RVs are enjoyed by millions of people annually. RVing is a great way to spend time with your family and friends. It provides a way for you to get away from your day to day problems and relax. The majority of RVs use White-on-Black EPDM membrane to protect roofs. This membrane has a proven track record in the roofing industry. However, like anything else, you have maintenance issues from time to time.

One problem that no one likes is a roof leak. Leaks can be caused by limbs falling on your roof or around penetrations like pipes, vents and air conditioning. When this happens your leak needs immediate attention. Once you have a leak, you have to find a material to patch or replace your roof. The best material can you use is the original to make the repairs. Roof-Top® EPDM rubber membrane and accessories are top quality, permanent solutions for your roofing repair. Unlike coatings and caulks, which you have to redo every few years, EPDM rubber roofing will provide a long term repair.

Another common problem RV owners seem to have are sun rooms, porches, or extra rooms that are built or attached to stationary RVs. The major problem is the use of the incorrect roofing materials to join the two together. Most RVs have a white EPDM rubber membrane roof on them. RV dealers and repair shops are using old technology which implements an asphaltic base material to join two roofs together. This type of material, being an asphalt product, does not work with EPDM rubber roofs. This material will usually stop leaks for a short time but will eventually breakdown the EPDM rubber membrane and causing it to fail.
The correct way to join two EPDM rubber roofs together would be by using EPDM rubber cover tape which is a 6” or 12” wide “peel and stick” tape. Remember to thoroughly clean the area prior to applying tape primer and tape. The white RV roof is very difficult to clean, we recommend cleaning the rubber surface with warm water and a rag, repeating to make sure the surface is clean. Apply the tape primer (activator) to the area to be taped, let the primer dry and apply a second coat. This will cost a little extra but will help to insure adhesion. If asphalt products have already been used, it will have to be removed. If the 12 inch tape is not enough to cover, with 3 inches on each side of the old repair, a wider piece of EPDM rubber would have to be fully glued down.

The last problem area we will talk about is at the end of the trailer where the rubber roofing and metal meet. This transition leaves a small gap where the manufacturer usually applies caulk, very heavy at times. Over a period of time this caulk will crack and fail causing a leak to occur. To repair this joint you will need clean and prime the area, then use our 6 inch wide cover tape to make it watertight. Our Leak Prevention Kits are a perfect solution to this problem. When installed on new or slightly used RVs, this kit will save you lots of money and headache in the future. Spending just a little money up front will save you thousands in repair cost down the road.