Roof Treatments?

[Maineiacs]

Brought the trailer in for a roof inspection and some other minor work. Shop was trying to sell a roof washing service and treatment with some miracle sealer. Fairly pricey and something I never heard of before. Any one familiar with any reputable roof treatments? Do you personally have your roof washed?


Thanks for any input.

[purebred]

I personally don't like people on top of my fifth wheel walking around when not needed. I've seen quite a few people having their roofs washed with high pressure washers. A big mistake as far as i'm concerned. My last trailer which was a holiday rambler didn't have too many roof inspections with me or anyone else up there walking on it. Think i will do the same with our new keystone.

[wiredgeorge]

I recommend you inspect the roof yourself unless there are physical reasons not to. Your TPO roof should be consistently white as signs of black on the roof indicate the pigment is wearing through and yours being a 2018 shouldn't have that happening. Next go around all penetrations and the front and rear cap seals as well as the area that wraps around the edges of your roof. Look for cracks/voids in the existing sealant especially over screw heads. Have some Dicor self-leveling sealant ready and wipe clean the old sealant and just apply new sealant over the old where there are cracks or voids. You may want to buy a tube of NON self leveling if there are cracks or voids on the sides or front cap seam as self leveling can and will run in high heat. It is good that it runs on your flat part of the roof to get in any space not sealed. It should take no more than an hour or so.


Do not let them sell you any special miracle roof treatment as I believe the manufacturer recommends against this stuff. You received a pamphlet from the roof manufacturer when you bought the trailer and read what THEY recommend and not a business trying to sell you a miracle. This is like the car dealer selling you fabric protector/sealer when you buy a new car. It is a way to put their hand in your pocket.

[Maineiacs]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

You received a pamphlet from the roof manufacturer when you bought the trailer and read what THEY recommend and not a business trying to sell you a miracle. This is like the car dealer selling you fabric protector/sealer when you buy a new car. It is a way to put their hand in your pocket.

The "car dealership" was the exact mental comparison I was making! I asked for advice because we bought the coach as "used", even though it had never been touched as far as we can tell, and we have no Keystone manuals of any type. We've downloaded lots of owners manuals from the web but found nothing specific on roof maint. The roof inspection is just to ease my mind cause I'm too old and too large to go climbing around roofs any more.


Thanks for the advice! Safe travels.

[nied]

Took a look at the manual for our 2016 248. Mentions only periodic washing and no additional treatment required for either of the two TPO types installed. I wash mine from a ladder twice a year plus add a UV coating. Both products from DICOR and from CW.

[wiredgeorge]

The manuals you get from Keystone cover most all models sold that year so are a bit on the general side but the ones for appliances and roofs, etc., come from the manufacturer and I am sure some of the smart folks can tell you who made that TPO roof and where you might find a manual specific to it.

[JRTJH]

Almost all Keystone RV's are produced with Alpha Systems TPO membrane.

Alpha Systems has a extremely thorough "care guide" available online at: https://www.alphallc.us/product-care/

Each section is available to download or to read online/save to your computer.

There is "lots of good information" for anyone with a TPO roof, regardless of brand.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I recommend you inspect the roof yourself unless there are physical reasons not to. Your TPO roof should be consistently white as signs of black on the roof indicate the pigment is wearing through and yours being a 2018 shouldn't have that happening.

George - TPO is white all the way through the membrane. You're thinking of EPDM that has the black under the white.

[Maineiacs]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Almost all Keystone RV's are produced with Alpha Systems TPO membrane.

Alpha Systems has a extremely thorough "care guide" available online at: https://www.alphallc.us/product-care/

Each section is available to download or to read online/save to your computer.

There is "lots of good information" for anyone with a TPO roof, regardless of brand.

Thanks John! That's exactly what I need.

[Maineiacs]

"The Alpha roof membrane is quite inert and will resist weathering well; nor does it require the periodic application of products to protect it from ultra-violet light or ozone. In fact, these products can often cause damage to the roof membrane."


Direct from the Alpha Systems care manual!

[Javi]

Originally Posted by Maineiacs

"The Alpha roof membrane is quite inert and will resist weathering well; nor does it require the periodic application of products to protect it from ultra-violet light or ozone. In fact, these products can often cause damage to the roof membrane."


Direct from the Alpha Systems care manual!

I can tell you that my last trailer a 2015 Cougar never had anything done to the roof for the nearly 6 years I owned it. Twice a year I had my RV repair guy inspect it and not once in those 6 years did it even need Dicor on a seam, not a single seam...

It was kept under a roof except when camping or traveling to camping but we did spend 178 nights camping in weather from 8 degrees F to 110 degrees F, thunderstorms and once quarter sized hail, during those nearly 6 years... I just hope the new one holds up 1/2 as well...