This video appeared to ruffle quiet a few feathers. To be abundantly clear, we believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. This videos intent was to warn against a craze we see multiple times - covering all seams on the roof with Eternabond tape. As stated in the video, items on your roof (such as vents, skylights, antennas, etc) do get sun damaged and brittle. You also might hit a tree, or you might even want to make some upgrades. Having Eternabond tape around all seams would make those repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape. As an RV repair shop owner (with over 25 years in the industry), I speak from experience. Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary. I believe the RV industry hasn't done the consumer justice with educating them on maintenance required. While others may feel covering every seam with Eternabond tape is "the bees knees," I don't. We can just agree to disagree.
I did self leveling lap sealant on my cargo trailer and then did 4 inch wide Eternabond on the perimeter of the trailer. This is on Aluminum and Galvalume. The builder did 2 inch wide tape on the trailer and vent. I pulled the old tape with a plastic scraper and then used 3 quarts of goof off to remove the residue before resealing. I have watched so many RV videos because I am thinking about a toy hauler. The more research I do, the more I am leaning towards do a cargo trailer conversion to toy hauler. RVs are made as cheap as possible.
Agreed @@Dave-sw2dm 👍 I have owned a few boats in the 25-30 foot range and a couple of cargo trailers but it wasnt until I went shopping for my first RV that I saw what incredible garbage RV's are made of.😮 It's a sad state of affairs.
Really good info on the viability of Eternabond tape. Agreed it's best as a patch. I recently used dicor self leveling lap sealant. It didn't spread like I thought it would. I bought the tubes several months ago and maybe I should have waited until the sun had gone down a bit. Wonder if it's shelf life played a role in that? After reading comments maybe it is a good thing. Prep is critical as is constant inspection.
Notice he doesn’t give any real reason why not to use it other than to replace a vent cover or something like that. I’ll tell you why he doesn’t want you to use it, because he has to remove it to work on the roof. He said it himself that stuff sticks on there really good. Show me some examples of the SHRINKING AND CRACKING Eternabond!
13 years ago I stripped all caulk off the seams of an old Holiday Rambler one piece roof. cleaned and prepped as needed. The Eternabond is still there and has been trouble free.
Eternabond may not be for everyone .I have not regretted Eternabond yet. I have a 2000 Sprinter . Its been through some really nasty wind storms rain and snow. I applied SEAL FLEX on the roof and Eternabond on the edge and corner moldings. I will admit it might be difficult to come off, there is a positive to that.
@@raditian2 I will def apply Eternabond on my roof. I just had enough of stupid sealers that I have to re-patch twice a year: this is not fun and frankly looks like utter 5hit.
@@yvels3685 I am fixing to do an inspection on my roof been about a yr. I don't know the terminology for tree gunk , debree , the brown stuff that stains the roof. Soap and water may clean it off. Other than that its seems to be holding up ok.
The two reasons mainstream RV manufacturers use liquid poly roof sealant (Sikaflex) is because it's quick to apply and cheap to acquire. As you stated... it's TEMPORARY. As far as the longevity of a liquid polymer, much depends on the quality (solids content) of the sealer, and proper application. The "factory kids" hastily apply only ONE COAT and it's out the door. It's best to apply a second coat a few days to a week after the initial coat sets. NO mass RV manufacturer does that... time is money. Thor and other manufacturers buy that stuff in drums, and use pneumatic pump guns to apply... watch the video. They do a roof in a matter of minutes! It's a KNOWN FACT that water intrusion is the biggest destroyer of RVs. Once water gets in, wood rots - and is VERY costly to repair... usually it totals the RV! Dicor, Sikaflex and similar polymer sealants tend to dry out and crack - allowing water intrusion. How long it takes is dependent on environmental exposure and the elements. Polymer sealant on an RV used only occasionally and stored under cover may preserve the sealant for 3 - 5 years. But typically these sealants MUST be reapplied nearly every year; sometimes even more frequently. The material is relative cheap to purchase - about $10 for a 10 ounce cartridge tube - and a typical roof may need one to three tubes per season. A conservative estimate of time and materials per season might be 2 - 3 hours on the roof and $50 for the sealant. Eternabond and similar vinyl backed butyl tapes are much less susceptible to UV damage - and don't dry out and crack like polymers. PROPERLY applied, these tapes often last 15 - 20 years; often the life of a lower end RV. While some have tried to remove them, these tapes should be thought of as PERMANENT. There is usually NO REASON to remove the tape and it's VERY sticky butyl backing! If need be (like replacing a roof vent), it can simply be CUT and another layer applied - overlapping the original. The proof of "use case" comes with "the test of time"... longevity. While a roof should be inspected several times a season (while washing is a good time), it's extremely rare that a vinyl butyl tape would need replaced... which is NOT true for polymer sealants. A properly cared for (kept clean) synthetic rubber (TPO, EPDM) roof can easily last 20+ years before needing replaced. There are MANY real life use cases of properly applied vinyl butyl tapes (Eternabond, etc.) on these roof lasting the roof's lifetime. Ultimately this whole roof sealing process comes down to cost and labor intensity. Properly sealing an entire RV roof with Eternabond can cost between $150 to $200 for the tape, and require the best part of two days to PROPERLY install. BUT - once installed, you're DONE. All that's required is REGULAR roof inspection and washing. A $200 Eternabond installation actually costs about $10 a year over it's lifetime of 20 years. AND... there's NO tedious removing/reapplying deteriorated, cracked sealant... more time to enjoy the RV and one less maintenance item to worry about! Compare that to using polymer sealants even ONCE per year - let's say 2 hours at $30 per season. That's 40 hours and at LEAST $600+ for materials. I'd rather spend time camping than sealing the roof!
The only reason camper shops don't recommend eternabond is because it keeps camper owners from coming back to have their roof resealed. Camper shop loses out on service revenue!
While I appreciate your concern, as some of us age, getting on and off RV roofs is getting more challenging. To say "Get up there every couple months and wash and treat and seal the roof" is a bit much for some people. And taking it to a dealer that often is also difficult and can get very expensive. For these reasons, I'm looking at a spray on roof...but I'm not opposed to the eternabond method as I have read about it a lot and have not read a lot of horror stories about it. I don't want to be ugly but it seems most of the people saying don't use it are techs who gain by having to continually seal people's roofs.
100% these guys. Lying to consumers to get them into their shop and spend upwards of 30x as much to fix the issue. Fuck what everyone says. It isn't stupid if it works.
Eternal bond tape has worked for us. It's been in use for several years and hasn't broke (deteriorated )down. It stopped us from having to apply caulking every year or years. Solved the micro leaking problems. Great product.
I used it on front cap seam and rear seam and down both sides of the roof line curve down into the rain gutter and covered all roof trim that seals the roof to the wall. I did this 12 years ago and it still is holding strong and still looks good. I also used it to protect the slideout awnings that are exposed to the sun and it still looks good. I believe in this product and have had no issues at all with it.
I have watched many videos over the use of Eternabond, even the ones like this that discourage extensive use so as to at least attempt to come to an informed decision. I am a sucker for over researching and over prepping. I am extremely handy with the vast majority of RV maintenance and repairs so I am not afraid to tackle most issues that pop up. With all of that said let do a simple Value Proposition (VP) comparison to see what we come up with. Lets start with a few not-unreasonable assumptions: 1 - my RV service center numbers are likely overly conservative. 2 - the rate at which I calculate my own time is not really something any DIY'er does. But to be fair to both sides of this proposition, we have to put a dollar value on our time. So... let see what the value proposition is for a ten year cycle of RV service center applied lap sealer vs a DIY'er Eternabond effort. Average RV service center shop rates vary between 150-175 per hour. From what I can tell from fairly extensive reading, most roof reseal jobs are charged between 6-8 hours. So nominally 7 hours. 7 hours @ 162.5/hr (also the nominal rate) is 1137.50 for labor. Now lets add material costs. My RV would require 6 (plus 1 for any touch up) tubes of Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant... which is 13.99 a tube currently on Amazon, which totals 97.93. However, we need to consider material mark-up costs... which is usually around 30-50%. So we'll use the nominal number of 40% which adds another 39.17. For a total of 137.10. Now lets add it all up.... 1137.50 (labor) + 137.10 (materials) = 1274.60 for one reapplication of Lap Seal. RV manufacturers recommend this as an annual maintenance item.... but lets just be your average RV'er and do it every three years. Over the course of 10 years, for three (once every three years) applications of Lap Sealer by your typical RV service center (not adjusted for inflation) you'll spend a total 3823.80. Now lets look at Eternabond over that same 10 year period. Two roles of 6"x50', one roll of 4"x25", one 28oz bottle of Dawn Dish Detergent, and one medium bristle brush total 216.72 (with free shipping). Now my time is worth money, so to be fair to our value proposition, we have to account for my time in dollars as well. For this project, I'll pay myself 40.00 an hour. My best guess is that it would take me about 3-5 hours to properly clean/dry my roof, and apply Eternabond to all seams. So like above, I'll use the nominal number of 4 hours @ 40.00/hr for a total of 160.00. My TT isn't that big at 22 feet so I don't think my estimates are that far from actuals. Lets add in three hours of Enternabond patches over those ten years to account for normal wear and tear. So that's 7 hours at 40.00/hr. The grand total is (DIY labor and materials) is .... 496.72. In a nutshell, on a VALUE PROPSITION basis only.... you save 3,326.28 over ten years by one proper application of Eternabond. That's 7:1 cost ratio. On a VP basis alone, why would ANYONE take their RV/TT to a service center for routine Lap Sealer. The savings increase by several factors the bigger your RV/TT is. If you properly prepare your roof, and carefully apply Eternabond per Eternabond directions.... I mean, the math adds up.... you'll save many thousands of dollars. For bigger RV/TT's it could be in the ten thousand dollar range. Just my .02 cents....
