In light of the new roof specs for all models I thought perhaps a thread for roof related "stuff" was appropriate. I have little experience with RV roof issues and the roof on my 13QBB has been fine, other than a bad seam seal when I bought it. Here's a question though, has anyone ever toyed with the idea of getting a spray on liner like
Line-X or Bullet done to their camper roof? Certainly there would be a weight consequence and if it's black, a heat consequence, but I wonder if this is a reasonable thought. I had the bed of my truck Bullet coated and it's pretty awesome stuff.
Interesting. Might be significantly less slippery for when you have to be up there. I like the thick raw aluminum of the roof on ours for its reflectance, no maintenance (except for the edge seams), and no leak potential on the large areas. I expect it to last a lifetime (mine!). I forget, what are the latest roofs made of?
We used a roll on white non-reflective roof coating on a vintage trailer we had. It's like they use on tin roofed barns. Purchased at Tractor Supply.. Can't remember the name but at least it won't be black. I checked the specs on the new roof roof material and OMG what are they thinking ???? One of the biggest selling features for us was the one piece aluminum and didn't mind paying the extra compared to the standard industry crappy rubber roof......disappointed for sure in the direction they are headed.
[font size="3"]The present roof material is single sheet aluminum. The future material will be Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) which is a thin rubber-like sheeting. We do not know when this change did, or will, go into production. A Google search will yield info on TPO for roofs of all kinds.
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:'(
I'm wondering if putting a coating of bed liner would quiet the roof an during heavy rain?
[quote source="/post/18504/thread" timestamp="1454890274" author="@tlbones"]I'm wondering if putting a coating of bed liner would quiet the roof an during heavy rain? [/quote]Might also reduce condensation on the interior...
Just spent the night in Crooked River State Park and it rained all night long. A very loud noise to say the least. At first it is soothing but after an hour or so not so cool. I was wondering about a different coating due to rain leaving streaks on the side of our trailer where rain runs off. A pick up bed liner coating may be the ticket as it is sealed and extremely durable. Worth looking into!
[quote source="/post/18488/thread" author="@lifeisgood" timestamp="1454873671"]We used a roll on white non-reflective roof coating on a vintage trailer we had. It's like they use on tin roofed barns. Purchased at Tractor Supply.. Can't remember the name but at least it won't be black. I checked the specs on the new roof roof material and OMG what are they thinking ???? One of the biggest selling features for us was the one piece aluminum and didn't mind paying the extra compared to the standard industry crappy rubber roof......disappointed for sure in the direction they are headed. [/quote]Henry's makes several lines of roof coatings. Here is a link: [a href="http://us.henry.com/roofing/reflective-coatings/white-roof-coatings"]http://us.henry.com/roofing/reflective-coatings/white-roof-coatings[/a] .
I would imagine that the aluminum roof is flexible and has expansion/contraction from temperature changes. I roof coating product may be more flexible than a truck bed liner.
line-x has a color version now
The typical TPO roof membrane is as pliable as a rubber inner tube so they need to be fully supported. Livin'Lite standards say they will use Azdel decking under the membrane. I assume it will need to be a different Azdel product than what is used on the wall interiors or cabinets --- much different because it will need to support the weight of a person. I suspect they will say don't go onto the roof but the reality is they will need to design it so it is possible.
(http://s11.postimg.org/nhm7t6jqb/article_2606807_1_D26227700000578_446_964x726.jpg)
We've looked at Henry. The container says for metal roofs. I wish they would specify aluminum.
Here is what we're thinking of using. We have the 2013 Axxess with full aluminum roof.
www.scorpioncoatings.com/products/xo2-products/xo2/
Scorpion xo2 truck bedliner and industrial coatings
Has anyone heard of this product?
Any thoughts about using it on Aluminum roof?
Unless you have a sprayer doesn't really look like a DIY project. If I were going to do it I'd probably either go with the Henry or take it to the Bullet shop that did my truck bed.
I don't really understand why anyone would want to add a coating to their aluminum trailer roof. The mill finish aluminum is already reflective and the natural oxidation is protective.
