Is there a “resealing your roof” guide here on this forum? It rained last night and I had 2 leaks.
I keep reading about Eternabond and looks like that might be the solution. But as you can see, the sealant on my roof needs a refresh. Should I consider removed that old sealant and replacing it with Eternabond?
Jacob
Jacob,
Eternabond is a preferred seal product and used by many RV enthusiasts. Preparation for the actual application will take some effort and dedication. YouTube has several videos on its use. Here is just one sampling of RVer use. https://youtu.be/spdYGUtZVcU Eternabond produces its in videos as well.
It’s not rocket science, however you need to take your time and do it right the first time. You would do well to check for any structural damage from the recent water intrusion or leaks from the past. They can be devastating.
The Mothership frowns on its use and will not do a factory seal if Eternabond has been used. It is very difficult to remove. I believe that is one reason they refuse to work on an Eternabonded roof.
Personally, I’ll have our ‘15 RB resealed at the factory when the time comes. That’s just me.
Best of luck with the reseal.
Kent
Thanks Kent! How much is a LD factor seal?
Good question. I believe the most recent factory reseal mentioned here was around $1,200. Fair price in my book when you take into account the work involved. Others here still prefer the DIY approach.
I suppose it all comes down to how much can you do on your own and what value you place on professional installation. I’m a big fan of DIY projects where I can screw something up and fix my mistakes without suffering catastrophic results from my initial blunder. 😬
If you're thinking about having them do the work, it may take a while to get your rig in, but a simple call into Vince is pretty painless.
Good luck.
Kent
Just to clarify, when resealing with eternabond, just the main perimeter seams are sealed? Are all the little doodads on the roof resealed with tape?
Personally, I’ll have our ‘15 RB resealed at the factory when the time comes. That’s just me.
Easy for you to say, you're just about around the corner. ;)
Joel
If you see cracks or lifting up of the current sealant, anywhere water can leak into, then yes it needs redoing.
There are a lot of posts to read about Eternabond including how to prep the roof (very critical to do this right), what width to get (pros and cons of slimmer vs wider ones).
Eternabond, once down, doesn't come up (extremely difficult). But it stays good forever (per the company). The top layer which is a cover will degrade overtime from UV, but the underneath gummy layer never does. You can pull off the top layer and put another layer of Eternabond on top. (per the company).
There are places you would never take apart (e.g. seams between two parts of the roof) and those can be Eternabonded.
However as Greg alludes to, things that you might take out in the future (e.g. replace an air conditioner, a vent, an antenna, window, etc.) and those spots should not be Eternabonded. Those things get sealed with a good sealer(again with proper prep). There are numerous recommendations for products, with many people favoring the 3M products. Often this can be put on over the top of the old sealant if the old sealant (again with proper prep so that the new sealant will stick - note Silicon doesn't allow anything to stick to it).
You also want to find out if there is any damage in the LD over time from leaks. Water can travel a while in the roof/walls before coming into the LD and finding the leak source can be difficult. Andy did a thermal detection to find water while it was leaking (at least where it was pooling in the roof). Pressing on the inside with an icepick or screwdriver will find rotted spots (the wood doesn't hold solid so the device will sink into the wood significantly). Sometimes you can just press with your hands and find softer spots. Any repairs are done from the inside - there is a couple posts showing repair details. Once you open it up, you can see clearly if there is any rotten wood and keep opening up the roof/wall until you find good wook, then replace/repair the damaged areas.
Jane
Joel,
Where the Mothership is concerned, some of us are just born blessed. Thank you Mother. 😇
Kent
Jacobjm,
Last week I made an appointment at the Mothership to have my 11 year old rig resealed (first week of December, though I could have made it for a week or two earlier). Vince quoted me a price of . . .$3,500! Unless I heard incorrectly. He said that it involved a lot of man hours of manual labor and included replacing just about everything on top. It was twice what I had expected. Wife told me to go ahead and spend the money. It would be worth avoiding the aggravation if/when I screw up working with that tape, or if I don't clean the areas as well as they need to be for it to work effectively.
Mike Liner
'08 24' FL towing a Subaru Forester '14
As they say in real estate Location Location Location.
