Sealing preparations for Land Yacht Roofs

[phred]

Last year I used Kool Seal White Acrylic Patching Cement to patch roof cracks that result from twisting or aging. This material is the consistency of heavy mayonnaise, is applied with a putty knife, and is self-leveling as it dries. It is especially effective where the front and rear motorhome caps mate to the roofing material.

When the above patches are dry I followed up with Kool Seal White Elastomeric Roof Coating. This can be painted on with a brush. You will probably need two coats so that the original roof color does not show through. I recommend precleaning with a mild clorox solution to get rid of any mold before painting.

Both materials seem compatible with the original roof material. Does anyone have any better products or should I clean the mold and reapply this year as well. Both Kool Seal products are available in gallons from Lowes/Home Depot type hardware stores for roughly $12.- $15.00.

Fred

[Paul Dobbin]

[QUOTE=phred]Kool Seal products are available in gallons from Lowes/Home Depot type hardware stores for roughly $12.- $15.00.

Glad to hear that the big stores carry that stuff.
Being new to the Land Yacht (35 FT Diesel) and the coated roof,
my question is how often do you need to do that?
Our prior coach was a GMC with all aluminum roof, just caulked the seams.
Also are ther any special places that these Land Yachts tend to leak?
Paul

[smily]

I used the exact same stuff a year ago. My LY had plenty o' leaks around the same areas Phredd mentions.

I used a cheeze cloth material, ( I assume Fiberglass ) that was recommended by the manufacturer.

I applied a base coat of Kool Seal then mashed the cheeze cloth into the bed.

I followed up with two coats over that. I used a 6 " paint roller to apply the sealant. That made for much quicker and easier application as I had the roller connected to an extended paint pole, (no leaning over).

I am very pleased with the results, I have not seen any leaks over a year.
As for othe leak locations, The locations that the end caps meet the body over the cockpit windows and the end cap on the sides. I find this the most common on all LY's that I have seen.

When buying, open the rear cabinets and you can typically see that the end caps have been leaking and has effected the paneling inside of the cabinets.

Like Phredd, I cleaned with clorox solution and actually scrubbed the area. Mine had been sealed previously and the dirt had settled into the small undulations.

Smily

[phred]

Paul;

You will only need to do the roof reseal every couple of years or when you see the beginning of water leaking in anywhere. Ken is right in where there are typical trouble areas, although my diesel pusher has had no leaks in the rear compartment. Perhaps because the engine in rear is more structurally sound and resistant to twisting when going over bumps.

Fred