I seriously doubt any coating will make any significant difference to the sound of rain falling on the roof. I also caution about adding a coating in that unless you know practically everything there is to know about the sealants used & the coating you want to apply. You can (easily) end up with failures in the sealant, the coating, or both due to incompatibilities. Finding factual info on the incompatibilities may be very hard to find as relatively few of the thousands of possibilities have been tested. In my opinion it is too risky to do for something that is optional and not really needed.
My original thought process wasn't for the current camper it was for a camper if it had a rubber roof.
[font face="comic sans ms" size="3"]A number of years ago I had a local truck shop spray my truck bed with the Scorpion product. It was suppose to set up in 3 or4 days. A month later I put a plastic 5 gallon bucket of drywall mud in the bed and drove home, and the bucket dug into the coating. I've got Rhino Lining in my current truck, costs more, but no problems.[/font]
Quote from: @mitch" source="/post/18692/thread" timestamp="1455476202My original thought process wasn't for the current camper it was for a camper if it had a rubber roof.
I would think there's a significant risk of causing damage to the roof due to chemical incompatibility, etc. mostly the same arguements islander made regarding putting it on the Aluminum roof.
Our shinny aluminum roofs do not reflect the sun instead it heats up the inside even more and during the colder months keeps the trailer colder inside.
I applied the Kool-seal on my Bearcat roof, it did take 3 coats. It is a white paint designed for all types of Trailer Roofs including Aluminum. The Roof now on a hot summer day is completely touchable, has helped the interior to stay cooler. The Kool-seal Reflects the sun rays and I have No Black Steaks on my sides of the Trailer after rains or melting snow/ice.
[quote timestamp="1455493381" author="@tlbones" source="/post/18694/thread"][quote source="/post/18692/thread" author="@mitch" timestamp="1455476202"]My original thought process wasn't for the current camper it was for a camper if it had a rubber roof.[/quote]I would think there's a significant risk of causing damage to the roof due to chemical incompatibility, etc. mostly the same arguements islander made regarding putting it on the Aluminum roof.
[/quote]My F-150 is one of the aluminum body models and the Bullet liner seems to be fine. I'm no chemical engineer but I suspect the likelihood of damage or adverse chemical interaction between an aluminum roof and a run of the mill roof coating is not very high. Course the stuff would need to stick. As far as rubber roof that's probably much more problematic.
[quote source="/post/18703/thread" timestamp="1455553050" author="@swbc150"]Our shinny aluminum roofs do not reflect the sun instead it heats up the inside even more and during the colder months keeps the trailer colder inside.
I applied the Kool-seal on my Bearcat roof, it did take 3 coats. It is a white paint designed for all types of Trailer Roofs including Aluminum. The Roof now on a hot summer day is completely touchable, has helped the interior to stay cooler. The Kool-seal Reflects the sun rays and I have No Black Steaks on my sides of the Trailer after rains or melting snow/ice.[/quote]Intriguing. How is the Kool-Seal for slipperiness? Any more slippery than the bare aluminum?
In between the painting coats the roof was not slippery.
[quote source="/post/18703/thread" timestamp="1455553050" author="@swbc150"]Our shinny aluminum roofs do not reflect the sun instead it heats up the inside even more and during the colder months keeps the trailer colder inside.
I applied the Kool-seal on my Bearcat roof, it did take 3 coats. It is a white paint designed for all types of Trailer Roofs including Aluminum. The Roof now on a hot summer day is completely touchable, has helped the interior to stay cooler. The Kool-seal Reflects the sun rays and I have No Black Steaks on my sides of the Trailer after rains or melting snow/ice.[/quote]We are noticing some whitish streaks down the sides (only a little). Some of our reason for considering a roof coating is to prevent this. Did you paint over the caulked seams or leave them exposed?
Entire roof was painted,used a roller and paint brush. Walking on roof was not a issue.
I am going to go with the Henry product as they are a roofing coating company that primarily makes roof coating for all types of roofs. My primary concern is the water marks from water runoff and I will call them to discuss this negative problem. Henry says their product can go on in one coating versus three for Kool Seal. After having our trailer for almost one year, I continue to be amazed at the temperature changes due to sun or no sun shining on the trailer. I have to believe that adding the white roof coating will be a cooling event on the trailer to keep it from heating up so rapidly and so high. I have spray foam insulated the bottom of the trailer (did not do the wheel wells) and see a slight difference in heat loss. After our last 8 day trip to Florida where temps got to mid 30s each night, the best mod I have made is the heat strip in the AC unit. It kept our 21BHS at mid 70s all night long. Doing the roof coating should finish help the heat problem in the summer.