No reputable rv repair shop or manufacturer recommends you give them 6-8 hours to remove and replace all the lap sealant every 3 years. What they do recommend: Inspection/cleaning every year, and touch-ups when needed, likely every 3-4. A total redo is only after 10+ years, especially if neglected. With recent inflation, that’s my nickel’s worth.
We just bought a used 2012 19ft prime time advenger camper, when we took it into an RV place in town to get the water pump looked at they quoated us 2,500.00 to have this camper witch is not leaking right now to be resealed,I had already purchased the eternabond tape to put on the top of the roof just for peace of mind .I plan on using it instead of paying so much money to have RV place get my $$$$..I have done a lot of research and read tons of good reviews on Eternabond... wish me luck guys!!!!
Totally disagree. But having said that nothing lasts forever. Not even eternabond. The other option is recaulking which has to be done more often. I used a hot air dryer and the eternabond will come off. If it came of easy the product would not be any good.
Put Eternabond tape on my new trailer in 2017 and it's still holding up and looks great. Haven't noticed any degradation at all.
4 месяца назад+3
Correct, and if it starts to breakdown can't you just apply another piece of Tape over it, Dicor has to be peeled off and replaced which is time consuming IDK I like the Tape myself! I've also noticed most people against the tape on RV shops or repair RVs, lol so the longer stuff lasts the less it has to be fixed in my opinion and less money they make
I think the issue with him is being a shop it's a PITA to remove when a customer comes in to get a roof vent replaced. The stuff is super sticky he wants to peal it all off.
Companies don’t use it because lap sealants are cheaper. The tape lasts way longer than lap sealants. The info you put out is so wrong. The tape is uv protected.
As a repeat user of Eternabond, not a repeat on the same application, but rather on subsequent motorhomes, Eternabond is a fantastic product for the consumer and a horrible product for a shop! My previous MH, the Eternabond still looked great 7 years after applying and our current MH still looks great 4 years after. This product is not desired by shops, because if you take your time and follow the instruction, it will last for years and years and years! All of the reason outlined here as to why not to use, I find is an effort to retain repeat, uninformed, customers.
Ever have to remove, use heat gun, gentle putty knife with patience, and Eternabond is removed. If part of the micro sealant is left, no worries. When you're done with whatever repair, spray Eternabond primer and lay new Eternabond over it. Eternabond is awesome.
What is your preferred sealant? I know some people like Dicor but others say that Sika Flex or ProFlex are better🤷🏻♂️ Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Whatever picture you’re showing at 2:43 isn’t Eterna bond. It’s some cheap knock off. There is no structured webbing in eternabond. If You prep the surface and apply this properly it will outlast your coach.
Randall - Even though we disagree, I appreciate you joining in on the conversation. I will say, I do believe the Eternabond tape job in the post appeared to have been prepped very well - something I wish would have mentioned in the video. Being a repair shop, we do see a lot of strange things owners do to their units, and we have seen some very poor Eternabond tape jobs. At the end of the day, we still are not fans of having Eternabond tape around all seams as it would make any repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape.
I used a version of Eternabond tape called Webseal. Unlike regular Eternabond tape, this one's backing is designed to adhere to a roof sealant like Henry Tropicool, which i applied to my entire roof. Zero complaints.
Thanks for your opinion video. For me, actually, using a heat gun and scrapper carefully and responsibly to remove eternabond tape is easy! A lot less work and time than you think. Even if you're older or not that strong, it comes right off. I find overall it is indeed more cost, time and energy efficient to use eternabond. You have to repair/maintain those seals less often if using eternabond. With that said, kepp in mind whether or not your roof is in the shade or sun more often makes a difference on your overall maintenance requirements whether you use eternabond or recaulk it. Always maintain as your situation truly requires. 🙏
Your video is the first one for not using tape over the sealant. I for the life of me can not figure out why other than costs why the RV manufactures do not use something better, In my opinion using the tape over the sealant that is still in good condition gives you a double layer of protection against leaks. If you need to make a repair, you cut remove the tap and sealant make the repair reseal with caulking let that set up and then replace the tape. Thanks for the video gives me something to think about
Myles - We do believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. We are not fans of putting Eternabond tape over all seams as it will make doing any repairs or upgrades a nightmare. Eternabond is not the easiest to cut and pull away from the roof, and my biggest concern is damaging the roof membrane when doing so. I do agree that sealants on the market aren't the best product out there as it does require a bit more maintenance than the average RVer is willing to do. Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary. Thank you for the discussion. Have a great day!
I use eternabond on all seams. This way at 70 yrs I don't have to get up there and keep caulking . And you mention seal the edges of the eternabond.well I do one better in order to keep my camper cooler I use Henry's tropical cool sealer witch as you know is rubber when dry. I cover the whole roof right over the tape and put 2 coats 2 days apart to make it thick. The white version color I use and looks great and so far all I do is take the ladder once a year and have done nothing to it for the last 5 yrs. One more thing this Henry is easy to clean and does not collect dust. I also go up there with a 303 for uv protection on all my covers A/C etc to keep from cracking etc. 5yrs and going strong. Even if you need to replace a cover or vent just cut it heat it to lift the tape off. So I highly recommend eternabond tape and your video in my book doesn't hold water altho the tape does.lol
@@topgun5399 could you please tell more about "Henry's tropical cool sealer?" Is it like the water barriers laid down on walls and floors of showers until ceramic tile? (Those form a rubbery coating over the material they cover, waterproof.) Thanks.
@@rwind656 This stuff on rv's is fantastic. It seals keeps the camper cooler if your using white and easy to clean. Eterna bond at the seams then put this on half hr later ready for water. And it last! This is my 2nd camper and used this on both. The 2nd camper is a 2021 and the roof was like new but in order to keep it cool I used Henry's and the tape to double waterproof. I have never used it indoors but some applications it might work. It's definitely a hard rubber finish. Looks great also. Been great on both campers. Piece of mine in my book.
Okay, I get your point about just using a roof tape like Eternabond. My experience with the tape has been very good. Twelve years ago I put Eternabond over the factory sealed seams on my RV roof and it's holding up very well in the Texas sun. Perhaps its longevity is due to the roof on my RV is aluminum and not that rubber stuff.
Good info. This week I found that I had some rotted wood on my 4 year old trailer's roof. It looks like during manufacturing the builder missed a small spot where the roof membrane meets the side gutter drains and water was able to get in there. This weekend I cut the plastic membrane back, replaced all the rotted wood & insulation, and reinstalled the plastic roof membrane. When reinstalling the roof membrane I used the Eternabond tape around all the cuts, but I also sealed the edges of the tape with good RV self leveling material. I'm hoping that between the tape and the compound I won't have any further issues. i don't think I'd like all the edges of the roof with it, but for covering seams where I had to cut the roof it feels like a solid repair.
I have had eterna bond tape on my roof seals for 8 years in South Florida. No failure of the plastic or any other portion of the tape. You are lucky to get a year or two out of any of the lap sealants and I have used most all of them. So, every one has an opinion. Mine is based on impirical evidence of using eterna bond tape in a very harsh enviornment without failure. I have not been able to do that with any lap sealant. I don't think it takes rocket science to figure out which product holds up better. I am sticking with eternabond. It is a proven product. Show some scientific evidence instead of a jaded opinion.
I bought a camper new in 2018. First thing I did when I got it home is put Eterna bond on every seam. I took my time in the prepping and made it look nice when I put it on. I also wash and clean my roof after every camping trip. The eterna bond has held up fine and looks like the day I installed it. Eterna bond fails if you do not clean and prep properly. It probably doesn’t do you any favors to put it on a neglected roof that has already started to crack.
I have used enternabond quite awhile on several projects and never had problem'' I had emergency leak in my boat when I was fishing and I happen to have eternabond on hand and it fix the leak and it been patch 5 years ago with eternabond and it work great
Most people who sealed their roofs with etherna bond or similar product are still happy after 10 years of applying. So I didn't understand what's wrong with that.
