Well, I thought I had shared this post, but apparently I have not. This was one of the first projects we completed on poor Glinda. We knew she had a little water damage in places and had made the decision to stop any more water coming in on all the new work we were planning inside. We researched many things on the internet and talked to many people in vintage trailer groups. We then went to a local RV shop and talked to the staff there. We decided to coat the whole roof with elastomeric roof coating.
We used Heng’s Elastomeric Roof Coating (roof coat). Ours was in a green bucket, but I forgot to take a picture until we started pouring it out and by that time we had a mess down the front of the bucket and you can’t even read what it is. So I grabbed a stock photo to show you.
This stuff needs to be applied on a sunny day with no chance of rain. Fortunately, we had a few days of bright sunny days that were not too very hot. So, we got all set up in our driveway.
Glinda still had her original aluminum roof. While I hated to cover that, I sure didn’t want to take any chances of ruining the work we had planned to accomplish nor fight water leaks. We cleaned the roof first.
You can see where there was sealant on the seams is all dry rotted and peeling up…essentially nonfunctioning.
And the seals around the one tiny roof vent I have isn’t helping much either.
Dear Hubby decided he would climb up on roof and do the work while I balanced on the ladder and took pictures. He started by washing the roof with TSP solution and scraping all the old loose sealant from seams and around vent. He then carefully washed it again. You’ll notice the wood he is on. We took a large wood piece that would extend over at least two cross beams on the ceiling for him to work on. This prevented further damage of the aluminum roof and gave him a secure footing…or in some cases a secure kneeling place.
After all old seals were scraped, cleaned, washed and roof dried, dh went in and applied one solid coat of ‘roof coat’ to seams and around vent. This provided a good seal in the most important places.
You don’t even need a paint tray, but you do need a good roller that you will throw away afterwards. We taped off the edges at the front and back of the rolled top of roof. He then poured roof coat in a pile and used a long-handled roller to spread it out in an even coat.
That white is awfully bright up there. DH didn’t like me taking pictures of him too, but he finally agreed to smile (ok, smirk) and let me take a good shot.
I’m so glad we had a few days of beautiful weather and blue skies. Over two days, we applied three complete coats. Instructions say 1-2 coats should suffice, but we figured one extra couldn’t hurt.
It spreads out very easy. We have a good roof that will not leak, is easy to clean, and even helps to insulate the trailer from the sun. In Florida, that is very important. We could tell a difference right away in the heat inside.
Yay, one major repair completed. This one repair will save us a lot on future expenses, headaches and worries. We still have to get windows replaced and repair a few other body issues for her to be tight, but this was a great start.
I just bought a 1963 Rambler in need of a rehab. I need to start with the roof and you have provided the confidence I need to get started. Thanks🤪
Oh yay! I’m so glad my post helped. It is such a satisfying feeling to finally take it camping and know you have put your heart into it and some sweat. LOL
I have a 72 Dodge Champion 24ft with aluminum roof leaking at seams on side and TV antenna area.
It has an original coating on it that has peeled in many places.
I’m tempted at just lightly scraping all peeled areas and coating it. I also wonder about putting down the 6″ tape on the seems and edges then coating right over the tape. Would this work? Tks
I believe that it would. Good luck with it.
Thank you. Glinda looks good! I live in Oregon and we get a lot of rain. My 64 Aladdin has hopped up seams all down her backside. Very textured and spotched on. Not sure how to sand, scrape or grind it smooth. Any suggestions?
Oh, Oregon is still on my ‘want to visit’ list! We had to take a large flat putty knife and remove some old sealant on some seams, but ours was very worn and textured. This product covers a lot. I’d recommend cleaning and drying as best you can and do on a day when there will be no rain unless you have a barn and can keep it covered during application and drying.
Hi there, great info thank you! I have an El Rey 10 camper, and I’ve been having issues with sealing the door and figuring out a way to weatherproof the windows. They open up horizontally, multiple glass slats, and then have larger viewing windows. Do you know how to make these cold-weather proof?’s any direction you could send me in? Thank you so much for any and all assistance! Good luck on your RV journey. !
Unfortunately, I don’t know how to make them cold-weather proof as I live in south Florida. I think adding a window film and some heavier curtains would be a good option. Here is a link to a window film. https://amzn.to/3BOAPct
Hello. I’m curious after having the roof sealed for a season are you still impressed with it? We’ve heard some negative issues.
I will use your advice. I am restoring a vintage Williams camper and wanted to start with waterproofing the roof! Love that you named your camper, I’m going to have to give mine a name soon.
Coming up with a name was like naming my child. LOL. Please come back and let me know what you named yours. Happy travels.
Your blog is very helpful. I appreciate it. But I would highly recommend RV Roof Magic over elastomeric coatings. RV Roof Magic is a one coat product application system which can be easily applied by the owner there is no need to hire a professional. Unlike expensive elastomeric coatings, with RV Roof Magic there is no need to recoat the surface area again and again. It’s low budget but high on quality.