[quote source="/post/18764/thread" timestamp="1455674160" author="@montedtrotter1"]I am going to go with the Henry product as they are a roofing coating company that primarily makes roof coating for all types of roofs. My primary concern is the water marks from water runoff and I will call them to discuss this negative problem. Henry says their product can go on in one coating versus three for Kool Seal. After having our trailer for almost one year, I continue to be amazed at the temperature changes due to sun or no sun shining on the trailer. I have to believe that adding the white roof coating will be a cooling event on the trailer to keep it from heating up so rapidly and so high. I have spray foam insulated the bottom of the trailer (did not do the wheel wells) and see a slight difference in heat loss. After our last 8 day trip to Florida where temps got to mid 30s each night, the best mod I have made is the heat strip in the AC unit. It kept our 21BHS at mid 70s all night long. Doing the roof coating should finish help the heat problem in the summer.[/quote]It'll be interesting to hear how it goes, good luck.
Well I switched to Gardner Gibson 100% silicone roof coating due to a five gallon bucket being 25$ cheaper basically for the same thing. Both are sold via Home Depot. I did call Henry technical support in CA and they indicated that an aluminum substrate like on our trailers will cause streaking from water runoff. The Henry technitian indicated that only a silicone based coating should be used for an RV application due to chemistry and durability. it is guaranteed for life by Henry and 50 years by Gardner. I will not be around in 50 years so not really an issue. This product only requires one coat but I was told I could add another if I wanted. The silicone coating is supposed to solve the streaking problem. The cost for a 5 gallon bucket is just a little more than 3 one gallon pails or enough for one coat. One coat is good but is seems two would be awesome. The product is ordered and I hope to apply in late February or early March before our next trip to TN area. It obviously will not be a heat issue in March but we have been getting a lot rain in GA and I have streaks down the side of our trailer. These are pretty hard to remove so I want to stop this problem ASAP. I also read that the white coating should reduce the heat buildup by 40 degrees, common sense says a white roof will reflect heat versus absorbing. I know the aluminum roof gets amazingly hot. I will report back.
Here's another aluminum roof coating I just ran across.
http://www.rvpartsnation.com/exterior/rv-coatings-sealants/elastomeric-metal-roof-co/
I realize the initial reason for this thread was coatings for the new roofing material, but since others have already hijacked it to discuss coatings for those of us with aluminum roofs, I'll jump in. I think the elastomer coatings and roofing materials of all types are probably overkill for an aluminum roof. I doubt they offer much in the way of sound-deadening and so serve mainly 2 purposes; reflection of the sun and prevention of staining. To that end, why not just use a good marine paint on the roof? There are many good brands and varieties. Perhaps something like white Interlux non-slip paint would work and be very simple to apply and touch up if ever necessary. Perhaps that's what Kool-Seal is too? One example:
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/interlux--interdeck-nonskid-paint--P004_121_005_502
Merlin, I agree with your assessment about the two main reasons to coat a trailer roof white; reflection of suns rays and stop the streaking. I have temperature/humidity guage inside trailer, and it records highs and lows. I have seen it at 130 degrees on a hot summer day in GA! I think you are correct in that a silicone coating may be overkill but I hopefully want to do this one time. I sold minerals/raw materials to Henry and Gardner Gibson and was a member of the National Roof Coatings Association. The big issue in the south and southwest part of the country was using white roof coatings on building to use less energy to cool them. All these companies have a lot to lose if they make products that do not hold up under very high temperatures and extreme weather conditions. It is one thing to coat a trailer at less than 150 square feet but quite another coating thousands of square feet on a giant warehouse or skyscraper and guaranteeing the roof for 50 years! I agree with another forum member that we need to be careful with coatings but the most important thing a paint manufacturer talks before applying a coating is properly cleaning the metal/rubber surface before applying the coating.
All you guys got me thinking regarding the pickup liner coating. I got my PU bed coated one year ago for $350, sprayed on and this coating is amazingly durable (so far). I now think I should go back to this guy and ask for a quote on coating the top of my trailer if it comes in a light gray or white color. I think these guys would do a very good job (much better than my efforts) as they have a large building where all coatings are applied inside a building. They guarantee the work and if any issues make it right.
