RV Roof Repair: Seal a Front Cap with Outdoor Silicone
Dave SolbergIt’s important to protect your RV from the elements, especially when it comes to leaks and moisture damage, and the roof is the first place to check when completing exterior maintenance on your vehicle. Particularly with RV roof repair, components that are prone to cracking and separating, such as the roof’s front cap, should be inspected regularly for any new gaps and breaks in weatherproof lining.
When loose, in addition to causing unwanted leaks, the front cap on an RV roof can vibrate and rattle and crack further creating a much more expensive fiberglass cap repair.
To make sure you don’t wake up in the morning to a surprise puddle or destructive mold, Dave Solberg teaches a basic RV roof repair technique for easily taking care of minor gaps and sealant issues and preventing future ones by using outdoor silicone.
All it takes to fix a seam or separation and prevent water from leaking into your RV are a small amount of silicone and a sure foot; just apply small beads directly to those spots where you can see a gap, smooth away any excess and make sure to let the new seal settle before you hit the highway.
Generally, if there is an oversized seam or too many cracks in the lining, RV roof repair experts will recommend that you strip the front cap and reseal the entire component with a product such as EternaBond, which is applied like duct tape and stops major leaks, but for minor repairs you’re better off using a few quick dabs of silicone.
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4 Responses to “RV Roof Repair: Seal a Front Cap with Outdoor Silicone”
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Since when is Power Grab silicone? Not impressed with the application, no pre-clean with alcohol so the new "silicone" will stick.
A highly respected RVDA/RVIA certified tech in the RV world wrote recently "Never use silicone sealant on an RV roof or any of the fixtures. Silicone is incompatible with RV roof sealants and if it has to be replaced, the new sealant won't stick to it." Your article re the front cap seems to be at odds with this recommendation.
Confused on the advice to use silicone. We where told to never use silicone on our RV, that it does not perform well, that the movement causes it to pull away from the surface allowing water to get under it. We are currently re-caulking and have found this advice to be accurate. We were told to use a flexible sealant such as ProFlex RV for the walls and a Dicor type product for the roof.
silicone???? the rest of the entire world advises against silicone based caulks...is this because you are not sealing a place that the rubber roof contacts??