Wolf's Motorhome Modifications

... and Other Stuff

About RV Roofs

Roof Construction

I don't quite understand some roof concerns.  Having never had a motorhome with a roof I couldn't walk across without worry, it seems that the comments on the newsgroups indicate that some RVs out there have REALLY weak roofs.  Glad I'm not in that crowd!

The Big Sugar Maple Tree

For years and years I parked my RVs under a huge sugar maple tree.   Every year I was out there scrubbing black streaks off the motorhome.  After cutting the tree down and buying a new motorhome, it seemed our black streak problem was GREATLY reduced.

Still Streaking

I would still have streaks, especially after winter ended.   Winnebago makes their roof on their motorhome EXTREMELY strong.  You can walk on it without worry.  The motorhome has a VERY white roof.  The first spring cleaning left us with quite an eye-opener.  The roof was FILTHY, even without trees!   There's no question that the roof needed a good scrubbing.  Any scrubbing without attention to the roof would just leave the sides streaked after the first rain.

Washing the roof once or twice a season virtually ended my streaking!

Roof Maintenance

On the last two motorhomes, the roofs never seemed dirty.

The first had a roof that was coated with white gunky coatings.   It was EXTREMEMLY heavy.  When shopping for an RV, I discussed this method of sealing a roof.  All of the manufacturers warned AGAINST roof coatings.  

Our second motorhome was a Winnebago.  When it came time for maintenance, I contacted Winnebago who recommended a product called "Acryl-R-Seal".  This is a runny liquid that comes in a caucking tube.   I flowed a new bead around all roof seals every five years and found it worked perfectly.

We did have one leak in that RV.  I sealed and patched but couldn't find the problem.  The roof was metal and appeared to be one piece.  I finally went up there with a magnifying glass and found a seam down the middle.  Not visible to the naked eye, a bead of sealer up where I marked the seam fixed the problem.

The next RV, with it's bright white roof, is a pain.  It tattles about roof dirt.  No wonder I always had streaks!

I was able to buy a Winnebago "Sealant Manual" for my motorhome.  These people take sealing VERY, VERY seriously!  This manual details EXACTLY what is needed for what part.