I have to get a quote before I use the Gardner material. It may be worth $100 more to let them do it.
And one more thing, these coatings, due to thickness and high solids content, must help with rain noise a little bit?
I am going to check it out on Monday.
Well, I cheated! I purchased the Gardner-Gibson 100% silicone based roof coating to put on our 21BHS. I ordered if from HD and got it several days ago. I did check out the pickup liner coating cost and got a price of $1300 installed guaranteed for life (special order for white coating). This is more than I wanted to pay and sure it would have been very good but overkill as I am looking for light reflection and reduction in rain streaking on the side the trailer after rain. I am not going to be throwing any tool boxes on the roof! I asked the installer ( private company owner) if he would install the silicone material for me, doing the cleaning/taping etc. I showed him the bucket of material along with tech data sheet and installation instructions. His comment was this is easy compared to a spray on liner but not having applied this coating was not sure what kind of problems he might encounter. I am not sure what the final price will be but he indicated $200-$250 which I think is a deal. He is doing it inside his facility, not outside, and told me he would take off all covers except the AC. Our basic agreement was for him to do it as if it were his trailer.
He was cleaning the roof this afternoon, taping, and will roll it on tomorrow, two coats, 3-4 hours between coats. I will send pictures and report back on how well it reflects sunlight and noise. I did notice some pretty good dents in the aluminum roof from falling tree limbs. We had this happen several times from rain storms, Tybee Island and recently a Florida trip. Once applied it should be near 30 mils dry thickness (according to Gardner) so I am hoping it will reduce the rain noise a little. Again the number one reason for the coating is sunlight reflection for a cooler roof.
We just did a recent Tybee Island and Florida trip ourselves! Small world. We were on Tybee for a week in mid-January and then in Florida for 4 weeks after that. How about you! We are anxious to hear how this turns out for you. Sounds like a great idea!
Got it done today. Sorry for not knowing how this will turn out picture wise as this is my first post in a while attaching pictures. The max size is 1 MB so the pictures have to be resized. Needless to say, I am a novice but you can see the pictures I think. This is two coats of 100% silicone coating, about one gallon of material. I thought it would be much thicker but not. Today it got to 70 plus degrees in Athens GA. The side of the trailer is a charcoal/silver color. One could not hold your hand on the side of the trailer due to the heat buildup. Placing one's hand on the roof however was completely different, it was actually cool! Again this is a silicone rubber type material which is a sealant plus light reflector. I do not have any leaks but inside heat buildup and streaks down the side of the trailer due to rain/aluminum reaction are the problems trying to be solved. The sun reflectance is amazing and only time will tell later when temps hit 90 plus as to how much the sun reflectance helps. I will be watching closely to see if the rain streaks are improved.
I have a lot of material left over as the coating label indicates much more coating will be used. I could have purchased two gallons versus five and had plenty. I may add an extra coat later. Tapping on the roof indicates to me the sound deadening I had hoped for will be marginal. I did not do a sound test with iphone decibel app during a rain storm but should have, should do a lot of things that do not seem to happen.
Bottom line is I am very pleased with this mod so far. I have the advantage of an aluminum roof for durability and now a white roof for light reflectance and even more sealant on screws along the top edges where some folks have had leaking issues.
[attachment id="1228" thumbnail="1"][attachment id="1227" thumbnail="1"]
I look forward to your follow-ups
It looks like you applied the product over the sealant. Is that the case?? I like the idea of adding a reflective coating. Good luck with your mod.
I'm interested in a cooler roof, but a recent photo of our backyard from my wife's drone has me thinking the aluminum is ok for reflectance. Here is a shot from the air clearly showing the camper roof highly reflective; almost mirror-like. I can't help but think it was cooler than the surrounding things that were not reflective.
[attachment id="1230" thumbnail="1"]
Going to Chime in. I know you do not see it often but this is a real Air stream kind of topic. Air Sream owners have coated, painted roofs for years to reduce the absorbed heat form the sun. While bare metal like Aluminum may reflect a lot of light it absorbs a lot of the IR & UV (heat, heat and more heat). The white coatings will help to reflect the IR & UV.
