Hate to say it but I think I need to treat the roof, is watertight right now but have numerous spider cracks that I fear will become leaks eventually. I believe the hot California sun took its toll over the years. Hate to cover the original fiberglass but I think its time.
What products have the forum members used?
Thinking out of the box a little, the boat in the slip next to our sailboat is one of those inflatable rib rescue boats he put a protective paint on his that was made for uv protection and had great elasticity. Have the name written down but not handy at the moment (Dura something or other) I was thinking of calling the company and seeing if anyone had ever used their product on rv roofs.
May actually be better than rv specific coverings, but would like to know what others have used and are happy with. Also would appreciate a heads up on what has been used and wished they had not.
Thanks windwalker
Both the factory (FOT) and Xtreme Paint & Graphics (in Nac) can refinish (paint) your roof. Their service has been highly recommended by Forum members, but it is not inexpensive. You might give both of them a call and see what the going price is for their roof treatment.
Foretravel Motorcoach - Paint and Body Repair (http://www.foretravel.com/page.php?id=29)
Xtreme Paint & Graphics (http://www.xtremegraphics.net)
If you wish to investigate owner-applied roof coatings, then perhaps some other members will chime in with suggestions. Here is one thread:
Roof Coating (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=33397.0)
There are multiple threads about roof repairs in this forum. A search would definitely reveal lots of information. Especially my experience with extensive roof repairs.
I'm just finishing up painting our roof. Depending on the amount of Dicor applied through the years, it's either a nasty or really nasty job to get ALL of it off the roof, the vents, the aluminum rails, air horn mounts, etc, etc.
I finally found something I hate more than automatic transmissions and Dicor is it. It hardens to almost Bondo consistency and then cracks letting water down to the roof surface. Shops then paint more on followed by cracks in several years, followed by more applications. The shop that did ours the last time was really sloppy so it's on the screw heads, the top surface of the vents, rail mounts, etc, etc.
The only way I found to get it off is with a HF heat gun in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. I heated it until I was just starting to smoke and then followed with the knife. To get access to the vent mounting screws took a couple of part time days. Cold weather is bad but working on the roof in the sun is even worse. I used a 45 degree air tool from HF and fiber disks to then remove the remainder from the roof once the AC, vents, air horns were off. Wear long sleeves and a mask to do it.
I then chose Pettit's EZ-Poxy polyurethane paint (Pettit | EZ-Poxy / Easypoxy (http://www.pettitpaint.com/products/topside-paint-finishes/single-part-polyurethane/ez-poxy-easypoxy/)) made for Fiberglas top surfaces along with the addition of a performance enhancer. The paint code was 3175 White. It matches pretty well but I may try 3184 Mediterranean White on the rest of the coach. The paint is about $97/gallon and one was enough for two coats on the roof. The "performance enhancer" is 3021 and costs about $25 for the 8 oz. amount needed for a gallon. The enhancer is a Isocyanate catalyst much like the Emron so you should have full body protection and the mask specified for this product if you spray it. There are two different thinners, one for spraying and one for brushing. https://www.defender.com/pdf/756718.pdf
I used a DA with 150 grit to sand the roof and then used the technique called "roll and tip" where one person rolls the paint on ahead of the other person with a brush. With the performance enhancer added, I didn't need any thinner. Unlike Emron or other automotive paints, the EZ-Poxy takes at least 3-4 hours to be tack free and continue to self level for a week. Once dry, it's really hard, much harder than the OEM gelcoat but remains flexible.
After a few days cleaning the vents, etc and then painting (spray), I installed them using strips of butyl tape and sealing each screw hole with a 3M product. I ordered stainless screws with a stainless washer underneath and oval head stainless screws for one of the vents and the aluminum strips joining the front and rear caps to the main body. I like the look of the stainless so will keep them shiny.
I have another couple of days to go before it's all done. It is self leveling and looks great.
Pierce
Pierce,
Did you add any kind of "grit" agent to the paint to make it less slippery to walk on?
Chuck, great question! I considered both ways but finally went with just the paint as I was afraid the grit additive might make it collect a film of dirt and make it harder to wash. I sure would not want to slip and fall off either. So far, while wearing typical athletic shoes, it's not slippery at all and seems more secure than the OEM gelcoat. With four solar panels up there along with the ACs, vents, etc, there is not much room to walk plus lots of area under the panels for dirt to collect. If it were a boat where I walked on it all the time, I would sure have added the "grit."
On all the screws, I went to the next larger size. Stainless screws and washers are very inexpensive on ebay and I always get two or three day service from the suppliers. Here is an example where 250 stainless screws are only $15 delivered. Sheet Metal Screws Oval Head Phillips Drive #10 x 1" Stainless Steel Qty 250... (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sheet-Metal-Screws-Oval-Head-Phillips-Drive-10-x-1-Stainless-Steel-Qty-250/282187850304?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649)
Pierce
I have heard of folks doing a Rhino lining on RV roofs. They do have a white/silver reflective one specifically designed for RV roofs. That stuff is pretty tough, stays flexible, And is non-slip.
Pierce, why did you not use the Robertson head screws as they are much easier to apply and remove. Those Philips heads are totally gone from my screw supplies and cannot for the life of me see why people still use them. Even FT used the good ones way back for a lot of locations.
JohnH
I used Robertson head screws on my deck last year. I like them but I hate looking for the square driver where I always keep a Philips head in my 12V cordless drill. I never have a problem removing them and Foretravel used a lot of Philips up top mixed with hex heads. For really tough stuff, a Philips bit installed on a hand held impact driver and a single jack is tough to beat.
Since I'm always working on aircraft, we keep a couple of guns with #2 Philips bits installed at the hanger. Frequently use #1 bits also with a few #3s thrown in. Not many Robertson fasteners on aircraft.
If you are set up for a deck installation, the Robertsons are the way to go and I agree that they would be my choice for a lot of wood work. It's just too easy to have Philips screwdrivers/cordless drills close by and since most cars have Philips OEM, it's an easy choice for me.
Painted or Dicor over Robertsons are tough to get down to the bottom to get all the paint out where Philips are easier to get a Exacto blade down and pry the paint/Dicor out once you have heated the screw head. This is what I had to do on a lot of the OEM Foretravel roof screws. Almost an impossible job with Dicor filling the Robertson recess.
Pierce
Auto are posidrive.
Pz1 etc
Hope to see some before and after pictures Pierce.