# Eternabond All Seams On Brand New Roof, Thoughts?



## Jewels (Jan 17, 2011)

We just ordered our brand new 10th anniversary Outback 250rs. Our plan, the first weekend we take delivery is to put Eternabond tape on any and all seams. Thoughts? Opinions?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Very expensive to do that and really not necessary.

Dicor self leveling caulk is all you need. Just inspect and reapply as needed.


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## Kevin K (Jan 31, 2011)

I am thinking the same thing (312BH on order.) If you plan on storing your trailer outside the Dicor really seems to take a beating. If you plan on keeping your trailer for a long time and park it outside it may be worth it. There seems to be only so much Dicor you could slather on before you would need to remove and reapply. I'm thinking the Eternabond would last for years without maintenance. If you are going to do the work yourself - very time consuming getting the Dicor off - but expensive, I don't think the tape costs that much.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Kevin K said:


> If you are going to do the work yourself - very time consuming getting the Dicor off - but expensive, I don't think the tape costs that much.


Inspection and reapplication of Dicor to questionable areas takes only a few minutes. The tape can cost anywhere from $60 to $100 per 50 foot roll.


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## letscamp (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm no pro by any means, but I'd wait to do something like that til after the factory warranty is up. Before its up you can be picky where the repairs are made on their dine at the service center or dealership.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

I'm in the camp of .. .wait 'till the warranty is up... then go for it, if the cost isn't a problem.

I realize that inspection and touch up with Dicor doesn't take too long, but I also realize my own tendency to procratistinate, forget, or otherwise not do it. I used some Eternabond on my last camper and I think it's a good product and worked well.

I still have some and will likely do it on my OB this summer. I would like it to get warm enough though, to make it really apply well... and they may not be until June or July.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I used eternabond on my last trailer when the Raccoon tried to winter under the rubber roof. I looked at the edges and decided to dicor them just to make sure no rain/wind/sticks could get under. Personally, I'll sitck with Dicor for the screws, etc and save what's left of the eternabond roll in case of a tear or hole.


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## Kevin K (Jan 31, 2011)

I was wondering if it would be easier to take the dicor off right after it is applied (I'm ordering my trailer.) If so, it would make sense to apply the eternabond asap. Thoughts?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Kevin K said:


> I was wondering if it would be easier to take the dicor off right after it is applied (I'm ordering my trailer.) If so, it would make sense to apply the eternabond asap. Thoughts?


See the second post.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

Kevin K said:


> I was wondering if it would be easier to take the dicor off right after it is applied (I'm ordering my trailer.) If so, it would make sense to apply the eternabond asap. Thoughts?


Regardless of the pros and cons of using Eternabond, or how soon on a new trailer, application of Eternabond does NOT involve removing the Dicor. You apply the Eternabond material right over any seams or areas you want to seal.


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## ftwildernessguy (Oct 12, 2009)

I sealed all the roof seams and the slideout seam with Eternabond last year. It was pretty easy, and to me gives an extra measure of protection. With all the controversy re. delamination and possible leakage at the roof seams, it just made sense to me. I will still inspect seams every year, but I really feel alot better with the Eternabond covering everything, as opposed to spot repairs with Dicor and hoping I got every compromised seam.

Just to add, the only thing the Eternabond won't stick to is silicone. The seam on the end slideout had silicone over areas where it was screwed in, for some reason. I removed most of the silicone, and the eternabond overlapped the areas and stuck to the roofing material.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

ftwildernessguy said:


> Just to add, the only thing the Eternabond won't stick to is silicone. The seam on the end slideout had silicone over areas where it was screwed in, for some reason. I removed most of the silicone, and the eternabond overlapped the areas and stuck to the roofing material.


They used silicone on the slide top screw heads due to its durability and its ability to go past the wiper seal without damage. Had they used Dicor and you opened or closed the slide when the material was hot it very easily could wipe the Dicor off of the screw heads.


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## Kevin K (Jan 31, 2011)

I have read it being done both ways. I think removing the Dicor would be a cleaner install than over it but a ton more work.

I think I will wait until I get the trailer to decide. The Fleetwood I am replacing with the 312BH looked like the Dicor installer had a liberal trigger finger - that stuff was everywhere and would make it difficult to seal with tape effectively.

Since my current trailer spent its five years inside climate control I only had to reapply dicor once and only in a few spots. My concern, like yours FtWildernessguy, was the delamination issues. The new trailer will stay outside and don't want to have to worry about leaks.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

Kevin K said:


> I have read it being done both ways. I think removing the Dicor would be a cleaner install than over it but a ton more work.
> 
> I think I will wait until I get the trailer to decide. The Fleetwood I am replacing with the 312BH looked like the Dicor installer had a liberal trigger finger - that stuff was everywhere and would make it difficult to seal with tape effectively.


Yeah... that is the way Dicor is supposed to be applied. I used to think it was just sloppy application. However, it appears that this type of stuff is meant to be applied liberally. It's not meant to be seen, so how it looks doesn't matter.... as long as it does what it's supposed to do. In general, that's why it's kind of pointless to remove it. I agree though, it would certainly seem to be a cleaner to remove and reapply Dicor, or remove and apply Eternabond.

From what I have seen and read... with minimal *but* routine, dedicated effort, Dicor use has proven to be effective and economical. It's up to all of us to determine if we can adhere to the routine. Personally, I really like the idea of using Eternabond....not so much a matter of IF...more a matter of WHEN I'll apply it to the new trailer.


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## ftwildernessguy (Oct 12, 2009)

If you're gonna do it, I would recommend springing for the aerosol cleaner Eternabond sells to prep the surface with.


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## willingtonpaul (Apr 16, 2010)

one thing to keep in mind when being concerned about delamination:

although the seam where the roof meets the front nose cap is important to take care of, IMHO the upper clearance / marker lights on the front cap have a history of being inadequately caulked. so really pay special attention to those. when i took delivery of my own unit, NEITHER of the front clearance marker lights up top were caulked ON THE TOP of the light housing. gilligan ran caulk on the underside of the light housing, which you could see when you looked up at it, but when you got on a ladder and looked at the top, there was absolutely no caulk up there. and that is the important part !

most if not all front nose cap delamination pictures i have seen seem to elude to water creeping in around those lights, separating the filon from the backer, and then hot / cold temp swings with air and moisture expansion / contraction further work the detachment from around the marker lights on down.....this is of course IMHO, but i can see on my own unit where water got in from the 11/18/2009 build date to the 2/2/10 delivery date that i picked it up. at time of delivery i had the tech re-caulk those seams and make a note on my delivery paperwork that the caulk was deficient in those areas from the factory. when the light hits the front nose cap on the right angle, and the temp is either below freezing or above 80, you can see ever so slight and subtle bubble effects around one of the front clearance lights. only i can see it, but then again, i am the one paying the most attention ! i am now out of warranty (yawn) but at least if i have a problem, i have that delivery report, for what's it's worth....

now, the new front nose cap design seems to eliminate these issues, while looking pretty cool on top of it. one downside is that tongue weights have gone up substantially. my own unit in a 2010 model showed 630lb of hitch weight, and in the 2011 model that went to 760lbs. if i ever have trouble, i will push them to install that new nose cone on my unit, or if they won't do it, maybe i would purchase it and put it on myself. or mayne they give me the nose cone gratis and i put it on. who knows, i hope i have no trouble, of course.....


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