So if we dont use eternabond to stop leaks and live in California and needs to maintain it by sealing yearly, are you suggesting that your company should be the right ome to maintain it for the rest of us yearly on a sky high price?
i think the guy that you are running down actually did an incredible job and i am doing same as he did specially what he did it on the side of the rv no way any silicon's gonna fix that miss and he seems very knowledgeable your question to why manufacturers don't use it because it's too expensive for them .i think Why all you maintenance people run this stuff down using the tape because if everybody uses it no one would have leaking roofs to fixed and no need for you guys services to reseal roofs in the future and there's multiple clips on youtube that people have had use this tape it for four or ten years and it looks like the day they put it there
Mike - Even though we disagree, I appreciate you joining in on the conversation. I will say, I do believe the Eternabond tape job in the post was done very clean - something I wish would have mentioned in the video. Being a repair shop, we do see a lot of strange things owners do to their units, and we have seen some very poor Eternabond tape jobs. At the end of the day, we still are not fans of having Eternabond tape around all seams as it would make any repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape.
@@yourrvspecialists Remember your perspective is very colored because you look at it from the repair side. You are the hammer that only see nails. All you see is how difficult it is to repair something that has Eternabond on it. That's really a minor issue for the vast majority of RV owners.
Nice video for roof repair business's such as yours. (jk) Do you have data to back up your opinions? If Eterna bond is such a great patch like you stated many times, I dont see any reason not to use it to patch all the seams from the get go. Im reading a ton of anecdotal evidence that is pro Eterna bond... and not many to the contrary. Net.... In God we trust, all others bring data.
So,i think you answered your own question about why the factory don't do this? Time and materials. Just like you said, they move fast to get the rig out the door and this would be too time consuming and costly to do on the factory floor. Not that this the right thing to do. Also, you say the self leveling caulk takes 30 days to dry. Well my 2022 Jayco actually had oak leaves stuck in the caulk when I picked it up. So it basic was laid down and pushed out the door almost instantly.
Scott, thanks for the comments. Yes, you most certainly received your Jayco "hot off the press." We believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. This videos intent was to warn against a craze we see multiple times - covering all seams on the roof with Eternabond tape. As stated in the video, items on your roof (such as vents, skylights, antennas, etc) do get sun damaged and brittle. You also might hit a tree, or you might even want to make some upgrades. Having Eternabond tape around all seams would make those repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape. This is why mfg DON'T use the tape when producing their units. My complaint with the mfg is their sealant jobs are too thin (aka their starter ink cartridge). My RV repair shop has 3 - 5 units (all makes, models and ages) come through on the daily. I see Eternabond tape jobs when they are fresh and several years old. Repairs and upgrades done on units with endless amounts of Eternabond tape in the way are charged far more labor than those with sealant. Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary. I believe the RV industry hasn't done the consumer justice with educating them on maintenance required. While others may feel covering every seam with Eternabond tape is "the bees knees," I don't. We can just agree to disagree.
If was in my early 20’s, I would start a trailer manufacturing company and build a superior trailer product with a 5 year warranty and make sure they are mice and rodent proof, plus with my design there would be no roof leaks, roof would be covered with spray in bed liner used in pickup trucks.
I put Eternabond on a trailer in 2005. It's still going strong with ZERO leaks ever since. Eternabond is used by several RV manufacturers. Most don't use it because it's difficult to install. I'm not a pro, but I've been around long enough to know.
Interesting, i was planning on doing something with my roof soon. But one thing that sounds a bit contradictory, like the printer company, the maker of the RV want more work after the warranty goes out... Then if the tape works amazing, they would not want it, cause they want the job fixing the roof? Im not sure what i will use to fix my roof yet. But that's why i need to see these videos and make up my mind :)
I don’t feel like this video aged well because there are people that have done 5 year videos and the tape is still in good shape, I wouldn’t put it around areas that may need maintanence like a fan skylight or ac because it’ll make replacing those annoying and more difficult, but for places like the sides and ends of your roof where it won’t need to come off ever unless you had a major problem like an accident this works well.
WOW First off as a commercial Roofer, I must say we do not have 1 RV manufacture that is installing the roofs correctly. Its a shame even the TPO EPDM they use is so thin its a boom waiting to blow let alone WTH is dicor? that doesn't qualify as lap sealants it will last a yr or 2 at best before it cracks open and starts to leak. I am not a Eternabond person ether but Dicor VS Eternabond? I will take Eternabond any day of the week with correct installation the mule-hide coat it. I see class actions lawsuits coming. I have a 2022 Montana and having to redo the roof already thankfully I no how to do that my self ..... I will be using a 45Mil commercial roofing product TPO with real water block lap sealants that last for 10yrs!
Would greatly appreciate knowing the brand name of the roof material you are considering, and a name of a quality sealant, as well, would be incredibly helpful, thanks
@@bobwilkerson9760 this is somebody else's thread so I'm not going to hijack in respect to them. But I will say most likely this weekend you will see on RUclips commercial EPDM/TPO For Homes & RV that'll be the start of the series
@@Mike-01234 all I can say that's crazy and congratulations You've been lucky. Because it's only a 10-15yr manufacturer warranty pending the install so who ever did it must of done a fantastic job...
What do you expect someone who gets paid to work on these is going to say. They want customers. Not someone that is one and done. They want you coming back as often as possible
You know we don’t sell RV’s right in our job is to help you keep a maintain what you have not saw you a new one. So if you want to slap that on your coach by all means, go ahead and do it but when it devalues it that’s on you. Everyone will run because they’ll think that you have sidewall, a roof water damage concealed behind it.
That's exactly what I was thinking. That white putty stuff is junk. I have seen many nice campers and RVs with water damage from that leaky lap sealant.
@@yourrvspecialistswouldn't look at it this way I would look that they found something better then making a hobby caulking every year. Not to mention checking the inside of a rv. Bringing someone with you that had campers wouldn't hurt alo.
My question would be, what is the lesser of two evils? Dicor separating/cracking and getting water damage, vs the pain to remove tape in the event of a replacement of one of the penetration components. My guess would be, the $$ amount repair difference of water damage vs removing eternabond tape to replace a component would be quite different, in favor of the tape.. I don't know this to be true, what say you? Or the other way to look at it would be, for seams of components that are least likely to fail and need replaced (front cap seam, side/rear seam, plumbing vent, fridge vent) those would probably benefit more with tape, and then dicor the skylights and such. At the end of the day, the way RV roofing systems and penetrations are designed are lazy and absolutely garbage. there should be flashing or curbs, or something that is the primary line of defense to redirect water, and sealant would simply be a secondary measure. We wouldn't accept this on our house, I don't know why we do on RV's.
Sorry for late response. I completely missed it. I would just use the sealant and if it’s sealed thick enough at the beginning and kept clean and when treating the roof surface you can apply the uv treatment to the clean sealants as well and it will last you a very long time. The roof and the sealant are the most neglected parts on RVs. They don’t explain enough to keep them clean.
I just installed two MaxxAir fans on my RV roof. The originals had the the obligatory thin layer of Sikaflex from Thor. I used a heat gun on LOW with a PLASTIC scraper to get to the original fan flange to remove the screws. I removed the old fans and cleaned the roof area with lacquer thinner... NON petroleum based! Once the new fans were installed, I carefully applied Eternabond tape, lapping up onto the vertical part of the fan flange, and well off of the flange edge onto the roof. Then I used a steel roller to completely compress the butyl under the tape. I GUARANTEE I will NEVER have any leaks - and the only maintenance is regular cleaning. If I ever need to remove the fan - I'll simply carefully cut through the tape along the flange edge. I'm going to re-seal it anyway!! The tape over the screws can be softened with a heat gun on LOW, and again use a utility knife. Here you're not cutting into the roof, so be a little more aggressive. It peels up easy enough to get to the screws - you DO NOT need to completely remove it to do that! After installing a new fan, simply lap new Eternabond over the existing tape that's there. I'll never understand why people freak out over this... it's like a mental block or something! I'd rather permanently seal my roof components and GO CAMPING than worry about the roof leaking! But I guess some folks must enjoy crawling around their RV roof with a caulking gun... ???
Everyone has a right to their opinion. That is all this is. An opinion. I think the viewer should judge this opinion against those who have used Eternabond Tape and have used it for years. Many videos show the process of replacing roof attachments with this product. A little more time in prep work for the replacement seems to be well worth the effort considering the peace of mind. Respectfully.
YES. I am a huge advocate for 303 Aerospace Protectant. It is great for anything vinyl or plastic. I don't just use it on the roof, I use it around the entire RV - decals, awnings, slide-out toppers. The list goes on and on ...
