Up On The Roof (Part II), With a Little Shake, Rattle and Roll Thrown In

I have been remiss in not always answering questions asked by our blog readers, so let me start by answering a couple:

Barbara asked Marti if the picture of my sideburns didn't cause her to hesitate in marrying me.

She worked hard to catch me, sideburns, or not.  Actually, that was the style back in 1977, but Barbara, you're too young to remember back that far! :c)

Chuck asked if the campground we stayed at up in Winchester, VA is the Candy Hill Campground.  Yes it is, we like to go there once and a while for a change of pace, and it is close to a Camping World store and a Flying J where I top off the diesel fuel tank at good prices.  That was a very observant question by Chuck, but then I'd expect nothing less from a brother Coastie. :c)

Now, onward to the roof.  If you have any RV brand other than a Winnebago, you don't have to read on if you don't want to.  However, if you own a Winnie, you might want to pay attention.  

Winnebago uses a system of tucking the fiberglass roof into a channel that runs along the side of the roof and then seals it in with caulk.

A little closer look.

The caulk needs to be inspected twice a year, per Winnebago's requirement.  What happens is the caulk can dry out, crack and separate the seam that bonds the roof into the channel.  Failing to inspect the seam can lead to the fiberglass roof blowing off while driving.  It has happened to Winnebago owners that neglected (or didn't know about) this important maintenance requirement. 

  You check it by pressing all along the seam with your finger.  If the caulk has failed you'll see this condition.

To repair the failure, you have to dig out the old caulk.

 

After getting the majority of the old caulk out, I use a razor blade to get the tiny remnants out.

Once the little bits are cleaned out, I rinse the area out with a little spray of Brake Shoe Cleaner, then wipe the area dry.  You can use acetone, if you prefer.

I pass on the caulk that Winnebago uses, I know I'd be doing the seam over again in a couple years.  Instead I use this:

This is why I use this caulk:

It provides a crack proof, water resistant seal.  Plus I like using the small tubes instead of the big tubes you'd use in a caulking gun.  You can do small areas, seal the tube with its own top and use it again later.  The large tubes of caulk have no good way to seal the end in between uses and you end up wasting the remainder.

This caulk goes on white, making it easier to see your repaired area, then it drys clear.  Don't ask me how that happens, it must be magic or something.

You can smooth out the caulk with your finger, dipped in some soapy water.  Excess caulk can be wiped off with a rag dipped in the soapy water.

Now for the shake, rattle and roll.  I repaired the seam standing on a ladder.  I'm not too steady on my feet to begin with, and I'm even a little more shaky standing on a ladder 10 feet in the air.  I finished the repair, put the ladder away and then the area around my home in Northern Virgina got hit with a 5.9 earthquake!  Fortunately for me, I was standing on solid ground at the time,  can you picture me with a tube of caulk swaying around on a ladder?  Timing (and luck) are everything. :c)

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.