My roof Fiberglass or Rubber?

[Liz Lindsey]

I have a 1999 Beaver Monterey, 36 ft. 275hp Cat. I am new to the RV world and have a lot to learn about taking care of her. The very basic manual that came with her did not say anything about what kind of roof. I need to know how I can find out if my roof is fiberglass or rubber and what products I should use to maintain it. Thanks.

[Stan Simpson]

Congratulations on the new to you Beaver!

Welcome to the forum, Liz. I looked in the Coach Assist section of the forum and didn't see any manuals on your '99 Monterey. There are lots of knowledgeable folks here, and someone will chime in with the information soon. My best guess is fiberglass. There are number of threads on caring for the fiberglass roof from other owners.

Here is one: http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,4136.msg31733.html#msg31733

[Fred Brooks]

           Hi Liz,

      I'm pretty sure it is fiberglass. What is the issue you are having? More than likely it is oxidation and you are getting white streaks down the side of your coach from morning dew or rain. I have been using Rustolium Topside fiberglass deck paint and for sealing vents, skylights and antennas use Dicor lap sealant. Hope this helps, Fred

[Liz Lindsey]

Thank you guys for the information.
Liz Lindsey

[Steve Huber]

Liz,
The Rustoleum paint that Fred referred to works very well and stands up to the elements very well. I applied it to my Marquis and plan to do the Contessa this winter. Here is a link to Ed's write up on application. http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,1511.msg10596.html#msg10596
If you do a search on "Rustoleum" you'll find other posts and pictures re this topic.
Steve

[George H. Wall]

I tried Ed's solution with the Rusteloeum almost 2 years ago, and my roof still looks like NEW, with no streaking down the sides!!  Thanks again, Ed!!  Henry

[Edward Buker]

Your welcome George, I'm at 4 years now and I pressure wash and scrub my roof about twice a year with a white swivel scrub pad on a handle that is used by boaters for deck washing.

There has been no blisters or loss of adhesion anywhere, and the finish still has a gloss. Beyond the no streaks, you are preserving the fiberglass and original gelcoat. This is an ideal and inexpensive product for this application given it was formulated to endure a marine environment. Recommend this treatment without any reservations and I see no need to remove air conditioners unless you want to... the sun does not shine there.

Later Ed

[Joel Ashley]

Speaking of the AC units, Ed, mine have housings that are showing the pain of constant exposure.  I occasionally wipe them with Aerospace 303, but wonder if there's a more permanent preventive coating/paint you'd suggest.  I think they're molded textured fiberglass, so perhaps the same Rustoleum? 

The front one has a crack dead center front working its way straight up from the bottom edge a few inches.  I couldn't get it to close adequately for glueing, so I lexeled it for the time being, just to keep road wind from "flapping" it into a worse condition.  Thought about riveting a strip of aluminum across and under the crack at the cover's edge to draw it back and stabilize it.  I may need to drill a small hole at the leading edge of the crack to halt its spread upward though.

But I think part of the issue is the general deteriorization of the material from exposure.

Joel

[Edward Buker]

Joel,

If they are cracking they may be too brittle to spend a lot of work trying to save them. I think you may be able at some point to buy a new cover or wait it out until an air conditioner goes south and get a new one.

If you have a cover in decent shape I have taken flexible automotive primer, a color coat that matches the coach, and a quality clear coat and painted my air units. I did this to match the coach color. This is not for everyone but it did protect the plastic and stop the ageing.

Some of the Rustoleum  Marine Topside paint and a brush would work for that matter if you wanted protection. I think you can get the white tinted to get in the ballpark or use black if that fits. For cracking I would probably fiberglass tape and resin (west system) the inside where the crack was if I went the repair route.

Later Ed

[Keith Moffett Co-Admin]

Welcome to the Beaver family Liz. 

Good roof maintenance is a must because everything in the motorhome is under that roof.  A poorly maintained roof can leak and ruin inside the walls and the coach interior as well.

I wash ours with Simple green diluted to 40% concentrate one time per year and once more with a car wash or dish soap.  I always use a thick soft wash brush and extension handle to save my back.  Be sure to rinse very well.

At least once per year I spen an hour or so crawling around looking for cracks in the sealant around vents, plumbing, skylight etc.  Minor cracking can be fixed with a new coat of Dicor self leveling sealant.  Anything major gets a complete removal of the sealant, a clean up with wax / grease remover and new dicor.

Removing old sealant is best done with any oscillating scraper and a flat straight blade.  Anything else tends to cut the roof.