I grew up 'blessed' between Glen Avon and Mira Loma...
😉
*****
It was twice what I had expected. Wife told me to go ahead and spend the money. It would be worth avoiding the aggravation
Estimate: $1750, over guestamate: $1750 ($175/yr over next 10 years). Peace of mind for job done right Priceless.
"God grant me the courage to change those things I can, the serenity to accept those things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference"
St. Francis of Assisi
"Yes Dear"
many a husband in a successful marriage
Joel
Thanks Kent! How much is a LD factor seal?
I picked up my LD from having the roof resealed on July 3rd. The cost was just shy of $3500 (that's actually less than originally quoted).
That included resealing and replacing all the fans with new, new covers over everything including the AC (which disintegrated in their hands as they removed it... I have pictures). They also removed some miscellaneous spots of some kind of goop from the previous owner.
If you don't need new fans or covers you may be able to just do the reseal for less. I think I can give you a break down minus the fans based on the receipt which I do not have with me right now. I will try to post the info tomorrow.
Jacobjm,
Last week I made an appointment at the Mothership to have my 11 year old rig resealed (first week of December, though I could have made it for a week or two earlier). Vince quoted me a price of . . .$3,500! Unless I heard incorrectly. He said that it involved a lot of man hours of manual labor and included replacing just about everything on top. It was twice what I had expected. Wife told me to go ahead and spend the money. It would be worth avoiding the aggravation if/when I screw up working with that tape, or if I don't clean the areas as well as they need to be for it to work effectively.
Mike Liner
'08 24' FL towing a Subaru Forester '14
That's exactly what I paid and they did replace everything!
Deb,
Did you paint your vent and AC covers with the primer spray paint?
This group advised us to do that when we replaced our AC . It protects the covers from UV damage so they won't just crumble in a couple of years.
Jane
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Deb,
Did you paint your vent and AC covers with the primer spray paint?
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No, I wasn't aware that this was something I should consider doing.
What kind/brand of primer?
"What kind/brand of primer?"
I may be way off base but I believe this discussion is about painting the roof vents and AC Cover with a paint designed for plastics to reduce the deterioration caused by the sun. I went through two shower domes due to UV damage before I painted the third with paint developed for plastic. That one lasted several years. ;)
Deb,
I don't think the brand matters. But a spray primer is easier to use, though you could paint it on.
I think we used rustoleum just because that was handy at Home Depot.
It does make it so less light comes through the vents when they are closed, but I think I'd rather have the protection then replacing those every 2 to 5 years even if I did the work myself (took us about 30 minutes including figuring it out as we went and a new vent cover was about $20).
Jane
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Yes Steve is right, make sure the primer will work on your material.
We went to Home Depot and told them what we were looking for, then read the paint cans to confirm they would work.
We only painted things in the last year, so a little too soon for us to say how long it lasted.
Jane
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The Factory does good work but you pay a high price for it.
Back when I resealed roofs, I charged $500-600, depending on the length, unless the old sealant had previously been recoated. In that case, all the sealant needed to come off.
A simple reseal with Eternabond tape, for the roof seams and recoating the vents and antennas sealant with either Dicor or 3M 5200 FS usually took a short day, including the prep. If the sealant needed to come off, an extra half day might be needed, it normally comes off easily with a vibratory tool and a shape blade.
FYI, just a couple of years ago, a Factory reseal was $1500, they have significantly raised the cost.
If the vents and escape hatch are completely replaced, that would add greatly to the cost. The vents and hatches usually just need new lids, their roof-mounted frames rarely need replacement. LD does a good job of covering the sun-light sensitive plastic frames with sealant. The Factory applied, exterior sealant, on the vents, does nothing but protect the plastic.
Vents that are covered can last the life of the RV. Our nearly 17 year-old Fantastic fans are intact, saved from ultraviolet damage by their covers, installed when the rig was new.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157602095133184
The escaped hatch's cover was replaced several years ago after a twister in Reno removed it. It's aluminum frame is original and should never need replacement.
Larry
Deb, I should have said we spray painted the lids only - we didn't spray the small vertical places of the vents that are under the lids. The lids are what are notorious for shattering (our old AC one was starting to get that way and crumbled a little when we took it off - I have no idea how old it was, our one vent was shattered during a freak golf ball size hail storm - again we have no idea how old it was but that one was not original).
