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Old 06-14-2018, 04:52 PM   #1
jgmbosnia1
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HELP! EDPM Coating for gray roof...

My 2011 Montana High Country 333DB is in desperate need of a fresh coating of liquid rubber....EDPM coating. Dicor only has tan or white to choose from. I looked everywhere online and I have only found one manufacturer that sells gray coating. Have any of you used this? How did it turn out and how long have you had it on? Do any of you have a better product to recommend? Here is the one that I found: https://store.meridianliquidcoatings...f9981-386.html

The first 5 years of this RV's life were pretty abusive. The people that owned it during that time left it sitting on their ranch, in the hot sun, without doing any real maintenance or deep cleaning. Now I'm the one that has to pay for it.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 06-14-2018, 07:57 PM   #2
Elevguy
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I used a product called Gaco elastromeric roof coatings highly recommend https://gaco.com/product-details/gacoelastomeric/
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Old 06-14-2018, 08:59 PM   #3
dieselguy
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I'd guess the roof was white to start with. A good soft bristled brush, actual rubber roof cleaner sprayed on then let soak, and mass quantities of elbow grease might bring it back to life. As you've shown … power washing won't get it clean and may lead to a roof leak forcing water along the seams. I can't answer the pros and cons of coating the roof, but consider the color choice. White will always reflect more heat than greys or tans.
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Old 06-14-2018, 09:27 PM   #4
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You should never use a pusher washer on you 5er or TT you mite more problems for your self do like dieselguy said that is the best way to clean any rubber roof! Looks like it was white before I don't recall any Montana's with gray roofs.
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Old 06-14-2018, 10:01 PM   #5
jgmbosnia1
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Thanks for the reply guys. I hear ya about the pressure washer. I was really carful cleaning the roof today. The 333db has a one piece epdm roof....so the seams are just on the sides and around the vents and AC units. I did use cleaner made for my roof....when that didn't work I had to bust out the big guns....Ajax. I ended up getting about 75-80 percent of the black stuff off. The roof is actually a dove gray....sort of like the sides of the RV. I assume that my Montana isn't the only one with a gray roof because Dicor makes a gray self leveling lap sealant. If all else fails I guess I could just call Montana's customer service.

I'm just trying to get this trailer in shape. It needs everything exterior wise. I spend a week every Spring just trying to put a shine on the gelcoat. All of the decals need to be remover too. Then there is all of the rubber rub rails (I guess that's what they are called). The sun did a major job on everything. It's sort of funny though. The previous owners didn't take care of the exterior....but the interior still had all of the factory plastic on the carpet. Everything inside was like new. They said they only used it 5 times before they sold it to me.

I guess I'll just call the manufacturer and wait for more replies on here. Thanks again!
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Old 06-14-2018, 10:23 PM   #6
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BTW.... I am attaching a photo of the folded in portion of my roof. It was taken after taking off the interior piece of my bathroom vent. The roof is definitly a dove gray color. The white TP in the pic is for color comparison.
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Old 06-15-2018, 05:44 AM   #7
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On a previous rv I used a product called Liquid RV Roof. Expensive at about 70 dollars a gallon and it takes several gallons. It is a pretty good product but biggest problem I had was it attracts bugs like crazy.
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Old 06-15-2018, 08:36 AM   #8
richfaa
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We have our roof inspected every year by our dealer and caulk or repair as needed.We have it washed every year at our Florida site. We can not do these things on our own anymore.My concern is that there is no damage and good caulking. We are not concerned how white or gray the roof is. However the picture by the OP is a disaster.
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:42 PM   #9
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This is the roof after several hours of scrubbing. The darker spots are stained. There is no way of scrubbing them out. I understand that the integrity of the roof is what is really important. On the other hand....this was originally a $55k trailer. I would like it to continue looking that way. Thanks to everyone for the coating recommendations. Unfortunately, all of those manufactures don't carry or produce a light gray coating.
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:51 PM   #10
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Oh....And here she is on one of her cleaner days...
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:54 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jgmbosnia1 View Post
Oh....And here she is on one of her cleaner days...
From here the roof looks good!!!
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Old 06-15-2018, 03:01 PM   #12
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They roof on my camper looks like that. It doesn’t hurt a thing. I can’t see it from the ground. I think I would do more harm getting it off than leaving it alone so I think I enjoy afternoon.
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Old 06-15-2018, 03:16 PM   #13
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Unless your caulking is dried out, cracked and/or leaking, the scrubbing you did looks "good enough". Think about it, lots of commercial buildings have "rubber roofs". I have yet to see anyone getting up on them with buckets, soaps, scrub brushes, cleaners and sealers - besides, these monty's are so tall no one can see the roof anyhow. Like the old saying goes - if it ain't broke don't fix it! Who gives a rat's @#$# if its an ugly roof - as long as it doesn't leak its fine.
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:42 PM   #14
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jgmbosnia1! That looks a hole lot better than the first picks you posted if it were mine I would just make sure all the caulking is in good shape around the vents and the TV antenna. Be sure to check the caulking around the windows lights and all the other things like that on the outside.The Only ones who are going to see the spots on the roof are the bird!
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Old 06-17-2018, 11:36 AM   #15
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I have cleaned up the roofs on all 3 of the campers I have owned to attach eturna bond tape to all the seams. I used lacquer thinner, which cleaned it up very well. You can also use acetone. Never tried doing a whole roof though.

