Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshall
Does anybody out there have any experience with white roof coatings. Does it actually do what is claimed, keep the trailer any cooler?
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White roof coatings offer considerable interior cooling.
The ideal white area should be midway between the side windows. If the coating starts at the top of the side windows, then some cooling has been compromised.
Now, for the coating.
DO NOT USE ROOF COATING.
Roof coatings will cause horrible streaks down the sides of the trailer, every time it rains. It's difficult to remove from the clearcoat finish. But, when it runs down the side of a polished shell, it causes very bad streaks, that can only be removed by polishing that area again.
If you wish to have a "white" roof, painting is the only way to go, provided that it's correctly applied.
The plasticoat must be removed. The metal must be sanded, not scuffed, but sanded with 120 to 150 grit sandpaper. Prep the metal for paint. Seal all the seams. Apply two double wet coats of a higth quality flexible primer. Then apply 3 double wet coats of high quality white. Then apply 3 double wet coats of high quality automotive clear over the white.
Yeah, yeah, that's 8 double wet coats of paint.
BUT, you will have a white roof that will not crack or peel, from hail dents, even severe dents, such as from a tree limb falling on the roof.
You can also walk on it, and not hurt it.
It's not a cheap job, and it is time consuming. But, the resulting job, will out last, not only you, but your probably your kids too.
The very first roof I painted white, using the above methods, was on a
1966 30 foot Airstream. I painted it in
1966. I saw that trailer, a couple of years ago.
I should have charged the guy more money, because the roof looked almost as good as the day I finished it. The white was still nice and shiney.
Same old story.
If you want to go "first class," the you have to bite the bullet.
If you want to go "coach," well then, that becomes a different issue.
As always, you get what you pay for, ..............."usually."
Andy