@user-dm5eb9cm4i question regards using a heat gun on Eternabond tape on an RV roof. Sounds like you've used Eternabond. Do you think using a heat gun while applying Eternabond at first will give you a better / smoother surface without the wrinkles? Or does it affect the adhesive too much to use the heat gun? Thanks for any answer. I am looking at Eternabond for another application, not an RV but I'd sure use it rather than seal frequently with the inferior products I've seen all these years.
Well it’s good to hear the other side of the opinion. If the RVs had as thick a skin as you do for taking so much flack gracefully then we wouldn’t even need conversations like this. One thing for me is I am 2.5 hours from any service shop. I’m 7 years into my rv and no leaks - yet. I haven’t resealed a thing. I guess I have had luck. So combining those factors with not having any service center options and an RV only worth 15k, I will have to weigh it all out. Thanks for the video (and leaving comments on)
I have never had an issue with it. I don't even buy Dicor, just an off brand. I go one step further and seal all seams and edges of it with clear Pro-Flex. It's there forever!
Why would the manufacturers want to provide long term solutions like an impervious UV resistant seam tape, when they can sell gallons of overpriced goop and also claim no warranty when they say you put the goop on wrong and or not often enough? It’s about some of the biggest consumer marketing rip off ever.
why wouldn't RV manufacturers use tape... because they are cheap AF and just want to turn out campers as quick as possible. The sealant they use will surely outlast their 1 year "warranty." They could careless about YOUR water damage 5 years down the road.
Manufacturers aren't using this product simply because it is more expensive and the labour is time-consuming. The only time you'd ever wanna remove that "tape" is if you've got some serious structural failure happening, aside from that, it does last longer than lap.
We sealed all seams with RV Roof Magic then applied Eternabond from front to back with one piece, then sealed Eternabond edges with more RV Roof Magic. A lot more protection than the RV manufacturers will ever do. Also cut out holes in Eternabond and put over running lights on front top of camper. I’m not a betting man, but I’ll bet this lasts 15 years.
Any advice on thoroughly cleaning my black rubber-like roof (I'm not sure what you call the material that it's made out of) before doing repairs... It's kinda chalky... There was some bird damage on the rubber roof material... About six places where the birds pecked a little hole... I cleaned the black suface with denatured alcohol, then use the peel off black gorilla tape for patching the holes... After about 8 months in spots the gorilla tape kind of wrinkled and loosened... I am hoping to reclean the roof and redo the patches and redo the patches with eternabond It's a 93 Cobra, 33 ft, with fiberglass front and end caps and around vents and skylights and roof rack, the lap sealant has lifted away, from the roof material everywhere, causing leaks I am contemplating using eternabond to seal the front and end caps but I am concerned about getting both the fiberglass and the black rubberized roof material clean enough for good adhesion and not having problems in the future ... Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated... Money is really tight for us and we have to be as economical as possible Thanks
All manufacturers are not using it because 1. It's more expensive, 2. people would not need repairs so they would lose business. Eternabond is sun resistant AND It has a outdoor exposure life of.....THIRTY YEARS.
It doesn’t have the same thermal properties at the sealant. If the manufacturer would inject some of the areas, secure molding better and use the right about of sealant they wouldn’t leak. But that’s my 25 plus years experience in this industry.
I know this is a year old but, manufacturers have been using Eternabond (or similar) on factory built 5ers. Across the rear roof/wall seam and all the slides' perimeters are done on Momentums. I know, I own one since new.
Did I hear 24 tubes of silicone caulking? Wow that's a few more tubes than I would use... And it's funny that you hear countless old timers saying their eternabond tape has been in place, trouble free, for 20,30+ years! I makes me wonder about the motives of the naysayers...
Disagree....Who the hell wants to inspect the roof every year and reseal with self leveling RV sealant like DICOR.. JUNK.. I've used Eternabond on my RV roof for years set it and forget it..The reason RV manufactures don't use it is because it cost more and they want you to bring your RV to the Stealership to inspect or reseal the roof weather you need it or not. no Thank You..
It funny to me that Caulk is a finish material but Tape in this application is somehow just a patch. Caulking is patch (Not try to ruffle any feathers here)
Although I agree on some of your points, as far as the industry not using it is an easy answer, $$ cost $$. The RV industry is notorious at cutting corners to lower cost and rise profits, in an industry that gives quality control a passing glanc, using Eternabond is just too cost prohibitive.
I would like to mention you said manufactures don't use Eternabond Tape, but the roof jobs they do is very bad low quality workman ship so I would not trust a manufactures judgment.
If you want to add some strength with a roof seal lay some product down, in-bed cloth material in the bed and cover over that with your roof coat material.
What do you recommend using to reseal the roof??? I just bought a camper & I want to reseal it now just for peace of mind. What about Flex seal liquid rubber? I watched a video of a couple that used it & they seem pretty happy with the results in a 2yr later post hurricane video. I'm definitely clueless now. I've seen the Eternabond method as well, I'm definitely skeptical about it.
Of course manufacturers would prefer that you spend the money to replace your entire roof. When cleaned prepped and dried properly my eternal bond has been on for 8 years
Warning- do not buy any of the knockoff products claiming to be the same as eternabond. Speaking from experience it fails within a year. The true eternabond product lasts 15-20+ years
I think it depends on the roof and your needs. Eternabond is a more permanent 'fix' in that its not going to wear and leak like caulks and sealers for a long time but its going to be a bitch to take off. So folks that make money working on RV roofs won't get as much business and the business they get will be a hard job they may cuss the whole way through. So i get why anyone working in the field will say its a bad idea. I do think the roof also matters... if you have a 'modern' rubber RV roof your likely to have to change the roof before the eternabond tape and the tape will make that job harder. But if you have an RV with an aluminum / metal roof especially a vintage RV with decades of caulk and patchwork as previous owners have fought leaks... then eternabond tape is an ideal solution IMO as it seals up the seams and the solution will likely outlive your use of the RV if not you.
I agree but as far as having to replace the rubber roof it appears that there are coatings that may last nearly as long as the eternabond tape these days. Henry's 887 has a lifetime warranty.
Manufacturers are all about fast and cheap. It is much faster to put down thick globs of "lap sealant" from a gun, even if the "lap sealant" is total garbage and fails after a few years. RV companies are all about speed and cost. It would take three times as long for an employee to roll down eternabond over every seal and it takes skill to avoid wrinkles. So there's no way they will use it. Lap sealant only protects the already sealed joint. The actual joints are sealed with caulk. If they did a proper job with the lap sealant and sprinkled white roof sand over it before it cured, they could form what is the same as an asphalt shingle on your home roof, that would last 20 years in the sun with the sand protecting the sealants from UV.
Eternabond is an exelente product the I use it is I put it around the vents then I'll put Henry Tropi-Cool on top that product is life time warranty and like you yourself say you have a hard time removing it that says the product is really strong the Dicor is a product that you have to do often and when there is too much piled up you have to scrape it off I'm a professional at this I know but to each his own.
The performance of the tape likely depends on the climate. Cold, wet with 4 seasons will damage the tape. IN Florida's climate , the tape is more long lasting.
What about putting this tape on the underside? Especially when repairs have been done and the underlayment wasn't out back as good as it was when new. It seems to be perfect the prevent water and critters from getting into the belly of the RV.
Mark - I've never used Eternabond tape on the underbelly, but it doesn't make it wrong to use. I do prefer to use underbelly tape material. It's a permanent adhesive patch (like Eternabond), but it is black to match the underbelly material and a heck of a lot cheaper! I like to keep a small roll in my unit should I need to make any bandaid repairs while in transit. amzn.to/3Uxmsjv Thanks for the question!
@@yourrvspecialists Thanks. I actually used Flex Tape. It was priced ok and came in long rolls. I like the idea of keeping a roll on hand just in case. Thanks again.
Hi. I just bought a Bigfoot camper and the person who sold it to me used a TON of that terrible tape. And recommendations on how to remove it? Should I use a goo gone or solvent?
You have to be very careful when removing it, use a low heat gun and mild solvent to clean off the surfaces. In some cases you have to replace the tape as needed and just live with it, now that it has been added. You can always seals around the seams and even if needed apply a coating over it as well.
What would you recommend on the sides of a fiberglass trailer for UV protection? Are dealer installed protectants like Eco RV Pro worth the price tag? ($1500)
I put it on the long seams aluminum roof three years ago and whaaaalaaah it is still good Studied DIY female application beats rip Off trailer repair 😅
Hi I have to say that you are right about the Eternal Bond tape. But they didn't finish the job, You just don't put the tape up there and then say okay it's finished. As you said the tape will deteriorate over time and you have problems. You put the tape up first and then you seal the roof with a good liquid rubber coating. So now the liquid rubber coating has UV protection in it to prevent the tape from deteriorating. So now the tape will last as long as the silicone rubber roof last. So you talking maybe 30 to 40 years before you'd have to even start to think about resurfacing that roof again. 😎
I’m not going to rely on a goop to seal and protect a flat roof. Billions of dollars of roof damage to RV’s is enough to scare me away. Sure some of those Rv roofs were neglected but I’m not going to pay thousands to have the roof checked every year. I built a aluminum roof and used metal roof flashing with a aluminum outer skin and hope this lasts 50 years like a metal roof. I park it on a slope to aid with the runoff.
