact that the crack was ever there.
3. Use a small drill bit and make a small hole at the ends of each crack. This stops the progression of the crack once sealed.
4. Apply a small amount of the 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant Fast Cure 4000 UV with the thin tip along the length of the crack. Wearing a thin glove, smooth and fan out the edges with your finger to leave a smooth surface. This sealant comes in black and white. We used white and although it is not an exact match, you can't tell from more than 3 feet away from the surface.

We have been exploring options for about 1 1/2 years. We were quoted anywhere from $900 to put on a coating that was too heavy for the unit to support, to over $1,500 to replace the top. About a year ago, we tried the Eternabond tape on one spot and were very disappointed; it held up but looks terrible aesthetically. Maybe others don't care about aesthetics. We did not want a band aid look.

We are extremely pleased with the results. Especially after thinking we would eventually have to haul it to a landfill if we could not repair the roof. We are now looking forward to many years of camping pleasure. I hope you find this information helpful to you as well.

FYI: Although I have my own company (16 years) that does product marketing and research, I am not associated with any of the companies I researched for this application.

[Yushokuma]

Thank you so much for sharing your research. The prep work especially. I had a window film business in Texas for many years and prep work made all the difference in film to glass installation.
Now need help advice on how to remove old tv antenna...that is where leak is and I want antenna gone so I can plug hole and seal. My son and I worked on it and are stuck at getting it all the way off. Thanks again. Where should I post such a problem?

[crawford]

It's called liquid rubber roof it goes on very thick turn to white rubber it's the cat's behind looks like I put on a new roof says it can last 10 years.

[maryt]

If nu way is made by Hitchhiker? probably has wood frame. Notorious for leaks especially around the corners.

[crawford]

Yes the tape well if surface is not chalkee, if the rubber comes off so will the tape well mine did I scrubbed off everything which was about everything hardly any rubber left in fabric then I coated with liquid rubber first coat sank in to fiber the second coat looks like a new roof was put on .

[Yushokuma]

Yes, this old Nu-Wa has wood framing and since I posted last we had a blowing rain storm. Several leaks, now. Lotsa work and much repair needed. The roof is aluminum w/heavy caulking and looks like white coating over a clear rubbery coat. Mucho scraping to do!

[maryt]

I have 2 Holiday Ramblers. They made all their frames with a 4 sided tubed aluminum frame welded! not 3 sided channel riveted. Not saying Holidays don't have the occasional problem but leaks are usually due to not maintaining the roof after the first 10 years. And that is mostly just painting on a rubber coating every 5 years over seams and around antenna etc. HOWEVER I think Navistar just bought them out. Sometimes big corps just buy the name and ride it into the ground like Coachmen. Not saying they will just saying.