rubber ver. fiberglass roof

[T-Ram]

Hi all ! I´m from Sweden and have just bought my first fiver.

It has a rubber roof but this isn´t as good as it could be. I have found a small hole close to a roof vent.

My question is since the outer walls are made of fiberglass.

What problem could occur if I took the rubber away and replaced it with fiberglass instead. As far as I can see it would give me a complete tight/waterproof fiver, like a beercan... Or ? What is the reason for using rubber ? Here in sweden we do not get even close to your temperatures during sommer, if this is a reason for rubber.

 

[EricBu12]

Hey! Were Swedes too but live here in Salt Lake City Ut. We have 12,000 ft mountains though... ...



The rubber roof was made so that rain was quieter when heard inside. and it is a one-piece thing where they had tin sections before... . (had a motorhome like that..... )



Alot of people here live in these things full time and they want a "house"... ... ... ...



There is a product like silicone to patch that rubber roof sorta like a putty in a jar, moosh (thats a technical term... ) it around and smooth it so water drains away from a potential leak area, you can even go up the sides of flashings like the vents and stuff. It is the same rubber material but in liquid form that dries and stays flexible where as fibreglass is brittle and can crack... . check out a RV store or maybe go here and see



http://www.campingworld.com/



They are the largest RV supply store in the U. S... ...

 

[EricBu12]

Heres the stuff I was talking about



http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?deptID=2&subOf=11&skunum=16987&src=UPSE

 

[BV]

RV Roof

EDPM has worked well to in the RV industry to seal, quiet the rain and limit hail damage. One of the down sides is that they can be torn, ripped or cut by a simple tree limb or other similar object.



Fiberglass in my opinion would be a good roof but I would think the weight of the plywood or supports and the fiberglass itself would make an RV more top heavy. I also think that the flex in the roof might cause cracks after awhile.



Dicor Corporation makes a pretty good sealant to fix or maintain a Rubber (EDPM) roof.



"NOTE: Do not use silicone - it will not adhere to the membrane. "

 

[RustyJC]

The next time you're at a Camping World or other RV supply house, pick up a rubber roof repair kit and some lacquer thinner for emergency repairs - the lacquer thinner is required (at least by my repair kit) for cleaning before application of the patch. The Dicor website shown in a prior post is also an excellent source for repair materials. The rubber (EPDM membrane) roof works fine for an RV application - yes, it has its quirks, but so do all the other roofing material choices. Why change it? Just learn how to maintain it.



Rusty

 

[CROW]

Toured the Newmar plant in Nappannee, IN. last month and one of their options, which I think is fairly new, is a fiberglass roof. My understanding is that the fiberglass roof is their top of the line roof. It came in big sheets and they cut out holes for the A/C, vents, etc. Think they attach it to the roof substructure with a space-age glue. Might find out who their supplier is and see if it could be used on your RV. Suspect the stuff is awful expensive and may not be practical for you considering the cost.