IMHO get it as clean as you can and leave it. If and when I clean mine, I use simple green in a bucket and a scrub brush being very careful not to let in drip into of over the gutters. Reason being that almost any kind of cleaner will remove the wax from the side walls. Then you have to rewax the entire trailer.
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Old 06-20-2018, 02:43 PM   #16
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An EDPM roof is actually a black rubber membrane with a white ablative coating. The white coating is there to protect the black rubber from sunlight (UV especially), weather and whatever happens to drop from the sky (birds, tree sap, etc.) What you're seeing is the actual roof and you've scrubbed off most of the ablative coating.
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:05 PM   #17
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Hi jgmbosnia1
I use a roof cleaner/treatment by "Protect All"...aptly named "Rubber Roof Cleaner", doesn't require rinsing off, although I do, I use it on my toppers, my awning, & slide seals...I have no complaints & have been using it for at least 6 years. I use a sponge with the fine scotch pad backing for stubborn spots, & a bucket of rinse water, so I apply an area small enough to work before it dries, then I soak a microfiber cloth in the water then wipe the dirt/cleaner off. For what it's worth on the white plastic used on the RV exterior that yellow quickly, I buy a liter spray bottle of "Totally Awesome" from the dollar store for a $1.59, spray a small amount on a rag, & wipe the yellow off...looks like new again for another year. On your shower skylight plastic, I use plastic headlight polish , splatter a couple of drops on it, then set my Makita buffer to #4 & in 30 seconds it is clear again. I use Auto Glym resin polish from Great Britain on the gelcoat, I have found that even on fiberglass boats, in my opinion, it works better than the fiberglass polishes that are made specific. Again I use my Makita set at #4, I use a foam pad or lambs wool, but as I buff I spray water on the surface to keep it cool. Always keep your buffer away from the decal edges as you will force wax under the edges & eventually the decals will begin to lift. I use the buffer on the large areas & do the areas near the decals by hand, the Glym is very easy to work with. Please understand that we all have favorite products, I am merely offering these up as they have worked for me for 20 plus years.

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Old 06-21-2018, 05:27 AM   #18
margerush
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WalBennett, my EPDM roof has many black spots. Thank you for explaining the roof is black & is coated in white. Fulltilt, thank you for your cleaning tips. What do you use to re-caulk your roof & do you caulk over old caulk?
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Old 06-21-2018, 07:09 AM   #19
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Hi Margerush
I use Dicor Self-Leveling sealant, I have seen it in white & gray. Your RV dealer will have it or an equivalent product. Typically, from my experience, I haven't had a situation where I have needed to clean the old off, I believe each situation may vary & your common sense will prevail. Make sure the surface hasn't any loose dirt etc., nor any "wet" residual cleaning chemicals still on the surface. For sealing around "aluminum framed" windows or transition moldings I use "marine 100% silicone", pay the extra money for trustworthy brand...PLEASE DO... remove the old silicone before applying the new. In reference to my comment about quality silicone, I have experienced 2 things over the years, "poor quality" silicone contains a "salt or chemical" that reacts to the aluminum & corrodes, & some silicone do not "skin over" well & airborne dirt penetrates the surface adding to your continual detailing chore !

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Old 06-21-2018, 07:32 AM   #20
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Common home type silicone is acid dry. When put on aluminum or steel it corrodes it. Automotive type doesn’t have acid in it and will not corrode steel or aluminum. I’ve put household silicone on steel and aluminum it WILL corrode it. It isn’t pretty on aluminum.
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