The silicon coating has some serious appeal. My main concern is what happens as the self leveling sealant begins to crack and need replacement. Our Aluminum roofs have sealant 360 around the perimeter as well as all the fan, vent and shower bubbles.
Would it be advisable to leave a small 3/4 to 1 inch gap around the self leveling sealant? In case you need to remove and replace?
Yes we did paint over the sealant. I see-it as extra protection against leaking. The silicone material when dry is very elastic and expands and contracts with heat/cold. Removing it from a seal will be the same as removing the dicor sealant, use a blade to cot the material and peel off.
Regarding the heat buildup and light reflectance questions, Have already tested with my hand the temperature change in coated and uncoated. Our roof last summer was so hot we could feel the heat radiating down through the ceiling, the primary reason for the coating, no way to hold your hand on the aluminum. . Two days ago when the temperature was near 70, the side of the trailer was so hot you could not hold your hand on the coating while the roof was actually cool, not warm but cool. Now I realize the side of the trailer is painted and not aluminum but I failed to get a temperature reading of the metal. I now have a infrared laser temperature gauge and will post some temps when the weather improves.
Please note 100% silicone coating is pretty expensive compared to paint. I would start with one gallon possibly two at the most. I am going to put on another coat in the near future but have probably 3.5 gallons left over from the 5 gallon bucket I purchased.
Tincan is correct about the coating of AS roofs. I went to several forums and roof coatings are a major topic, aluminum vs rubber, coatings etc.
I also looked up heat conductivity of aluminum and this subject will give you a headache! There are many grades and finishes but aluminum is a great heat conductor, think pots and pans etc. it disappates heat and cold rapidly ( think beer cans). Forums indicate metal roofs leak more than rubber but rubber does not last as long. Maybe our aluminum roof with a silicone coating is the best of both!
Montedtrotter1,
One Question:
The exact product you used. Gardner Gibson sells several silicon roof coatings. below are names and links to the products. I am considering doing this to my camper in a month once it warms a few degrees here in KY.
[a href="http://www.gardner-gibson.com/products/cool-roof-coatings-repairs/white-silicone-roof-coating/eterna-kote-5570-1-30"]Eterna-Kote s-100+ 5570-1-30 [/a]
[a href="http://www.gardner-gibson.com/products/cool-roof-coatings-repairs/white-silicone-roof-coating/black-jack-5576-1-30"]BlackJack premium silicon waterproofing coating 5576-1-30[/a]
Both by Gardner Gibson. I apologize if you posted this elsewhere, I looked but could find the exact name of the product you used.
Thanks
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Eterna-Kote-5-Gal-S-100-Silicone-Roof-Coating-5570-1-30/205314046
Eterna-Kote s-100 + 5570-1-30.. This is the 5 gallon bucket version but I think you can also get it by the gallon. I have 3 plus gallons left over and plan to put another coat on in a week or so. The site on Home Depot actually gives more information than the Gardner site. Also, take a look at Henry Company's Tropical Seal also via HD, basically the same stuff but more expensive.
Should have said Henry Company Tropi-Cool not seal. Just type in Henry Tropi-Cool via home depot and it will come up for a comparison.
Quote from: @sandroad" timestamp="1456886699" source="/post/19089/threadI'm interested in a cooler roof, but a recent photo of our backyard from my wife's drone has me thinking the aluminum is ok for reflectance. Here is a shot from the air clearly showing the camper roof highly reflective; almost mirror-like. I can't help but think it was cooler than the surrounding things that were not reflective.
Wow drone take amazing pictures!
Did you have to prep the roof? You stated that you have streaking from using this?
Actually, I cheated, I got a quote from an independent bed liner company, Better X, that did my pickup. He quoted me $1300 for a white pick up liner for the top of the trailer roof; too much for me since I am not throwing tool boxes etc. on the roof! I asked him for a price to use my supplied coating since he had a building where he could coat it inside. He would not give me a price due to not knowing how much prep and issues with the coating might be. So yes he simply wiped down the aluminum with acetone, it was not terribly dirty since it is only 11 months old. His final bill was $150 for two coats. I plan to put on another coat and will wipe everything down with acetone. I really do not think it is an issue covering the existing Dicor sealant, just more protection against ultraviolet light.
