nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Apr 9, 2019 16:43:12 GMT -8
Welcome!
To be honest, I'd replace it with aluminum. You may invest the time and money into Por-15 and find there are still small leaks.
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Post by bigbill on Apr 9, 2019 16:58:31 GMT -8
I agree that you might be better off replacing the roof it appears that the galvanize is mostly gone and the metal is starting to rust, if you want to repaint it you will have to kill the rust or it will come back through the new paint. By the time you get rid of the rust and recoat the roof you could replace it with aluminum. BUT if you do you must remove the old roof or you will have a dis-similar metal problem. I would go the a place that repairs semi trailer bodies and get the aluminum sheet.
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Post by vikx on Apr 9, 2019 20:25:25 GMT -8
It's a cute little trailer and I think will make a fun camper. It's not worth building it in and having the roof still drip drip dripping...
I agree with new aluminum roofing. I don't think yours will seal even with gallons of goop. Oddly, tho we are a goop free zone, steel roofing should be coated periodically. Obviously, that was never done.
All the old sealant should be removed and the areas scrupulously cleaned before you try to figure out what needs to be sealed. From inside the trailer with the door closed, take a close look inside for pinholes shining daylight thru. If it seems solid, you could try to save it but it will be costly. I would sand the rust as a first step.
Seal each seam (NOT the roof vent) with Proflex brushable clear RV sealant. It is self leveling and will take 2 to 3 coats to get all the dips, nooks and crannies. Proflex is painted on with a disposable brush, it is not caulk and only comes in clear. It sticks to anything clean.
Geocel 23200V Pro Flex RV Brushable Sealer GC23200
The roof should be primed and painted after the Proflex dries.
Re-putty the roof vent or replace with a Fantastic Fan. The sealant of choice for the roof vent is Dicor self leveling lap sealant. It can be removed if the vent ever needs to be replaced. Not easy, but can be done.
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jeremiah
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Post by jeremiah on Apr 10, 2019 3:10:37 GMT -8
Welcome. It's a cool little trailer and nice project. I can picture it finished. Can you stand up in it ?
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jeremiah
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Post by jeremiah on Apr 10, 2019 3:22:19 GMT -8
As I read this thread. I see such a FINE LINE. between Goop and Brushable sealant. I applied a sealant with a brush, with more than one coat, before I knew it I had "GOOP". But it sealed everything on the roof. I removed all old silicon filler, litely filled all tiny gaps and applied the second coat Brushable sealant. I know some people will jump all over this But.... when does brushable sealant become "Goop"? 1/8" 3/16", 1/4"? Seriously...
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Apr 10, 2019 4:17:55 GMT -8
...when does sealant become "Goop"? 1/8" 3/16", 1/4"? Seriously... Anything that needs gas or heavy chemicals to remove is goop to me. In my opinion (and I've tried it) goop doesn't last. It's a short term fix.
I was on a camping trip and a window leak showed during a rain storm. I gooped it to save the birch panel knowing when I got home it had to come off, the window removed and new putty tape applied. In that case, goop saved the day...but it was a royal pain getting off.
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jeremiah
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Post by jeremiah on Apr 10, 2019 4:45:17 GMT -8
...when does sealant become "Goop"? 1/8" 3/16", 1/4"? Seriously... Anything that needs gas or heavy chemicals to remove is goop to me. In my opinion (and I've tried it) goop doesn't last. It's a short term fix.
I was on a camping trip and a window leak showed during a rain storm. I gooped it to save the birch panel knowing when I got home it had to come off, the window removed and new putty tape applied. In that case, goop saved the day...but it was a royal pain getting off.
are you saying.... only use product that is easy to remove and none of it lasts at all, so NO sealant at all should be used on roofs, even on seams ? I check my seams and yearly, usually before winter and in spring. But that's just what I do with lite/hard to remove sealant if needed. |
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Post by windsailor97 on Apr 10, 2019 4:46:55 GMT -8
Welcome. It's a cool little trailer and nice project. I can picture it finished. Can you stand up in it ? It's got a dropped OSB ceiling which I am removing so it will be about 6' tall when I am raise it. Its an odd little duck. I would guess it was DIY though the title calls it a 67 Layton. (?) |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Apr 10, 2019 5:20:53 GMT -8
Anything that needs gas or heavy chemicals to remove is goop to me. In my opinion (and I've tried it) goop doesn't last. It's a short term fix.
I was on a camping trip and a window leak showed during a rain storm. I gooped it to save the birch panel knowing when I got home it had to come off, the window removed and new putty tape applied. In that case, goop saved the day...but it was a royal pain getting off.
are you saying.... only use product that is easy to remove and none of it lasts at all, so NO sealant at all should be used on roofs, even on seams ? I check my seams and yearly, usually before winter and in spring. But that's just what I do with lite/hard to remove sealant if needed. Goop sealants (IMO) are only good for sealing staples or tiny leaks in combination with the old tried-and-true putty tape. If the tape is compromised or the roof has pinholes, goop is only a short term fix. Butyl tape is the best but really hard to trim or take off. So to your point, not everything hard to remove is a bad sealant. At some point we're all searching for a way to avoid taking jrail off, removing windows or a rusted roof that leaks. Goop seems like a time saving way to go but it never lasts. So every year we apply more until we give up on goop. And as most of us know, getting layers of goop off is a nightmare of toxic chemicals. I had one camper with layers of goop around the vent and jrail that only came off with gasoline. What a mess!
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Post by vikx on Apr 10, 2019 11:33:07 GMT -8
The ONLY product I recommend is Proflex clear brushable sealant on the SEAMS. It is not for the entire roof and will be permanent and ugly until painted. It should never be applied to a 50s canned ham.
#GC23200
Dicor self leveling lap sealant is used around the roof vent after proper shimming and putty as a final protectant over screw heads and at edges. It is removable (with elbow grease) in case the vent needs to be pulled for repairs. Dicor works for any roof protrusion with new putty and will stick to itself, so can be touched up. For new installations; it will NOT seal old flaws or re-seal previous sealants.
The trailer in this thread is not vintage or original so no harm done if the roof can be saved. It looks to have surface rust but the metal seems OK. The seams are a big IF because of all the screws and copious goop. Also, 70s trailers are not included in this discussion.
GOOP: Elastomeric of any kind, Snow Seal, Proflex other than the above, Liquid Roof (EPDM product) and other "coat" the roof products. A coated roof is a sure sign of leaks.
NOTE: Roof goop does not last and will peel. It can ruin metal because water leaks underneath causing rot.
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