Larry, you said "LD does a good job of covering the sun-light sensitive plastic frames with sealant.".
Are you talking about the sealant between the roof and the plastic frame?
Or a sealant that goes over the entire vent lid? If it is the vent lid, do you know what they use to UV protect it?
Jane
Is there a “resealing your roof” guide here on this forum? It rained last night and I had 2 leaks.
Yes, Jacob, there is and everyone should always check The Companion before asking questions.
It's one of the items shown on the opening page of this forum. I really wish Chris would make those links in color if possible.
Just for you, Jacob here is the link The Lazy Daze Companion (http://lazydazearticles.blogspot.com/). When you get there look on the right and scroll down to Eternabond.
There is very little that is not covered in The Companion. Please use it.
Thanks
Yes, Jacob, there is and everyone should always check The Companion before asking questions.
It's one of the items shown on the opening page of this forum. I really wish Chris would make those links in color if possible.
Just for you, Jacob here is the link The Lazy Daze Companion (http://lazydazearticles.blogspot.com/). When you get there look on the right and scroll down to Eternabond.
There is very little that is not covered in The Companion. Please use it.
Thanks
"I really wish Chris would make those links in color if possible."Ask and ye shall receive, Don. :) Thanks to administrator Steve for making this change. Chris
Ask and ye shall receive, Don. :) Thanks to administrator Steve for making this change.
Much better. Good suggestion and execution!
Larry, you said "LD does a good job of covering the sun-light sensitive plastic frames with sealant.".
Are you talking about the sealant between the roof and the plastic frame?
Or a sealant that goes over the entire vent lid? If it is the vent lid, do you know what they use to UV protect it?
I'm referring to the sealant applied over the exterior of the vent frames, it does nothing but keep the sun light off the vent's plastic frame. The functional sealant is between the vent frame and the roof, it does not require replacement as long as the vent's frame is intact and not cracked.
I only paint the escape hatch and the A/C cover, the other vent covers are translucent, to let light to pass thru.
Use an inexpensive vent cover to protect the plastic Fantastic Fans. With covers, our 17 year old fan are still in good shape.
With the vent covers, the vents can be left open when raining and allow ventilation in wet weather.
Larry
When I got my roof re-sealed by the factory a couple years ago the cost was about $3,400 (including re-sealing the toilet!). They replaced all three fantastic fans in my coach. To convince me of the potential problem, Vince showed me a fan that he had previously taken out of another rig and it was cracked and leaking. When I picked up my coach, he showed me that I had a small leak from a crack in one of my fans. Fortunately, there wasn't much damage.
I recommend replacing the fans when you have them reseal the roof. Also, if you have one of the older shower domes that were defective, you will want to replace that also. Vince will lead you in the right direction and will not do work that he doesn't need to do.
He hates Eternabond and said he has seen many rigs with problems because it was not installed correctly.
Mike S.
"He hates Eternabond and said he has seen many rigs with problems because it was not installed correctly."
---
It's true, at least from my experience, that not all Eternabond roof jobs are done correctly; once in a while, this may be due to a defect in the product itself, e.g., "no-stick" adhesive, but, IMO, an "incorrect installation" is most often due to inadequate or improper surface preparation.
Eternabond, whether it's applied correctly or not, is very difficult and time-consuming to remove completely; I'm pretty sure that this is the main reason that Vince "hates" E-bond. ;)
He hates Eternabond and said he has seen many rigs with problems because it was not installed correctly.
He hates Eternabond because it's so hard to remove if future repairs need to be made.
Larry
I spoke to Vince yesterday about a complete reseal on my 2004 MB 26.5. Mine was garage kept and roof is in great shape. He said a complete reseal was 4k....they work by the hour and replace all 14 inch openings with new fantastic fans, new covers for shower, escape hatch, fridge etc. He also said it will be Feb before I can get an appt because they are so busy. I an now considering doing the vents, covers,rack railings, antennas, solar and fantastic fans myself and just let them do the side covers. I have installed fans and covers before and a brunch of scraping and proper prep work doesn't scare me. I so much wanted them to do the work. I just can't stop my head from spinning on the 4k estimate and having to drive out in Feb when there is salt/snow on the roads...I need to call back and ask how much for the side rail caps.
