Roof caulking

[Eastham]

Picked up new cougar 2016. in May 2017 about how long would you expect the caulking to last on roof before a crack shows up .Dealer inspected roof today has a 6 in crack in caulking not covered under warranty just curious is this roof caulking that fragile you have to stay on top of it every few months?Thanks for you input.

[Shotgun]

Redo all of it. Their crap from the word go. Designed to leak right after the warranty ends from my experience.

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[JRTJH]

I've seen warranty refusals reported on this forum on trailers that were 3-4 months old because Keystone stated the owner failed to inspect and maintain the roof sealant.

That said, roof sealant leaks... PERIOD.... and it's up to the owner to maintain it. After delivery, it becomes a "maintenance responsibility" and is no longer a "warranty item"..... Read your warranty very carefully and you'll find as the first "what's not covered": Routine maintenance including, without limitation, caulking, re-caulking and waxing of the body of the RV,

I'm not trying to take sides with or against Keystone or the owner, but from past experiences shared on this forum, Keystone won't cover any roof sealant problems after delivery. It becomes an "owner responsibility" to maintain the roof. That's not to say they won't cover obvious problems, but taking it back 5 or 6 months later with water damage from a leaking seam on the roof???? Look for an uphill battle with something like that......

[SteveC7010]

Picked up new cougar 2016. in May 2017 about how long would you expect the caulking to last on roof before a crack shows up .Dealer inspected roof today has a 6 in crack in caulking not covered under warranty just curious is this roof caulking that fragile you have to stay on top of it every few months?Thanks for you input.
There are too many variables to accurately predict roof caulk life expectancy. The manufacturer will tell you that under ideal conditions, the caulk should last x years, but none of us use our rigs under ideal conditions.

I would point out that a large crack in the self-leveling crack in a relatively short time frame might indicate an underlying problem. The stuff remains pretty flexible after it dries so an early crack might suggest some abnormal flexing or movement underneath. Those of us who are familiar with this stuff and rubber roofs in general would not hesitate to strip off the caulk and see what's what underneath. It might just be an inadequate application of the stuff.

To directly answer your question, I don't think the caulk is generally that fragile. But I do think it is one item that needs regular monitoring by the owner. Mine gets inspected in the fall as part of winterizing, and again in the spring. If we get a good thaw during the winter and the snow is completely melted off the roof, I will usually take a peek then, too.

FWIW, dealers could earn some major brownie points with new owners by taking the time to explain all this during the PDI and give them a tube of caulk. But as we repeatedly see here in the forum, the quality of PDI's is almost always suspect.

[Steve S]

2010 Cougar, this is the first time that I've ever had to add Decor to the seams. In the pic you'll see the spider crack and that's the only one on the entire roof. I added extra around the antenna as a precaution. There's a finger print in the pic but I think that's from climbing up and down on the roof. :whistling:
As for caulking going to hell in a hand basket after the first 6 months to a year, don't believe everything that you read. If you maintain your trailer properly and stay on top of things you'll have years of trouble free camping as I have had.
I just spent another 7 trouble free weeks in Alaska and if I didn't keep my TT in top shape I'm sure that I would've had a leak with the rain up there and been posting about it here.:facepalm::popcorn:

[mfifield01]

I check the seals on the roof every 6 months (max). Purchased brand new and I didn't find much after the first 6 months. The next check I needed to touch up a couple of areas, but nothing big.

[Scorn]

I check the seals on the roof every 6 months (max). Purchased brand new and I didn't find much after the first 6 months. The next check I needed to touch up a couple of areas, but nothing big.

What kind do you recommend for a 2018 Cougar Halt Ton just purchased a couple of months ago?

[mfifield01]

What kind do you recommend for a 2018 Cougar Halt Ton just purchased a couple of months ago?
I would check it every 6 months. I believe that UV may contribute more to cracking than anything else. My reason is that the first 6 months were in the winter and second 6 months were in the summer. Touch ups weren't really needed until after a year.

[JRTJH]

Picked up new cougar 2016. in May 2017 about how long would you expect the caulking to last on roof before a crack shows up .Dealer inspected roof today has a 6 in crack in caulking not covered under warranty just curious is this roof caulking that fragile you have to stay on top of it every few months?Thanks for you input.

Looking at the time line for your trailer, 2016 models were delivered to dealership lots from about May 2015-April 2016 and 2017 models were delivered to lots from about May 2016 to April 2017 and 2018 models started showing up about May 2017 through current. 2019 models will start appearing in about 5 or 6 months (May 2018).

Why is this important? You say you bought your trailer in May 2017, it's a 2016 model and the last of them were delivered to dealerships in April/May 2016. That means that when you bought your trailer, it was already sitting "in the weather" for about a year. So even though you bought it and it was "new" at purchase, in reality, the roof and sealant had already been exposed to the weather for at least a year, and, possibly, if it was manufactured in mid 2015, it had even longer exposure to the elements. It's possible that your trailer had been sitting on the dealer's lot for almost 2 years before delivery to you (based only on model year).

We tend to consider the "start date" for our trailer to be the day we purchase it, but actually, the start date for exposure and the beginning date for "deterioration" is the day it rolled off the assembly line and out into the weather. So, the "common thinking" that your trailer shouldn't be leaking because it's only 5 months old (bought in May 2017), the sealant and the exterior of the trailer are, in reality, well over a year old. That's no excuse for a leak developing, but rather a comment about how "old" the sealant and the roof membrane really are......

[CrazyCain]

I bought mine the same month it was built Oct 2016, (26 days) . 1st 6 months it sat outside in the cold and snow, checked the roof at least 3 times during that stretch. May to again Oct, in the storage lot. Used it almost every other weekend and checked roof once a month, washed it and TT 4 times. wax also. One touch up with Lap Sealant on a screw at the Sun roof (?) and the four corners that had crappy sealer applied right off the bat. Looks great as it starts it's second winter Up North

:popcorn::dance:

[SteveC7010]

What kind do you recommend for a 2018 Cougar Halt Ton just purchased a couple of months ago?
By "kind" I am guessing you want to know what kind of caulk to use, right?

Almost all of the RV's currently being produced have a "rubber" roof which is actually a material called EPDM. There are some other similar products out there, so it's worth checking your build sheet to verify what actual roofing material was used on your unit. If it is not Dicor or EPDM, there should be some product information in the pack of material that came with the trailer. That would include maintenance information and product recommendations.

If your roof is EPDM, then the usual Dicor caulks are appropriate. Self-leveling for the horizontal surfaces and regular for the vertical seams. There are dozens of previous threads on this that are well worth the reading.