What type is my roof, where can I get a manual?

[Posdeer]

I have a 1998 aerolite 830fk that I just bought a few months ago. I'm wanting to seal the roof but I'm not sure if it's tpo or epdm. I've pulled a roof vent but couldn't see any of the roof material on the inside. Also where can I find an owner's manual for this camper?

[franktafl]

Originally Posted by Posdeer

I have a 1998 aerolite 830fk that I just bought a few months ago. I'm wanting to seal the roof but I'm not sure if it's tpo or epdm. I've pulled a roof vent but couldn't see any of the roof material on the inside. Also where can I find an owner's manual for this camper?

it says it has a durashell roof? Whatever that is. At the bottom of the brochure.

http://www.dutchmen.com/media/5097/1...te-8-tt-fw.pdf

[wahoonc]

I think Durashell is a TPO or something similar. Problem with TPO is there are a multitude of various formulations out there, they use the same basic polymers, but mix other stuff in for UV resistance and overall stability.

Manuals... are pretty worthless, but here is a link to the one from that era.

Aaron

[Posdeer]

Thanks, ive seen the brochure but didn't see where they called it durashell. I'll do some looking into it. If it is durashell is it necessary to recoat the entire roof or just reseal around vents? I haven't noticed any leaks but would rather stop any before they start.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Posdeer

Thanks, ive seen the brochure but didn't see where they called it durashell. I'll do some looking into it. If it is durashell is it necessary to recoat the entire roof or just reseal around vents? I haven't noticed any leaks but would rather stop any before they start.

The roof is 20 years old, most RV TPO roofs have a 10-15 year expected life span. They can go longer than that depending on where they were stored and the maintenance. At bare minimum I would recaulk all penetrations and the edges. Then keep a close eye on the rest of the roof.

Aaron [emoji41]

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[Posdeer]

I plan on doing that for sure, I'll keep looking into what kind the roof is and go from there. I can't find much info on this camper, if I called Dutchman would they be able to tell me anything about it, or is there a better option?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Posdeer

I plan on doing that for sure, I'll keep looking into what kind the roof is and go from there. I can't find much info on this camper, if I called Dutchman would they be able to tell me anything about it, or is there a better option?

Riiiiight! I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Dutchmen is about worthless when it comes to information. They have a "Customer Service" department, however it appears to be an oxymoron.
I haven't been able to find out ANYTHING on Durashell, "vinyl" unfortunately covers a wide range of products. I do know of a couple of commercially available coatings that would probably stick to it if all else fails. One is Trucco, we use it at work for repairs. I don't know if it is available to anyone other than industry. It isn't cheap, but it works well.

There is always the Flex Armor roof, but I suspect it may cost more than you paid for the RV.

Aaron

[Posdeer]

Well I was out looking at the camper and found a few more cracks on the roof, I sealed it with a roof sealer that I got from a camper dealer. But I found a few spots that looks like they parked it under a tree and had tree limbs rubbing on it and the coating seems to be rubbed off. I found a roof sealer at a local lumber yard that says it's for RVs, I don't know what kind of roof I have, should I say screw it and put it on or could it ruin my camper?

[lcv800]

Why not just use the Eternabond tape and not worry about the roof material. Lasts forever.
Rusty

[wahoonc]

What ever coating you use I would make sure it is for TPO. I suppose that you could Redneck it and use the silver mobile home roof coating... been there done that.

Aaron