I like what you did in repairing your old trailer. I like how you coated the wood roof with white paint. My wife and I would love to contact trailer repair services to do something similar with your waterproofing method.
I am glad to know that you used additional Silicone Roofing for your RV before coating it with aluminum. My wife and I plan to rehaul our new RV as well. We would need a roofer to help us out in remaking our trailer.
Help. When you sealed around the vents on the roof, did you avoid getting it on the nails/screws? I don’t know anything about this so I’m wondering what if we had to replace a vent? If it’s got the rubber membrane over it is that bad?
We sealed even over the nails and screws to prevent any possible leaks. It would not hurt the membrane either since it is just another rubber. 🙂 You would scrape it off if you had to replace a vent.
Hello!! Thanks for the post! My dear “luna” is a 1966 Comanche and is in need of a total overhaul. I just have NO IDEA where to start. I would imagine I would start with the roof, so the inside stays dry as I work on the remaining parts. But I’m fairly sure I need to replace parts of the framing. As I was reading some other comments and your replies, I saw you had to replace your framing as well. This was well after your roof repair, correct? Would you suggest I repair framing before roof? Also, any suggestions on forums or groups to join?! I need all the help I can get -glad I stumbled upon your post!
Hey Tiffany, if you think the frame needs to be repaired, I’d find a professional in your area to look at it before you put any work into it. My actual trailer frame under the trailer was cracked in multiple places and I did not know that. It had to be stripped down completely and rebuilt. There are many groups on FB – Restoring Vintage Trailers is one. Do a search for Vintage Trailers and see what is in your area or those you might be interested in. Also search for groups for vintge Comanche trailers. I have a Fleetwood Terry and found a group for vintage terry trailers that has been helpful. I’d love to hear any updates and see a pic of your trailer sometime. Feel free to find me on FB. Also, consider joining Sisters on The Fly, they are really great at helping find resources as well..and I’m a sister. <3
Very helpful for those who diy their rv repairs and campers. Really helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Great tip! Will definitely save this for future reference! Thank you so much!
Liked. Looking to buy our first motorhome a c class and I will keep this saved for future reference. Thanks.
Well done! I admire those who can do all kinds of DIY work and don’t have to go to the professionals. If you are on a tight budget, this is for you.
Your blog is very helpful! I appreciate it! I have a 1972 Prowler travel trailer (named Marsha hehe) with an aluminum roof and I am about to tackle it. I’m wondering why you chose the Heng’s Elastomeric instead of the Heng’s Alkyd Fibered Aluminum Roof Coating? On the Heng’s website it says the Elastomeric is for rubber roofs, whereas the latter is for Aluminum. I’m totally a novice, so any advice you have in response is appreciated! Thanks!
Hey Nikki, Sorry for the delay in replying. Honestly, we chose that because our local RV dealership recommended that one to us and they have been super helpful. It did work very well. My trailer has been completely rebuilt with new walls and skin now, but if we found a leak, we would use it again. It worked so well and was a fairly easy application that we will be using that on our patio roof that is leaking. Thank you for your comment and visiting. Happy trails.
I got a camper with really bad water damage all around. We tore out the front in side to see the damage most wood will need to be replaced. So we are going to have to do a total gut and remodel. When it comes to the roof we seen the beems and the wood (on top of bees and under roof. The wood need to be replaced. All of it. The hubby want to go from the inside. Take down beems and the replace wood. My thought would to be take roof off and then replace wood. And then seal the heck out of the roof. You said you remodeled your camper so I’m wondering what your thouts would be to get to that wood.
I think it would really depend on where the bulk of your damage is. If the damage is more on the inside, I would work inside and then seal everything outside. We learned a lot with the renovations we did and then when it needed to be rebuilt. When mine was rebuilt, they didn’t use beams – they used wood panels for frame and then added interior walls and finally outer walls. I would suggest you have someone look at it and give you some suggestions. Hope you get it rebuilt and on the road soon. Let me know how it works out.
We purchased a 1965 Phoenix(Carl)and we are about to seal the roof. My question is has the Hengs roof sealer held up for Glinda? Do you recommend or have you tried something different? Thanks for any and all feed back.
Tim
Hey Tim, my roof sealer held up perfectly until we had to rebuild the whole trailer from the frame up. 🙂 We also put this sealer on the aluminum roof of our sunroom off our house and it has held up wonderfully. I would definitely recommend again and will use if we ever start experiencing any leaks in the newly rebuilt trailer roof. Good luck with yours and Happy Travels.
Three years after you posted this it turns out to be exactly the info I was looking for! My 1958 FAN 12-footer will be most appreciative, As am I. Thank you, Cheryl!
Awesome. I hope it helps. Happy travels!!
Thx 4 sharing. Loved it. Vintage. You’re brave. 🙂
Your roof looks great. Your hubby did a great job. I would love to know what you plan to do with the inside of the trailer. Have a wonderful day.
