# Finally Found Some Cracks In The Roof Caulk



## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Alright guys,

As I was cleaning the Outback last night to prepare for this weekends trip I noticed some small cracks in the roof caulk along the edges of the camper







. I have two questions:

1. What do I fix them with?

and

2. What type of prep does it require? (ie. do I remove the old caulk, caulk over after cleaning, etc)

This is something I am not AT ALL familiar with so please be as graphic as you can with your assistive information.

Thanks and as always, your efforts are very much appreciated!!









Jason


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

CAREFULLY trim any obviously loose caulk off around the affected area with a razor blade being exceptionally careful not to slit the rubber roof. Clean the affected area. Some use naptha, or other mild solvent. Re-seal with Dicor caulking.

I'm glad you found this and are acting on your findings. I had a small little crack in mine that resulted in water running down the interior wall and onto the bunks. It's an easy but important fix. Good Luck


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## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Thanks for the info! I probably won't be able to do this until after the weekend, but it will be HIGH PRIORITY upon return.

Do places like Walmart carry the sealant or will I have to go to an RV place?

I don't really have any "loose" caulk, they are all like little 3/4 inch long razor blade cuts. In this case do I have to trim the caulk back or can I just go over top.

Also, where do you get Naptha? What is it and what are the alternatives?

Thanks Jim

Jason


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Is it the joint where the roof and the side of the trailer meet? That bead of caulk will pull out very easily, if you choose to use a razor there, be REALLY careful that you don't cut the roof membrane. I removed the loose parts on mine and then caulked with clear silicone. Your dealer should have something like it or better.

Paint store should have naptha. Naptha is basically the same as mineral spirits except it's a little more volatile meaning it dries faster.

Mike


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## Morrowmd (Feb 22, 2005)

Jason,

My Father-in-law had small cracks in the caulk on his 5er and had his dealer do the warranty repair (less than a year old).

They used the self leveling stuff and went right over the existing caulk. You should be able to do this if your caulk isn't dried up and coming off already.

Good luck!

-Matt


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

My dealer not only found cracks in mine but wound up doing allot of work under waranty... allot more then i knew it would have taken ... not as simple as just recaulking ... of course some of my cracks were pretty good size... about an 2 inches...


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## outdrs1 (Apr 22, 2005)

Ghosty said:


> My dealer not only found cracks in mine but wound up doing allot of work under waranty... allot more then i knew it would have taken ... not as simple as just recaulking ... of course some of my cracks were pretty good size... about an 2 inches...
> [snapback]38123[/snapback]​


Man.... This does not sound good that the caulking is already cracking on units that are so new.







Sounds like what Keystone is using for caulk must come from China like the tires on the new Outbacks. The dealer should fix this under warranty.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Now I need to watch mine, have same unit


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

The cracks in the roof sealant is NOT just an Outback problem. It is common to any RV with this type roof construction. If anything, I think its worse with a new unit, because this sealant is very soft, and it is still settling into little gaps, seams, and cracks in the roof construction.
My Brother-in-law's last trailer was a Holiday Rambler, (not cheap!) and it required the same roof care that our Outbacks do. He told me that he checked the roof every couple of months, and used the Dicor brand roof lap sealant "Like he was icing a cake".







This is routine for ANY RV with a rubber roof.
He now has a class A diesel pusher MH. Don't know what the roof is like at that altitude!








Fred.


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## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Mike,

It is where the roof and side of the camper meet! How did you get yours off, putty knife, razor, etc??? I called around today and a local dealer, not the dealer I purchased it from, has some Dicor so I'm going to pick up a couple tubes today, will 2 be enough?? I don't want to go crazy and overkill this thing, but I want to make sure that I do a thorough job.

This type of thing makes me very nervous, because I don't want to screw anything up by not using enough or using too much.

Matt,

I called my dealer this AM and he said, "We consider that routine maintenance and that is the responsibility of the owner." I figured that would be the response, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway. Glad it worked out for your dad, though!!

Jason


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

1stTimeAround said:


> Mike,
> 
> It is where the roof and side of the camper meet!Â How did you get yours off, putty knife, razor, etc???Â I called around today and a local dealer, not the dealer I purchased it from, has some Dicor so I'm going to pick up a couple tubes today, will 2 be enough??Â I don't want to go crazy and overkill this thing, but I want to make sure that I do a thorough job.Â
> 
> ...


Minor cracks are very much just routine maintenance and should be looked at every 2 to 3 months from the beginning of the season to the end. The heating/cooling cycle does a lot of movement (spring and fall) and that can cause cracks. Also dragging them down the road will cause cracks due to joint movement.

Really big cracks on the other hand could indicate a joint failure under the sealant and could require dealer action. Also depending on the dealer you could maybe get this taken care of by the dealer the first time you bring in the trailer for work and he does it as a good will gesture.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

The joint where the roof meets the side on ours is not sealed with lap sealant Seems to be a bead of silicone or something along the whole length of the joint where the gutter and the roof meet.

The corners have lap sealant as well as all the other roof fixtures, but not that long joint where the roof and side wall meet.

Mike


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## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Mike,

When I got up there yesterday to clean and seal the roof, I finally saw what you are talking about. I was confused prior to actually having the TT there were I could see all the seems and LAP sealant, etc.

Most of the issues I am having involve the Dicor Lap Sealant that is placed on and around the sky lights, antenna, bathroom vents, roof vents, corners of the roof, etc. I cleaned them all very well (they actually are white!!) and then resealed with the Dicor sealant. This weekend, I will bring the TT back home again and hit the silicone caulk edge that you speak of with a new bead of silicone. I did not find any cracks in it, but I figure you can't be to careful!

In your opinion, should I not worry about it or go ahead and do it? Also, if I do reseal that bead of silicone, should I remove ALL old silicone first or just clean it and then go over it?

Thanks

Jason


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Sounds like you did a thorough job patching. If the caulk along the edge is sound, I would leave it alone. I inspect mine and remove the loose caulk and touch it up as it needs it.

Mike


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