Montana's rubber roof

[Trailer Trash 2]

Ok, I would like to wash my rubber roof with a solution that is recomended for it, C World sold be a BS story on my last trailer roof, it started to peel the stuff I put on after a year. followed the directions to the letter scrubed, rinced, and then the nutraliser then the stuff that looked like paint, but it was junk. dont want to do that with this trailer. anybody got any names of some good stuff.

TT2

[NJ Hillbilly]

I plan to use Protect-All rubber roof cleaner then the sealer. It does help eliminate some of the black streaks and cuts down on the chalkiness of the roof's surface.

Disclaimer: I have not done this yet to the Montana (I have all the stuff just not the time) but used it in the past with good luck.

Anyone else used this on their Montana yet?

John

[sreigle]

I just use Dawn dishwashing liquid in a bucket of water. Doesn't get it sparkling white but does get it clean.

[CountryGuy]

Ditto Steve and Trailer Trash 2,

We have done ours a couple of times, Dawn dishwashing liquid in cold water (too hard to get hot water to the roof, UGH).

By the way, for those of you interested in black streaks, Montana now has new drip edge thingys. You know the part that comes OUT from the trailer at each end. It is longer than the one that came on our unit, manufactured in late May 2003. They told us it took them 4 months to find someone to manufacturer this little jewel for them. We have them on, are in the process of cleaning the unit, will be interested to see if we still get black streaks.

Also will be using the clothes pin trick, and Steve, we found them today at ACO a nice bag of plastic clothes pins, quite a few white ones in the pack, and they are rather substantial. Have seen much smaller weaker flimsy clothes pins in plastic, these look pretty good!! Thought of you when we found them, Al said, be sure to post that to the forum. So, I have.

[sreigle]

Thanks, Carol. I think there's an Alco around here somewhere so will check that out. We don't use many, have only lost two in about 10,000 miles and that was my fault. I dislodged them during cleaning and didn't properly reseat them. STill, it would be nice to have some spares in white.

On the Dawn liquid for roof washing, if I recall the Dicor manual that came with our Montana suggests Dawn dishwashing liquid as an example. Might not be right but that thought is stuck in my head.

Just did a quick search on the Dicor site. Interesting info here. The first following is a quote from their FAQ page. The second is a link to their roof maintenance page. Looks like they now sell their own 'recommended' roof care products. So, if you want what's recommended, here you go:

----from the faq----
EPDM rubber roofing membrane is made to last 20 years or longer and has a 10 to 12 year guarantee depending on the brand. The guarantee does not require the use of any protective 'roof treatment' or 'roof protector' product and recommends only cleaning. Unlike natural rubber (latex) or blends (tires & wiper blades), EPDM does not require periodic applications of any product to protect it from ultra-violet light or ozone.

The statement or implication that you should purchase and apply a product to "protect" your rubber roof the elements is misinformation. Buying and using such a product can be a mistake and may even damage the EPDM membrane.

---end of faq quote---

link:
http://www.dicor.com/roofmaintenance.html

[Montana_654]

CountryGuy: What's the cloths pin trick?

[D and M On The Road]

We were just going over this at home a couple of days ago as we are gearing up to wash our Montana. It's such a daunting task and we know that to do it right takes the whole day. We researched what Keystone had to say about the roof and below is a "cut & paste" from their website. Sounds the same as to what SReigle found at the Dicor site. So Dawn dishwashing liquid is what we'll use also. Thanks SReigle... we didn't think to look up Dicor and read their recommendation. It makes us feel better knowing that we shouldn't be using some fancy high-priced cleaner up there.

Q - Can I walk on my rubber roof?
A - Yes, with a few exceptions as noted (Springdale, Cabana, and Outback). Our roofs utilize 3/8” plywood underlayment and are designed to be walked on. Please, always use caution when working on top of any RV.

Q - I noticed some air bubbles in my rubber roof, will they cause any problem?
A - Not at all! During the manufacturing process, the glue used to secure the rubber to the plywood underlayment goes through a “curing” process. In some instances, the glue continues to “cure” after the rubber is in place and the gas causes an air pocket. Typically, they will never get any larger and do not pose any threat for leakage or structural problems. If your unit has one that is making you uncomfortable, have your dealer check it for your piece of mind.

Q - What should I use to coat my rubber roof?
A - Nothing! The only maintenance to the rubber roof itself is washing it a few times a year. Most standard household detergents are appropriate (avoid petroleum based solvents, harsh abrasives or citrus based products) to clean with warm water. Keep debris cleared to help avoid stains. Note: While the rubber itself is relatively maintenance free, any sealed openings in the roof do require periodic inspections & resealing. Please review the Owners Manual for more information on the Care & Maintenance of your RV.

[CountryGuy]

quote:Originally posted by jerry525

CountryGuy: What's the cloths pin trick?

jerry525,

Trick we learned here on the forum (I think it was here, Al reads several forums, I read just one, can you guess which one??)

Put a clothes pin on the end of the little drip thingy that sticks out at all four corners, at the top, that channels the water supposedly out and away from the trailer. Most of us found that the old version of this drip channel thingy was not long enough and we were still getting a lot of run off right down the side of the trailer, giving us lots of nasty black streaks. The clothes pin puts the drip of water out another 3 inches (or length of your individual clothes pin).

And, they don't seem to blow off going down the road, we have yet to lose one, Steve Reigle says he lost only when he had been cleaning trailer and knocked one out of wack (do I have that right Steve?)

Now, Keystone has redesigned those little drip channels, making them longer, we got some and they are installed. We cleaned Miss Montana this week and Al went up to put those new plastic clothes pins on and says he is not sure they will fit any more, due to the different configuration. I gave him some old wooden ones to try, as they are smaller. Have not tried those yet.

OK, since I was having trouble remembering what the "real" name for these things were, I asked Al, he tells me they are "Rain Gutter Extensions"

Now, are you all confused with me??

Carol

[NJ Hillbilly]

Carol, I have the new and improved ends on my gutters and they only stick out about 1". I still get streaks even with clothespins. But they do help.

John

[Montana_1683]

When we picked up our 3295, during the walk-through, we were told just to wash the roof at least once a year using Dawn dishwashing liquid. The dealer rep said that this works as good as anything else on the market and does contain any petroleum distilates that can harm the rubber roof.

Gary