roof leaking on car trailer

[JRS]

I have a 1996 Mainliner enclosed race car trailer with a leaking roof. The roof is a single sheet of aluminum and has a crack running from each corner of the crank up vent housing. I drilled each crack to stop it from spreading and cleaned the aluminum. Then I sealed each crack with RV roof sealant, Dicor I think. Unfortunately, the cracks are spreading and the sealant cracked exposing the original cracks. It appears the aluminum roof is flexing in the wind and making the cracks grow and the sealant fail. any ideas? so far I have ruined two interior ceiling panels. I need help fast because of the hurricane. thanks. the cracks have grown to at least a foot long.

 

[ewcmr2]

I'd Use some aluminum sheet material to make a mend panel. Add some roof sealant (or the adheasive thay use to assemble Lotue Elise's)and pop-rivets and you should be in good shape.

 

[HBarlow]

I was going to make the same suggestion until I read ewcmr2's suggestions above. I agree with his suggestion. In addition, if you are fairly sure roof flex is caused by airflow over the roof you might consider adding additional rivets to secure the roof sheet to the ribs. If the roof vent is secured to a trailer roof rib and the roof sheet is not the roof vent and roof sheet may not move together when the trailer is stressed.



You didn't state the length of your trailer. If it is fairly long it could be that the trailer is actually twisting around it's longitudinal axis when you enter fuel station driveway ramps at a 45 degree angle or cross other uneven pavement situations causing the trailer frame to flex enough to distort the the trailer roof or body.



Harvey

 

[Buffalo]

I have a trailer with a rubber (EPDM) roof. Two of my friends, and myself, have put a product called Rapid Roof III on, to seal the roof. Seems to work well. It's an Acrylic Latex Roof Coating which is like a thick, white paint, almost the thickness of Elmer's Glue. You lay down a coat of the product and then put a layer of a thin, polyester meshwork into the wet coat & then put an additional coat of the RR III over the meshwork.

The meshwork gives a lot of strength & flexibility to the RRIII, which, accomodates the flexing of the roof.



If you are interested in this and other products which may be more appropriate for your metal roof, you can check them out at www.conklin.com.



I did my roof a couple of years ago and it still looks great and is still "rubbery", or not drying out and becoming brittle. I, also, live in Phoenix, AZ and my trailer is always exposed to the harsh sunlight.



Also, if repairs are needed, you just apply more product and polyester meshwork (Spunflex). The Spunflex is only applied in areas that are compromised by flexing or where you want additional strength.



They have an "MR System", which, seems to be designed for metal roofs. I would get ahold of them or one of their local distributors and see what they recommend.



Hope this helps.



Joe F. (Buffalo)