Sorry for late response. Completely missed this, there is a bunch of different options available now a days. I typically like to use 303 on plastics, Thetford purchase protect all company and I like there roof cleaner and treatment. Camco, Dicor and Alpha all make good products for cleaning and treating as well. My combo would be 303 and protectall brand.
@@yourrvspecialists Thank you for replying - please forgive my newbie questions! So just to confirm, your recommendations are to use Eternabond tape if there is an emergency puncture or leak, but should be remediated as soon as possible using Dicor or some similar product? IOW - Eternabond is not recommended for a long-term sealant around fans, ducts, A/C's, etc. - Is that assumption correct? Thanks Again!
Your first comment is a remarkably dumb one; if it was so great then why wouldn't all RV manufacturers do it? RV manufacturers don't do a lot of things that would make the product better.
Exactly 💯...! RV manufacturers use the cheapest and quickest stuff possible. Most of it garbage. Owners using high quality materials on aftermarket fixes are what make the rv last. Not the factory junk.
The thing is, for the prices of these RVs they sure are built poorly and i mean everything! Wiring, appliances, plastic junk vents, Workmanship, everything, unbelievable! And Who has time too climb unto 10-12' roofs many times a year to inspect ,clean and maintain them? Especially when you are 70 years old, I mean I'm a mechanic by trade but i hate climbing ladders in the first place , yeah 10ish feet isnt that bad but still. I understand keeping an eye on things and I do but come on! I also undersand that RVs need to be built as light as possiable as well. Otherwise you would need a Mack semi truck to haul them. But they surely could be built somewhat better. I have an small 30 year old gulfstream fifthwheel that's still in decent shape and the roof on it has been surprisingly good, no leaks. But the axles should have been a bit farther rearward on those old ones. I've found there isnt quite enough weight on the kingpin, so I try to be sure to try travel with the rear mounted grey & black tanks empty otherwise it will sway sometimes. But get this, it wears tires rather fast because the wheels aren't in line. Also I found the kingpin was factory welded two inches off center to the left which im sure contributes to the sway, which fifth wheels & goosenecks normally don't do.. I've been contemplating cutting it loose and rewelding it centered, because i see some cracks in the weld corners of the pinbox anyway, but have been advised not too for liability purposes. But who cares , certainly not the factories the way it sounds! :(
@@yourrvspecialistso you use dicor for even alpha Tpo roofs? I have an alpha roof and I bought alpha lap sealant but I don’t know what the previous owner used… I plan to reseal soon as it’s been a year or two but not sure about mixing (if he used dicor or something else) thanks! Also where are you guys located?! I am in Riverside
Your concerns are the same as mine when it comes to the weathering. However rv manufacturers most are not concerned with doing the best for the rig/Customer. They are more concerned with speed and cost. Eternabond is expensive. They would never increase the cost of the roof to this extent just to make the customer feel better because most customers won’t. Wondering weekend has a video of 4 year weathering and it looks great!
I do, in small pieces. If I remove the cables, I just cut the tape on each side of the cable and leave the rest of the tape on the roof, otherwise you’ll rip the roof up trying to get it off.
@@TJ-qz6hr actually if u don't mind I want ask u a question. I am getting ready to put 6- 215w solar panels on the roof of my 5th wheel. After a month or 2 thinking about it I am not sure I want to use the Z mounts. Actually leaning towards Unistrut Channel. I would think aluminum strut would be strong enough to use. I am thinking laying out 3 foot lengths put butyl tape down first, screwing or lagging them down then dicor. That way if i want to change out panels easy to do no more drilling into the roof. Going back and forth on aluminum or galvanized unit strut. Aluminum cuts the weight down. Have you heard or know any bad experience with aluminum? Wood screws? Or small lags?
Jim - Yes, we use Eternabond tape to hold down solar panel wires (and coax cables). The videos intent was just to warn against the craze of covering all seams with the tape. We had no idea we would ruffle so many feathers!
@@yourrvspecialists to be honest it's kinda a no brainer to use that tape around openings. I think it was said in the video if it was so great for around skylights and vent it would of cam from the factory that way.
Sorry but manufacturers really could care less about what they produce. The poor quality materials and thin roof materials call for something to protect your investment at any cost. If this stuff works for people, then I do not see an issue. As far as your opinion, it is just that, your opinion. My automobile dealer tried to tell me what I should or shouldn't do as far as maintaining my investment. I do what I myself think I should do, especially having the knowledge to fix things myself. I believe in thinking outside the box. Those that go by the book are the ones that fail by the book. You sound like a dealer or RV service rep. I wouldn't take much of what you say as gospel.
Would much rather try to get old caulk off than old eternabond tape. From a service point of veiw, cant stand the stuff, but from an emergency patch point of view, its great.
If there wasn’t a problem people wouldn’t look for a solution. Every trailer is garbage. I’m sure they can build them with 3m sealants instead of made to fail crap they come with. All trailers are garbage.
Totally disagree. But having said that nothing lasts forever. Not even eternabond. The other option is recaulking which has to be done more often. I used a hot air dryer and the eternabond will come off. If it came of easy the product would not be any good.
This video appeared to ruffle quiet a few feathers. To be abundantly clear, we believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. This videos intent was to warn against a craze we see multiple times - covering all seams on the roof with Eternabond tape.
As stated in the video, items on your roof (such as vents, skylights, antennas, etc) do get sun damaged and brittle. You also might hit a tree, or you might even want to make some upgrades. Having Eternabond tape around all seams would make those repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape. As an RV repair shop owner (with over 25 years in the industry), I speak from experience.
Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary. I believe the RV industry hasn't done the consumer justice with educating them on maintenance required.
While others may feel covering every seam with Eternabond tape is "the bees knees," I don't. We can just agree to disagree.
I did self leveling lap sealant on my cargo trailer and then did 4 inch wide Eternabond on the perimeter of the trailer. This is on Aluminum and Galvalume. The builder did 2 inch wide tape on the trailer and vent. I pulled the old tape with a plastic scraper and then used 3 quarts of goof off to remove the residue before resealing. I have watched so many RV videos because I am thinking about a toy hauler. The more research I do, the more I am leaning towards do a cargo trailer conversion to toy hauler. RVs are made as cheap as possible.
Agreed @@Dave-sw2dm 👍
I have owned a few boats in the 25-30 foot range and a couple of cargo trailers but it wasnt until I went shopping for my first RV that I saw what incredible garbage RV's are made of.😮
It's a sad state of affairs.
Really good info on the viability of Eternabond tape. Agreed it's best as a patch.
I recently used dicor self leveling lap sealant. It didn't spread like I thought it would.
I bought the tubes several months ago and maybe I should have waited until the sun had gone down a bit.
Wonder if it's shelf life played a role in that?
After reading comments maybe it is a good thing. Prep is critical as is constant inspection.
Agree! Built like a rolling loose pile of garbage. The only one I've found built with any integrity is the new Oliver. It's enclosed fiberglass
Notice he doesn’t give any real reason why not to use it other than to replace a vent cover or something like that.
I’ll tell you why he doesn’t want you to use it, because he has to remove it to work on the roof. He said it himself that stuff sticks on there really good.
Show me some examples of the SHRINKING AND CRACKING Eternabond!
Used it 7 years ago and besides a little discoloration it's still perfect.
13 years ago I stripped all caulk off the seams of an old Holiday Rambler one piece roof. cleaned and prepped as needed. The Eternabond is still there and has been trouble free.
For someone who is getting a steal tomorrow because of a roof leak, I'll trust the comments over this video.
I'm glad you posted this so I could see the comments and decide to try eternabond myself!
Eternabond may not be for everyone .I have not regretted Eternabond yet. I have a 2000 Sprinter . Its been through some really nasty wind storms rain and snow. I applied SEAL FLEX on the roof and Eternabond on the edge and corner moldings. I will admit it might be difficult to come off, there is a positive to that.
@@raditian2 I will def apply Eternabond on my roof. I just had enough of stupid sealers that I have to re-patch twice a year: this is not fun and frankly looks like utter 5hit.
@@yvels3685 I am fixing to do an inspection on my roof been about a yr. I don't know the terminology for tree gunk , debree , the brown stuff that stains the roof. Soap and water may clean it off. Other than that its seems to be holding up ok.
