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Old 04-22-2018, 07:01 AM   #1
tundrwd
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Roof leak - grrrrrr!

Went out this weekend to constant rain for nearly 18 hours (wasn’t supposed to be THAT much...)

Anyway, found the roof leaking last night in the front of my 2016 Bullet 274BHS. Got out this morning to find the source. Appears to be some silicone that cane off a screw head in the trim that covers the gap where the front cap meets the roof. Still too wet to do anything with, and I need to get some Dicor this week.

Anyone know if the roof is EPDM or TPO? I can take a vent off inside to see what the material is, but if it’s definitely EPDM, then I know what to get at the dealer.

I’m also thinking of removing all the silicone (kinda cool here thus weekend, so it might just be real stiff caulk, but it was clear - now browned with sun and dirt) and going over it all with appropriate caulk.
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Old 04-22-2018, 11:19 AM   #2
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Shouldn’t be silicone on the roof. Should be Dicor of some sort. Hope you get it resolved quickly.
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Old 04-22-2018, 02:52 PM   #3
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I believe Dicor works with either TPO or EPDM. I bet your roof is TPO. While you're at it, go ahead and lay some Enterna Bond tape over the seam, then use the Dicor lap sealant along the tape edges...you'll never have another leak at that seam.
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Old 04-22-2018, 03:04 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by BigTexRex View Post
I believe Dicor works with either TPO or EPDM. I bet your roof is TPO. While you're at it, go ahead and lay some Enterna Bond tape over the seam, then use the Dicor lap sealant along the tape edges...you'll never have another leak at that seam.

Only issue with Eternabond tape, there is no going back. If it should leak, and I’ve seen Eternabond start to curl, your looking at complete membrane replacement. I would caution against using it at this point. Proper prep and placement of Dicor lap sealant will work fine.
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Old 04-22-2018, 03:53 PM   #5
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I have the exact same trailer a I just got it home today from storage I went up on the roof and found that they put very little sealant on that same roof strip. I could see the air pockets ready to pop on each of the screw heads,with a little more heat then I would of ended up with a leek. I popped all the air bubbles cleaned the old lap sealant and applied a new bead of self leveling lap sealant on the whole trim peace,also look at the rest of the vents on the roof there will be more air bubbles to seal up also.
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Old 04-23-2018, 03:58 AM   #6
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I have the exact same trailer a I just got it home today from storage I went up on the roof and found that they put very little sealant on that same roof strip. I could see the air pockets ready to pop on each of the screw heads,with a little more heat then I would of ended up with a leek. I popped all the air bubbles cleaned the old lap sealant and applied a new bead of self leveling lap sealant on the whole trim peace,also look at the rest of the vents on the roof there will be more air bubbles to seal up also.
Yeah. Mine looks really hurriedly applied, and "globby" at each screw head. And they appear easy to pop off. I'll probably do the same.

There's also a strip at the back, which I'll have to check out. Won't be able to do until this weekend. Hopefully warm up a bit better then.
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Old 04-23-2018, 04:00 AM   #7
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Shouldn’t be silicone on the roof. Should be Dicor of some sort. Hope you get it resolved quickly.
Well - it was still cold, but it does NOT appear to be Dicor. I've used Dicor before, and it remains pretty sticky. This stuff wasn't sticky, but felt more like silicone on touching it, and seemed "brittle" - not like Dicor. Seemed like it would be easy to pop off the trim strip and screw heads.
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Old 04-23-2018, 08:37 AM   #8
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Not sure what they used but silicone stays flexible. At this point I’d clean off what you can and reseal it all.
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:27 AM   #9
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Not sure what they used but silicone stays flexible. At this point I’d clean off what you can and reseal it all.
To a point. Still flexible - yes, but limited. This stuff was applied thick. And sun/temp really impacts it. Silicone doesn’t last around where I live more than a couple years, then it just starts failing to hold, gaps badly, breaks off, etc.
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Old 04-23-2018, 12:22 PM   #10
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Eternabond tape &/or Dicor, NO SILICONE!
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Old 04-23-2018, 01:27 PM   #11
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Eternabond tape &/or Dicor, NO SILICONE!
Yeah - I'm aware of no silicone. This stuff was from the factory - or whatever was there was removed and the dealer put some stuff on.

What's weird is this is the "typical" strip I've seen used lots of times to put screws into (and help hold things down) - but unlike what I've seen before, no "hide the screws" strip that snaps in on it.

I'll try to get some pics in the next day or so and post so the "collective" can render an opinion...
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Old 04-23-2018, 04:38 PM   #12
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According to the Keystone brochures the 2016 Bullets have a one piece TPO roof. The TPO roofs are made by Alpha Systems. That said, Dicor is not the best product for a TPO roof. If you have the TPO, you will want to get the Alpha Systems 1010 Non Sag sealant. It can be had on Amazon for the same price as the Dicor-- except the Dicor specifically says "For EPDM and SOME TPO roofs". Why put something that may or may not seal properly (Dicor) when for the same price you can get the roof manufacturer's product? Get the Alpha systems sealant and seal it up. I have the TPO roof so I am speaking from experience. Just my 2 cents.
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Old 04-23-2018, 05:22 PM   #13
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Common for end caps to use screw rail and not use screw cover. Some manufacturers will cover the whole thing with Dicor, others just the screw heads and edge of rails.
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Old 04-24-2018, 08:35 AM   #14
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Common for end caps to use screw rail and not use screw cover. Some manufacturers will cover the whole thing with Dicor, others just the screw heads and edge of rails.
Thanks.

This whole incident has brought something up I've thought about a few times. Does anyone else have an "emergency" tarp and some rope to tie it down for instances like this?

I'd always thought I'd go to the local Wally World to get a tarp and some poly rope, but with my luck - things usually seem to happy in a place where that doesn't work so well. You know, "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all"...
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Old 04-24-2018, 08:51 AM   #15
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I inspected my roof shortly after I brought our Passport home. Found silicone in right front roof gutter end. I was able to cut a channel out to allow water to drain properly. So, I know someone at the factory used silicone to cover the screw holding the roof gutter end. BTW, the roof looked great every where else. No leaks so far. Although I probably just jinxed myself.
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Old 05-04-2018, 08:39 AM   #16
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Sorry for the delayed reply. Very busy, and limited time to deal with the trailer.

Silicone was used same place MarcS mentioned - at the front of the gutter spout (every one), and even behind the horizontal gutter railing for about 1-2".

The silicone blocked most of the water flow from the gutter spout. So I cut it off, removed most of the "excess", and put Dicor over it all. I KNOW it won't stick for very long (week or two maybe). I only had an hour or two - did the best I could. It'll take hours I'm sure to really clean it up so something else will stick.

Anyway - gutters are now clear, slopped Dicor around a few other areas on the corner that might be suspect. Short but INTENSE rain a couple nights ago. No leaks. Have to keep checking since it might depend on the levelness of the trailer, etc.

But for now - resolved...
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