Larry, we have one of those roof vent covers over our fantastic fan. I like the idea but have not bothered to place one over the other vents.
The simple vent that was put in when the swamp box was removed - no roof vent cover - got damaged by a freak hail storm, but it a fairly easy replace.
I also covered my escape hatch with Eternabond. Figured if Hail hits, it will survive. Plan on covering air cooler with Etherbond also. Retired..need something to do. Bought a large roll when I was in Vegas in June. Love the stuff!
Regards.
One owner's/member's view of roof resealing:
The subject of roof resealing has come up numerous times over the years. The advantages and disadvantages of using Eternabond in lieu of the current product that the factory uses, namely Locktite's Polyurethane PL Window Door & Siding, has been debated, ad nauseam. Many owners have made the decision to switch to Eternabond in spite of the fact that the factory, particularly, Vince "hates the stuff" and are perfectly happy with their decision. Some members claim to have been told that the factory will not work on a LD roof that has had Eternabond installed.
This may be a non-issue for the LD owner who lives far from the factory in California and likely will never return to the west coast for any repairs. I have owned two LD's over the years, my first was a 26.5 RB that I had the factory reseal the roof with their recommended polyurethane product. Of course, they did an excellent job. The cost was not cheap at that time, but it was less than what the factory now charges. As others have said, the factory now replaces all the fans, vents, and roof covers but that was not the case years ago. This undoubtedly, along with the increase in labor costs, accounts for the high price of a factory reseal of the roof. My second and current LD is a 2007 30 TB. I am fortunate to live within 25 miles of the factory and and took it to Vince for a quote at the end of last year. Vince explained his reasoning for wanting to replace all the fans, vents and covers and gave me his caution against using Eternabond. I had previously installed a new fantastic fan in the bedroom area (that site came with only a vent back in 2007) plus I had a new AC unit installed in 2011. I mentioned that to Vince but that did not disway him from still wanting to replace everything. He pointed out that it is mainly the labor intensive costs, not the materials that drive the cost. "It's not rocket science," Vince pointed out and added, "you can do it yourself or hire someone else to do it." I then spoke with Larry Wade, here on this forum, and inquired if he is still resealing roofs. He declined, saying that he gave that up years ago but he did confirm that it wasn't rocket science.
In conclusion, I made the decision to hire a local young man with a "young back" to reseal my roof using the factory sealant. From my perspective, this decision gave me the ability to use the the factory recommended sealant without limiting any future potential factory repairs. In short, I used cheaper labor than what the factory uses. I found a local young man that used to work for Giant RV and now owns his own Auto/RV Detailing business. The name of the business is Pinnacle Auto Care - Mobile RV Detailing. The owner's name is Victor Garcia. Victor serves the local San Gabriel Valley area. I really like him and he did a conscientious, thorough job. I had him use the factory sealant and also had him replace all the exterior roof vents and covers including the AC shroud, but not the fan motors themselves. The parts are easily ordered through Amazon. Other owners may choose to have someone with Eternbond experience install Eternabond, but the ease of removal of the polyurethane is another reason I chose to stay with the factory sealant. I highly recommend Pinnacle, but for others that reside far from the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, find someone with similar experience by asking around RV repair places or do an internet search in your area.
YMMV,
Gary
Gary, how long did it take Pinnacle to do your roof reseal?
"Some members claim to have been told that the factory will not work on a LD roof that has had Eternabond installed."
Guilty as charged! But the caveat is that regardless if the roof seams have Eternabond they WILL work on any other part, vents, A/C, etc. I just recently had that done. Vince removed and reinstalled my original MaxxAir fans (5) and even installed (a customer provided) one that needed replacement (although company policy calls for Fantastic as a replacement). All in all I was/am quite satisfied! ;)
He worked alone (he decided against having a helper) and it took about 3-4 days. He was waiting on some shipments of roof vents and AC shroud. Also, because of our unpredictable weather, rain interrupted the work, I paid extra to move my RV to indoor storage to let it fully cure.
Gary