The two reasons mainstream RV manufacturers use liquid poly roof sealant (Sikaflex) is because it's quick to apply and cheap to acquire. As you stated... it's TEMPORARY. As far as the longevity of a liquid polymer, much depends on the quality (solids content) of the sealer, and proper application. The "factory kids" hastily apply only ONE COAT and it's out the door. It's best to apply a second coat a few days to a week after the initial coat sets. NO mass RV manufacturer does that... time is money. Thor and other manufacturers buy that stuff in drums, and use pneumatic pump guns to apply... watch the video. They do a roof in a matter of minutes!
It's a KNOWN FACT that water intrusion is the biggest destroyer of RVs. Once water gets in, wood rots - and is VERY costly to repair... usually it totals the RV! Dicor, Sikaflex and similar polymer sealants tend to dry out and crack - allowing water intrusion. How long it takes is dependent on environmental exposure and the elements. Polymer sealant on an RV used only occasionally and stored under cover may preserve the sealant for 3 - 5 years. But typically these sealants MUST be reapplied nearly every year; sometimes even more frequently. The material is relative cheap to purchase - about $10 for a 10 ounce cartridge tube - and a typical roof may need one to three tubes per season. A conservative estimate of time and materials per season might be 2 - 3 hours on the roof and $50 for the sealant.
Eternabond and similar vinyl backed butyl tapes are much less susceptible to UV damage - and don't dry out and crack like polymers. PROPERLY applied, these tapes often last 15 - 20 years; often the life of a lower end RV. While some have tried to remove them, these tapes should be thought of as PERMANENT. There is usually NO REASON to remove the tape and it's VERY sticky butyl backing! If need be (like replacing a roof vent), it can simply be CUT and another layer applied - overlapping the original.
The proof of "use case" comes with "the test of time"... longevity. While a roof should be inspected several times a season (while washing is a good time), it's extremely rare that a vinyl butyl tape would need replaced... which is NOT true for polymer sealants. A properly cared for (kept clean) synthetic rubber (TPO, EPDM) roof can easily last 20+ years before needing replaced. There are MANY real life use cases of properly applied vinyl butyl tapes (Eternabond, etc.) on these roof lasting the roof's lifetime.
Ultimately this whole roof sealing process comes down to cost and labor intensity. Properly sealing an entire RV roof with Eternabond can cost between $150 to $200 for the tape, and require the best part of two days to PROPERLY install. BUT - once installed, you're DONE. All that's required is REGULAR roof inspection and washing. A $200 Eternabond installation actually costs about $10 a year over it's lifetime of 20 years. AND... there's NO tedious removing/reapplying deteriorated, cracked sealant... more time to enjoy the RV and one less maintenance item to worry about! Compare that to using polymer sealants even ONCE per year - let's say 2 hours at $30 per season. That's 40 hours and at LEAST $600+ for materials. I'd rather spend time camping than sealing the roof!
This is probably the best explanation I've read regarding the debate over these two types of seals.
Gotta agree. Sage advice and info. Appreciate your input.
The only reason camper shops don't recommend eternabond is because it keeps camper owners from coming back to have their roof resealed. Camper shop loses out on service revenue!
While I appreciate your concern, as some of us age, getting on and off RV roofs is getting more challenging. To say "Get up there every couple months and wash and treat and seal the roof" is a bit much for some people. And taking it to a dealer that often is also difficult and can get very expensive. For these reasons, I'm looking at a spray on roof...but I'm not opposed to the eternabond method as I have read about it a lot and have not read a lot of horror stories about it. I don't want to be ugly but it seems most of the people saying don't use it are techs who gain by having to continually seal people's roofs.
100% these guys. Lying to consumers to get them into their shop and spend upwards of 30x as much to fix the issue. Fuck what everyone says. It isn't stupid if it works.
Exactly. If your roof isn't leaking you won't need a roof job.
Eternal bond tape has worked for us. It's been in use for several years and hasn't broke (deteriorated )down. It stopped us from having to apply caulking every year or years. Solved the micro leaking problems. Great product.
I used it on front cap seam and rear seam and down both sides of the roof line curve down into the rain gutter and covered all roof trim that seals the roof to the wall. I did this 12 years ago and it still is holding strong and still looks good. I also used it to protect the slideout awnings that are exposed to the sun and it still looks good. I believe in this product and have had no issues at all with it.
I have watched many videos over the use of Eternabond, even the ones like this that discourage extensive use so as to at least attempt to come to an informed decision. I am a sucker for over researching and over prepping. I am extremely handy with the vast majority of RV maintenance and repairs so I am not afraid to tackle most issues that pop up. With all of that said let do a simple Value Proposition (VP) comparison to see what we come up with.
Lets start with a few not-unreasonable assumptions: 1 - my RV service center numbers are likely overly conservative. 2 - the rate at which I calculate my own time is not really something any DIY'er does. But to be fair to both sides of this proposition, we have to put a dollar value on our time.
So... let see what the value proposition is for a ten year cycle of RV service center applied lap sealer vs a DIY'er Eternabond effort.
Average RV service center shop rates vary between 150-175 per hour. From what I can tell from fairly extensive reading, most roof reseal jobs are charged between 6-8 hours. So nominally 7 hours. 7 hours @ 162.5/hr (also the nominal rate) is 1137.50 for labor. Now lets add material costs. My RV would require 6 (plus 1 for any touch up) tubes of Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant... which is 13.99 a tube currently on Amazon, which totals 97.93. However, we need to consider material mark-up costs... which is usually around 30-50%. So we'll use the nominal number of 40% which adds another 39.17. For a total of 137.10. Now lets add it all up.... 1137.50 (labor) + 137.10 (materials) = 1274.60 for one reapplication of Lap Seal. RV manufacturers recommend this as an annual maintenance item.... but lets just be your average RV'er and do it every three years. Over the course of 10 years, for three (once every three years) applications of Lap Sealer by your typical RV service center (not adjusted for inflation) you'll spend a total 3823.80.
Now lets look at Eternabond over that same 10 year period. Two roles of 6"x50', one roll of 4"x25", one 28oz bottle of Dawn Dish Detergent, and one medium bristle brush total 216.72 (with free shipping). Now my time is worth money, so to be fair to our value proposition, we have to account for my time in dollars as well. For this project, I'll pay myself 40.00 an hour. My best guess is that it would take me about 3-5 hours to properly clean/dry my roof, and apply Eternabond to all seams. So like above, I'll use the nominal number of 4 hours @ 40.00/hr for a total of 160.00. My TT isn't that big at 22 feet so I don't think my estimates are that far from actuals. Lets add in three hours of Enternabond patches over those ten years to account for normal wear and tear. So that's 7 hours at 40.00/hr. The grand total is (DIY labor and materials) is .... 496.72.
In a nutshell, on a VALUE PROPSITION basis only.... you save 3,326.28 over ten years by one proper application of Eternabond. That's 7:1 cost ratio.
On a VP basis alone, why would ANYONE take their RV/TT to a service center for routine Lap Sealer. The savings increase by several factors the bigger your RV/TT is. If you properly prepare your roof, and carefully apply Eternabond per Eternabond directions.... I mean, the math adds up.... you'll save many thousands of dollars. For bigger RV/TT's it could be in the ten thousand dollar range.
Just my .02 cents....
No reputable rv repair shop or manufacturer recommends you give them 6-8 hours to remove and replace all the lap sealant every 3 years. What they do recommend: Inspection/cleaning every year, and touch-ups when needed, likely every 3-4.
A total redo is only after 10+ years, especially if neglected.
With recent inflation, that’s my nickel’s worth.
@@markoshun Use the tape. Got it, thanks...😆
Dang, you pay yourself $40 and hour? My wife makes me do it for free.
@@armadilllo lol, same! I just wanted to make it a 1:1 comparison.
We just bought a used 2012 19ft prime time advenger camper, when we took it into an RV place in town to get the water pump looked at they quoated us 2,500.00 to have this camper
witch is not leaking right now to be resealed,I had already purchased the eternabond tape to put on the top of the roof just for peace of mind .I plan on using it instead of paying so much money to have RV place get my $$$$..I have done a lot of research and read tons of good reviews on Eternabond... wish me luck guys!!!!
Totally disagree. But having said that nothing lasts forever. Not even eternabond. The other option is recaulking which has to be done more often. I used a hot air dryer and the eternabond will come off. If it came of easy the product would not be any good.
Put Eternabond tape on my new trailer in 2017 and it's still holding up and looks great. Haven't noticed any degradation at all.
Correct, and if it starts to breakdown can't you just apply another piece of Tape over it, Dicor has to be peeled off and replaced which is time consuming IDK I like the Tape myself! I've also noticed most people against the tape on RV shops or repair RVs, lol so the longer stuff lasts the less it has to be fixed in my opinion and less money they make
I think the issue with him is being a shop it's a PITA to remove when a customer comes in to get a roof vent replaced. The stuff is super sticky he wants to peal it all off.
