Roofing options for an old camper
 

I've got a 1969 bon voyage 20 ft camper, and after sealing the roof vent and side moldings, I still have a leak somewhere in the main area of the roof. I'm guessing I have a pinhole somewhere. My question is, what are my options as far as sealing the roof? A piece of white rubber, paint on? Looking for suggestions. I'd also like to do a lap sealant on the vent as I can't say I'm comforable with screw heads showing.

If the roof on your Hi-Lo is like mine and made up of several sections with lap seams you may find that those seams are leaking.

I still can not believe some big wheel at the Hi-Lo factory thought that was a good way to construct a trailer roof.

I've been looking at this stuff. It is the same material as the rubber sheet only in a liquid form so it would be an easier install. You may not need 5 gallons as it is a small trailer but stored properly it would probably stay good in case you ever want to recoat it.

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Rubber-.../dp/B003KA00VQ

This is a common type of construction for many RVs, not just Hi-Lo. The problem with our trailers is that walls distorted from moisture jam the up/down mechanism. Conventional trailers do not have this problem.

Keep in mind, I am not saying that this is a good way to build an RV roof. I'm just saying that many RVs have the same type of roof construction. Every one of the three RVs that I've owned (Shasta, Jayco, Hi-Lo) has had this type of roof.

I'd say that's what's going on, couldn't find any pin holes anywhere

so would liquid be the way to go? I'm not opposed to getting a sheet of rubber, just not sure how I would attach it. I just want something that will last, I plan on using this camper a long time.

think I could get away with caulking all the seams on the roof? The roof is in great shape, just not looking forward to dumping 400 bucks into a liquid coating for the roof. OUCH!

You probably could caulk all the seams, but you're gonna see the caulk unless you paint the roof. To paint the roof you will have to use a paintable caulk. Painters caulk is gonna dry too hard and not flex with the trailer so it will eventually pop loose taking the paint with it. That leaves paintable silicone which will work but I would scrub all the seams with acetone before caulking to assure a good bond. You could also get the Eternabond tape and do all the seams but its not cheap either. But it's good stuff and you will only have to do it once as it really bonds well. You can just roll several coats of elastomeric roof sealant on it. It's cheap (20 to 30 a gallon depending on the quality). The difference between the quality is the amount of solids in the liquid. Cheaper stuff will give you a thinner coat than the more expensive stuff. You can always roll more coats on top of it later on if leaks develop or even recoat each year as preventive measure.

Once I figured out the water intrusion into my trailer was from the roof seams I bought two rolls of four inch eternabond. I covered every seam and the edge off everything going through the roof.
I also washed every bit of dirt off the roof and found tiny pin holes that could be mistaken for dirt. These were in the area of the leak. For these I bought a one quart can of liquid rubber from my local RV dealer. I'm sure this stuff comes in many names, but I just took the advice of this dealer I prefer to deal with. He told me its all they use. The one quart can was more then I needed and it cost about 400.00 less then a complete liquid roof.
I also learned the eternabond as advertised will stick to anything on your roof. So if you want to try a less expensive repair then the fifty dollar a roll eternabond you can do the spot repairs with a small amount of liquid rubber and cover it later if necessary with the eternabond.
This is just my experience.

so the elastomeric stuff, how does it hold up? I would be ok with recoating once a year. I'm guessing I'll need two gallons of the epdm liquid if I go that route, and they're about 90 a gallon

My dealer friend used Koolseal to coat HiLo metal roofs. He said that you you need to do two coats for a proper job. Be sure to mask the edges so you don't get it where you don't want it because it really sticks.

https://www.amazon.com/COATINGS-KST06...words=koolseal

DO NOT GET KOOLSEAL FOR RUBBER ROOFS IF YOU HAVE A METAL ROOF. It comes in both types.

I'm liking the price point on this much better the epdm, will it hold up as well?

KST COATINGS KST063600-20 Elastomeric Roof Coating, 5-Gallon - Hardware Sealers - Amazon.com

This stuff is actually better than the Koolseal. It coats Thicker as it has more dissolved solids in it and also contains silicone. Stretches/flexes up to 300%. Available at ant Lowes and works great on metal roofs. Also available in gallons for about $23.00.

Shop BLACK JACK 4.75-Gallon Elastomeric Roof Coating at Lowes.com

Don't send for it, you should be able to get it at your local hardware store. I worked in my friends hardware and he sold a lot of it for mobile homes. You don't have to pay shipping that way. True Value has it, I could not find it on either Home Depot or Lowes websites.

Kool Seal White Elastomeric Roof Coating , 0.9 Gal.: Model# KST063300-16 : True Value Hardware Stores

awesome! thanks guys, might be a good project for this weekend

Just an update on the liquid rubber roof product. If you buy a 4 or 5 gallon bucket of this product, it comes with a divider inside the bucket with a bottle of catalyst that must be mixed into the liquid rubber before use. You have to use an electric drill and mixing paddle to mix it. This stuff is extremely thick and my drill was literally smoking from mixing this product so use a strong drill. Once the product is catalyzed you must use it all as you can not store it. Catalyst is a hardener and it will harden in the bucket if you try to store it. I used this on a 5th wheel trailer I'm remodeling for a friend. It had a plywood and sheet rubber roof. It is a great product and self levels and dries smooth. I think this would be a great, long lasting covering over the metal roofs of Hi Lo trailers.

misfit429, I have tried the liquid rubber twice, and it worked perfect on our hi-lo roof. what I also like about it, is that before the application, the metal roof had some uneven surface from age and movement, once I applied a thick layer of the liquid rubber, the surface is even and smooth with no low points, of course the thicker application does requires longer time to dry, but within a week it was totally cured and lost the tacky feel. you are right on the heavy duty drill to mix the liquid and the hardener. first time I applied it was the rear half of the trailer, and I was using paint brush to apply, a year later I discovered couple of pin holes on the front of the trailer where I didn't apply before, I made a mistake of waiting 15~20 min before I applied and I noticed the rubber was getting thicker in the bucket, there was no way I could apply with brush, so pouring it was the other option, and I used a long handle squeegee to spread the material. overall we are very happy with the results.