On another note, black paint is beginning to come off the front painted black diamond aluminum plating. In a year or two, I will get Better X to put a pickup liner coating on this area (all the painted black areas) to solve this problem once and for all. This coating is virtually bullet proof!
The streaking is from the chemical reaction of rain and the aluminum on top of the trailer, then running down the side of the trailer. It has been raining for 4-5 hours today and we are headed to TN on Sunday. I will get the trailer out of storage and see how it looks on Saturday.
The coating companies say you have to power wash the surface etc since they are guaranteeing the coating for 50 years or life. It's just common sense to clean any really dirty areas before painting something to make sure the coating adheres. If the surface is extremely smooth you need to scuff it up a little bit with sand paper to create a surface the coating can stick to.
Hey, no problem with staying with an uncoated aluminum roof! I am sure there are folks that do not make any changes to their trailer which is fine with me. That is the beauty of this forum, pick and choose and get all kinds of ideas!
I was thinking of putting it on the front portion of the aluminum roof, you know where the transition from the curved roof to the front cap is . Mine is really rough, with dents large enough for water to pool. Couldn't hurt and I would think a gallon would be more then enough.
Absolutely, and you could give us good data regarding coated and uncoated aluminum heat buildup and transfer!
I would add, a good coat of wax makes washing any streaks sooooo easy to get rid of. Over a 3 year period, we waxed our QBB 3 times per year. Most everything cleaned off so easily. Used our QBB a lot, washed after each trip, easy to clean.
I use to use "Simple Green" to clean the siding on my old Nash, worked pretty good. Now I just use car wash soap from Pep Boys and a car brush with a extendable pole.
I just used a quart of the Interlux Interdeck bright white anti-skid boat paint on the aluminum areas of my 16TBS roof. It is really high quality paint that took only 1 coat to cover well with a foam roller and I think it will last many years. A quart was just barely enough and I left a small corner bare for test measurements. Anyway, the camper is in the sun right now and with an ambient temperature of 77F, the white painted area of the roof is 102F and the bare aluminum area of the roof is 138F (as measured with my Nubee infared thermometer). I would say the 25% reduction in surface temperature was definitely worth $50 in paint and an hour for prep and painting.
An added bonus is that it has fine sand in it which makes the roof much safer to be on.
https://www.amazon.com/Interlux-Interdeck-Quart-INTYJB000Q--%C2%A0White/dp/B001HX9528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466182173&sr=8-1&keywords=interdeck
Merlin - thanks for your info above. Seems like it is a good quality product. We are looking to paint the roof of our trailer as well in order to help with temperature, streaking down the sides of the trailer, and to hopefully deaden the sound of rain drops to some degree. Someone else on the forum mentioned that they used Kool Seal white paint and applied 3 coats (I assume they bought a gallon). Since we would really like to deaden some of the noise from rain, do you think that 3 coats of Kool Seal would provide more of a sound barrier than just one coat of what you used? I think they bought the Kool Seal at Walmart and, if so, I'm guessing that we could probably get a gallon of that for around the same price as the quart of paint/sealant that you purchased. If 3 coats of material will provide more sound deadening, then we may opt to go that route. Any thoughts will be appreciated!
The single coat of paint I used has no noticeable sound-deadening quality. Three coats might, but at too high a cost. I used a single coat of Kool Seal on a flat roof shed a few years ago and it was thicker (and messier) than paint. It didn't last in that situation (bad surface to begin with) and I ended up covering the whole shed roof with a rubber membrane. It's a WAG, but I bet 3 coats of Kool Seal would help quiet the interior from rain without adding too much weight. Anything pure white will cool the roof and prevent the black streaks.
Thanks. I think I'm going to give it a try (3 coats of Kool Seal). I see that a gallon costs about $40 (Walmart or Amazon), so I'll let you know how it goes!
I just posted a temporary method to cool the skin of my 16DBS with mylar space blankets in case anybody is interested. Dropped the temperature from 145 to 105 degrees in the sun for $2.00 worth of stuff and 5 minutes work. Also posted links to a cheaper place to buy white deck paint for the aluminum roof. Here's the post:
http://livinlite-owners.com/post/22838
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