Eternabond has a claim that it still viable after 38 years...most RVs are in the landfills before that tape is scheduled to start failing.
Companies don’t use it because lap sealants are cheaper. The tape lasts way longer than lap sealants. The info you put out is so wrong. The tape is uv protected.
As a repeat user of Eternabond, not a repeat on the same application, but rather on subsequent motorhomes, Eternabond is a fantastic product for the consumer and a horrible product for a shop! My previous MH, the Eternabond still looked great 7 years after applying and our current MH still looks great 4 years after.
This product is not desired by shops, because if you take your time and follow the instruction, it will last for years and years and years! All of the reason outlined here as to why not to use, I find is an effort to retain repeat, uninformed, customers.
Ever have to remove, use heat gun, gentle putty knife with patience, and Eternabond is removed. If part of the micro sealant is left, no worries. When you're done with whatever repair, spray Eternabond primer and lay new Eternabond over it.
Eternabond is awesome.
What is your preferred sealant? I know some people like Dicor but others say that Sika Flex or ProFlex are better🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Whatever picture you’re showing at 2:43 isn’t Eterna bond. It’s some cheap knock off. There is no structured webbing in eternabond. If You prep the surface and apply this properly it will outlast your coach.
Randall - Even though we disagree, I appreciate you joining in on the conversation. I will say, I do believe the Eternabond tape job in the post appeared to have been prepped very well - something I wish would have mentioned in the video. Being a repair shop, we do see a lot of strange things owners do to their units, and we have seen some very poor Eternabond tape jobs. At the end of the day, we still are not fans of having Eternabond tape around all seams as it would make any repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape.
I used a version of Eternabond tape called Webseal. Unlike regular Eternabond tape, this one's backing is designed to adhere to a roof sealant like Henry Tropicool, which i applied to my entire roof. Zero complaints.
Thanks for your opinion video. For me, actually, using a heat gun and scrapper carefully and responsibly to remove eternabond tape is easy! A lot less work and time than you think. Even if you're older or not that strong, it comes right off. I find overall it is indeed more cost, time and energy efficient to use eternabond. You have to repair/maintain those seals less often if using eternabond. With that said, kepp in mind whether or not your roof is in the shade or sun more often makes a difference on your overall maintenance requirements whether you use eternabond or recaulk it. Always maintain as your situation truly requires. 🙏
Your video is the first one for not using tape over the sealant. I for the life of me can not figure out why other than costs why the RV manufactures do not use something better, In my opinion using the tape over the sealant that is still in good condition gives you a double layer of protection against leaks. If you need to make a repair, you cut remove the tap and sealant make the repair reseal with caulking let that set up and then replace the tape. Thanks for the video gives me something to think about
Myles - We do believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. We are not fans of putting Eternabond tape over all seams as it will make doing any repairs or upgrades a nightmare. Eternabond is not the easiest to cut and pull away from the roof, and my biggest concern is damaging the roof membrane when doing so.
I do agree that sealants on the market aren't the best product out there as it does require a bit more maintenance than the average RVer is willing to do. Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary.
Thank you for the discussion. Have a great day!
I use eternabond on all seams. This way at 70 yrs I don't have to get up there and keep caulking . And you mention seal the edges of the eternabond.well I do one better in order to keep my camper cooler I use Henry's tropical cool sealer witch as you know is rubber when dry. I cover the whole roof right over the tape and put 2 coats 2 days apart to make it thick. The white version color I use and looks great and so far all I do is take the ladder once a year and have done nothing to it for the last 5 yrs. One more thing this Henry is easy to clean and does not collect dust. I also go up there with a 303 for uv protection on all my covers A/C etc to keep from cracking etc. 5yrs and going strong. Even if you need to replace a cover or vent just cut it heat it to lift the tape off. So I highly recommend eternabond tape and your video in my book doesn't hold water altho the tape does.lol
@@topgun5399 could you please tell more about "Henry's tropical cool sealer?" Is it like the water barriers laid down on walls and floors of showers until ceramic tile? (Those form a rubbery coating over the material they cover, waterproof.) Thanks.
@@rwind656 This stuff on rv's is fantastic. It seals keeps the camper cooler if your using white and easy to clean. Eterna bond at the seams then put this on half hr later ready for water. And it last! This is my 2nd camper and used this on both. The 2nd camper is a 2021 and the roof was like new but in order to keep it cool I used Henry's and the tape to double waterproof. I have never used it indoors but some applications it might work. It's definitely a hard rubber finish. Looks great also. Been great on both campers. Piece of mine in my book.
Okay, I get your point about just using a roof tape like Eternabond. My experience with the tape has been very good. Twelve years ago I put Eternabond over the factory sealed seams on my RV roof and it's holding up very well in the Texas sun. Perhaps its longevity is due to the roof on my RV is aluminum and not that rubber stuff.
Good info. This week I found that I had some rotted wood on my 4 year old trailer's roof. It looks like during manufacturing the builder missed a small spot where the roof membrane meets the side gutter drains and water was able to get in there. This weekend I cut the plastic membrane back, replaced all the rotted wood & insulation, and reinstalled the plastic roof membrane. When reinstalling the roof membrane I used the Eternabond tape around all the cuts, but I also sealed the edges of the tape with good RV self leveling material. I'm hoping that between the tape and the compound I won't have any further issues. i don't think I'd like all the edges of the roof with it, but for covering seams where I had to cut the roof it feels like a solid repair.
I have had eterna bond tape on my roof seals for 8 years in South Florida. No failure of the plastic or any other portion of the tape. You are lucky to get a year or two out of any of the lap sealants and I have used most all of them. So, every one has an opinion. Mine is based on impirical evidence of using eterna bond tape in a very harsh enviornment without failure. I have not been able to do that with any lap sealant. I don't think it takes rocket science to figure out which product holds up better. I am sticking with eternabond. It is a proven product. Show some scientific evidence instead of a jaded opinion.
I bet you get a lot of complaints of how bad the roof looks though 😅
Who ever looks at a caravan roof???
@@PoorMansInvesting
Does all that caulk really look that good?
I bought a camper new in 2018. First thing I did when I got it home is put Eterna bond on every seam. I took my time in the prepping and made it look nice when I put it on. I also wash and clean my roof after every camping trip. The eterna bond has held up fine and looks like the day I installed it. Eterna bond fails if you do not clean and prep properly. It probably doesn’t do you any favors to put it on a neglected roof that has already started to crack.
I have used enternabond quite awhile on several projects and never had problem'' I had emergency leak in my boat when I was fishing and I happen to have eternabond on hand and it fix the leak and it been patch 5 years ago with eternabond and it work great
Most people who sealed their roofs with etherna bond or similar product are still happy after 10 years of applying. So I didn't understand what's wrong with that.
So if we dont use eternabond to stop leaks and live in California and needs to maintain it by sealing yearly, are you suggesting that your company should be the right ome to maintain it for the rest of us yearly on a sky high price?
i think the guy that you are running down actually did an incredible job and i am doing same as he did specially what he did it on the side of the rv no way any silicon's gonna fix that miss and he seems very knowledgeable your question to why manufacturers don't use it because it's too expensive for them .i think Why all you maintenance people run this stuff down using the tape because if everybody uses it no one would have leaking roofs to fixed and no need for you guys services to reseal roofs in the future and there's multiple clips on youtube that people have had use this tape it for four or ten years and it looks like the day they put it there
Mike - Even though we disagree, I appreciate you joining in on the conversation. I will say, I do believe the Eternabond tape job in the post was done very clean - something I wish would have mentioned in the video. Being a repair shop, we do see a lot of strange things owners do to their units, and we have seen some very poor Eternabond tape jobs. At the end of the day, we still are not fans of having Eternabond tape around all seams as it would make any repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape.
@@yourrvspecialists Remember your perspective is very colored because you look at it from the repair side. You are the hammer that only see nails. All you see is how difficult it is to repair something that has Eternabond on it. That's really a minor issue for the vast majority of RV owners.
Nice video for roof repair business's such as yours. (jk) Do you have data to back up your opinions? If Eterna bond is such a great patch like you stated many times, I dont see any reason not to use it to patch all the seams from the get go.
Im reading a ton of anecdotal evidence that is pro Eterna bond... and not many to the contrary. Net.... In God we trust, all others bring data.
So,i think you answered your own question about why the factory don't do this? Time and materials. Just like you said, they move fast to get the rig out the door and this would be too time consuming and costly to do on the factory floor. Not that this the right thing to do. Also, you say the self leveling caulk takes 30 days to dry. Well my 2022 Jayco actually had oak leaves stuck in the caulk when I picked it up. So it basic was laid down and pushed out the door almost instantly.
Scott, thanks for the comments. Yes, you most certainly received your Jayco "hot off the press."