Hi Cheryl,
I was wondering how much of the roof coating you used. Did you need a whole Fallon? It’s not the cheapest stuff so if like to avoid buying more then I need. I’ve got a 13 ft 1969 Aritocrat Lo Liner.
Thanks!
We ended up putting a few coats on so we did use almost the whole gallon. It was definitely worth it though.
Hi, I just got a camper like the one pictures. I wanna ask, did it work well? And have you had any problems since?
Hey Martha, the roof coating worked very well. I did not have any leaks in that roof. Since that post, my trailer did have to be rebuilt as the frame was coming apart. I now have an all new exterior. Dear hubby thinks we need to seriously consider painting the roof with this same stuff again just to prevent any possibility of a leak in the future…even though it is a brand new roof and has no leaks at this time. 🙂
How is this sealant holding up?
Hey Stacy, the sealant held up amazingly well until my trailer had to be rebuilt. Turns out the frame was cracked in a few places and after many miles on the roads, she just started to literally shake apart. So, Glinda had a rebuild. She now has an all new frame and exterior. Even though she’s all good now, we’ve seriously considered applying the roof coating just for insurance protection.
Could the frame not be re-welded? I’m re-doing a smashed gooseneck horse trailer and we’ve been welding stuff back together, including the frame.
It did need to be rewelded in many places. Good for you doing one as well.
Wow! That’s a really cool repair. It’s amazing what a bit of stubbornness can accomplish!
Hi there. Thanks for sharing this! Did you do any extra sealing (with silicone, maybe?) around the roof vents?
Yes, Laura, we did apply a special flexible silicone that is self-leveling (found at camper supply store) around the vents! This is the product we used http://amzn.to/2voiova. Hope that helps. Would love to see a pic of your trailer too.
Hi Cheryl, love the instructions and advice on product to use. Bought a 1970 Shasta 1400 (Ravishing Ruby), didn’t have any apparent leaks. Fixed the damage inside from old leakage, prior owner removed the roof vent where it seemed to originate. Thought she was all good! Completely finished her inside redo and discovered I had a couple of leaks, ugh!!!! Right now I am re-puttying all windows and about to do the top to sides seam all the way around, both sides. Did you re-putty your roof seams before doing the roof sealant? I’m quite sure one of my leaks originate on one side. I just decided to do everything since they are all the same age, and unfortunately Ruby has to sit out to brave the mid-west seasonal elements! Thanks for any advice! Hope your little trailer is going strong and staying dry. =:-)
Hey Terry, we didn’t really know what we were doing at the time of this repair. We learned along the way. We did not reputty the sides, but I would say that is definitely a great idea if you suspect any leaking coming from the seams. My poor Glinda finally …literally…shook herself apart after many miles of traveling. Turns out there were cracks in the frame itself and it just deteriorated over time. It was something we could not see and was only discovered when they tore her apart to rebuild. So, since this post, Glinda has had a complete rebuild and is like new, but with all the vintage charm she had before and we are going strong again. Hope Ruby is back on the road now. Happy travels.
Just found your site. We are just starting on our vintage 1959 Holly. Sure could use some tips. We bought the roof coating, same as what you used. Waiting through some rainy days to start. We are looking for a vintage ice box to go where the gas heater went. We are not doing electric so we need an “ICE BOX”. Please respond. Will take any suggestions we get.
Hey Peter and Jean, welcome to the journey. I have a a vintage ice box. Sometimes I do think about swapping it out for a fridge, but as I do not have a generator or any way for electric to run while I’m traveling, it wouldn’t make much since. We tried to add further insulation to our ICE BOX by taking it out and spraying a layer of expandable foam around the icebox (the part that is all hidden in the cabinet). If you do try this, be careful because it was a little too big to fit back in the hole so we had to use a serrated blade to trim the foam after it was set. This did help a little to provide more insulation. We really need to find a way to replace the rubber seal on the door, but I cannot find the supplies to do that yet as it looks like the inner door would have to be removed to do this and that is a skill set I do not have.
One thing I have discovered is to use ice blocks as much as possible. I actually use the large square shaped jugs/bottles (drinks might come in them) and I fill these with water (after washing) and freeze. These will usually last me a few days. After they thaw, you have fresh water to drink. If I’m traveling for a few weeks and am lucky enough to visit with a friend along the way, I’ll refreeze and use again. Keep the ice towards the top as cold air drops. Dry ice will work as well, but it is so expensive, I did not find it a worthwhile investment. Bags of ice just melt too fast. Hope that helps.
Awesome – great idea to use the long handle roller. What kind of trailer is it?
thank you I be doing the same the roof of a 1975 Terry I learn alot.
so enjoyed meeting you today and loved your venture! Keep a diary of your summer adventure….maybe a book!
I’m so glad you stopped! It was great meeting you too. I can’t wait to share what she looks like when I get her painted and all dolled up inside. Definitely before the end of the month.