We believe Eternabond tape is a great product for what it was created for - a strong patch. This videos intent was to warn against a craze we see multiple times - covering all seams on the roof with Eternabond tape.
As stated in the video, items on your roof (such as vents, skylights, antennas, etc) do get sun damaged and brittle. You also might hit a tree, or you might even want to make some upgrades. Having Eternabond tape around all seams would make those repairs/upgrades a nightmare. Not to mention you risk damaging your roof membrane when attempting to remove the items and tape. This is why mfg DON'T use the tape when producing their units. My complaint with the mfg is their sealant jobs are too thin (aka their starter ink cartridge).
My RV repair shop has 3 - 5 units (all makes, models and ages) come through on the daily. I see Eternabond tape jobs when they are fresh and several years old. Repairs and upgrades done on units with endless amounts of Eternabond tape in the way are charged far more labor than those with sealant.
Whether you are at my shop, friends on social media or stumbled across one of my various RUclips videos - my message to you will be the same; you're RV needs to be maintained. While it's not glamorous or fun for most, nothing beats keeping an RV roof scrubbed, routinely inspected and sealed as necessary. I believe the RV industry hasn't done the consumer justice with educating them on maintenance required.
While others may feel covering every seam with Eternabond tape is "the bees knees," I don't. We can just agree to disagree.
If was in my early 20’s, I would start a trailer manufacturing company and build a superior trailer product with a 5 year warranty and make sure they are mice and rodent proof, plus with my design there would be no roof leaks, roof would be covered with spray in bed liner used in pickup trucks.
The mfr is going the cheapest route possible, they don't care about longevity.
"they don't care about longevity" They def do. checkout planned obsolescence.
I put Eternabond on a trailer in 2005. It's still going strong with ZERO leaks ever since. Eternabond is used by several RV manufacturers. Most don't use it because it's difficult to install. I'm not a pro, but I've been around long enough to know.
Interesting, i was planning on doing something with my roof soon. But one thing that sounds a bit contradictory, like the printer company, the maker of the RV want more work after the warranty goes out... Then if the tape works amazing, they would not want it, cause they want the job fixing the roof? Im not sure what i will use to fix my roof yet. But that's why i need to see these videos and make up my mind :)
I don’t feel like this video aged well because there are people that have done 5 year videos and the tape is still in good shape, I wouldn’t put it around areas that may need maintanence like a fan skylight or ac because it’ll make replacing those annoying and more difficult, but for places like the sides and ends of your roof where it won’t need to come off ever unless you had a major problem like an accident this works well.
These guys thrive off of having people come into their shop. These guys are very biased and should not be trusted.
@Knight0vvl about removing the Eternabond tape on RV's they say it's easy to remove with a heat gun.
@@rwind656 it’s removable but not easily, it’s not worth putting in areas that may require its removal especially because it’s not cheap.
WOW First off as a commercial Roofer, I must say we do not have 1 RV manufacture that is installing the roofs correctly. Its a shame even the TPO EPDM they use is so thin its a boom waiting to blow let alone WTH is dicor? that doesn't qualify as lap sealants it will last a yr or 2 at best before it cracks open and starts to leak. I am not a Eternabond person ether but Dicor VS Eternabond? I will take Eternabond any day of the week with correct installation the mule-hide coat it. I see class actions lawsuits coming. I have a 2022 Montana and having to redo the roof already thankfully I no how to do that my self ..... I will be using a 45Mil commercial roofing product TPO with real water block lap sealants that last for 10yrs!
Would greatly appreciate knowing the brand name of the roof material you are considering, and a name of a quality sealant, as well, would be incredibly helpful, thanks
Use a torch roll down roof lasted on my house since 1976 never has leaked I'm in AZ.
@@bobwilkerson9760 this is somebody else's thread so I'm not going to hijack in respect to them. But I will say most likely this weekend you will see on RUclips commercial EPDM/TPO For Homes & RV that'll be the start of the series
@@Mike-01234 all I can say that's crazy and congratulations You've been lucky. Because it's only a 10-15yr manufacturer warranty pending the install so who ever did it must of done a fantastic job...
Manufacturers probably dont use it cause its more expensive
Eternabond seems to be holding up pretty well for alot of people if applied properly
Exactly, it’s too expensive.
What do you expect someone who gets paid to work on these is going to say. They want customers. Not someone that is one and done. They want you coming back as often as possible
You know we don’t sell RV’s right in our job is to help you keep a maintain what you have not saw you a new one.
So if you want to slap that on your coach by all means, go ahead and do it but when it devalues it that’s on you.
Everyone will run because they’ll think that you have sidewall, a roof water damage concealed behind it.
That's exactly what I was thinking. That white putty stuff is junk. I have seen many nice campers and RVs with water damage from that leaky lap sealant.
@@yourrvspecialistswouldn't look at it this way I would look that they found something better then making a hobby caulking every year. Not to mention checking the inside of a rv. Bringing someone with you that had campers wouldn't hurt alo.
My question would be, what is the lesser of two evils? Dicor separating/cracking and getting water damage, vs the pain to remove tape in the event of a replacement of one of the penetration components. My guess would be, the $$ amount repair difference of water damage vs removing eternabond tape to replace a component would be quite different, in favor of the tape.. I don't know this to be true, what say you? Or the other way to look at it would be, for seams of components that are least likely to fail and need replaced (front cap seam, side/rear seam, plumbing vent, fridge vent) those would probably benefit more with tape, and then dicor the skylights and such. At the end of the day, the way RV roofing systems and penetrations are designed are lazy and absolutely garbage. there should be flashing or curbs, or something that is the primary line of defense to redirect water, and sealant would simply be a secondary measure. We wouldn't accept this on our house, I don't know why we do on RV's.
Sorry for late response. I completely missed it. I would just use the sealant and if it’s sealed thick enough at the beginning and kept clean and when treating the roof surface you can apply the uv treatment to the clean sealants as well and it will last you a very long time. The roof and the sealant are the most neglected parts on RVs. They don’t explain enough to keep them clean.
I just installed two MaxxAir fans on my RV roof. The originals had the the obligatory thin layer of Sikaflex from Thor. I used a heat gun on LOW with a PLASTIC scraper to get to the original fan flange to remove the screws. I removed the old fans and cleaned the roof area with lacquer thinner... NON petroleum based! Once the new fans were installed, I carefully applied Eternabond tape, lapping up onto the vertical part of the fan flange, and well off of the flange edge onto the roof. Then I used a steel roller to completely compress the butyl under the tape. I GUARANTEE I will NEVER have any leaks - and the only maintenance is regular cleaning. If I ever need to remove the fan - I'll simply carefully cut through the tape along the flange edge. I'm going to re-seal it anyway!!
The tape over the screws can be softened with a heat gun on LOW, and again use a utility knife. Here you're not cutting into the roof, so be a little more aggressive. It peels up easy enough to get to the screws - you DO NOT need to completely remove it to do that! After installing a new fan, simply lap new Eternabond over the existing tape that's there.
I'll never understand why people freak out over this... it's like a mental block or something! I'd rather permanently seal my roof components and GO CAMPING than worry about the roof leaking! But I guess some folks must enjoy crawling around their RV roof with a caulking gun... ???
Everyone has a right to their opinion. That is all this is. An opinion. I think the viewer should judge this opinion against those who have used Eternabond Tape and have used it for years. Many videos show the process of replacing roof attachments with this product. A little more time in prep work for the replacement seems to be well worth the effort considering the peace of mind. Respectfully.
Eternabond tape has a life of 18+ years.......also, manufacturer's don't use it because self-leveling caulks are cheaper and easier to install.
What do you recommend using on the roof to help slow UV damage? 303? And just on the plastic rooftop elements? Thanks!
YES. I am a huge advocate for 303 Aerospace Protectant. It is great for anything vinyl or plastic. I don't just use it on the roof, I use it around the entire RV - decals, awnings, slide-out toppers. The list goes on and on ...
Removes easy with a heat gun. Last the life of the roof. Can be coated just like the roof.
Thanks for your feed back.
@user-dm5eb9cm4i question regards using a heat gun on Eternabond tape on an RV roof. Sounds like you've used Eternabond. Do you think using a heat gun while applying Eternabond at first will give you a better / smoother surface without the wrinkles? Or does it affect the adhesive too much to use the heat gun? Thanks for any answer. I am looking at Eternabond for another application, not an RV but I'd sure use it rather than seal frequently with the inferior products I've seen all these years.
@@rwind656 -- the heat gun is only to soften tape and other calking for removal not during application of new. I’m afraid it would ruin it..
Well it’s good to hear the other side of the opinion. If the RVs had as thick a skin as you do for taking so much flack gracefully then we wouldn’t even need conversations like this.
One thing for me is I am 2.5 hours from any service shop. I’m 7 years into my rv and no leaks - yet. I haven’t resealed a thing. I guess I have had luck. So combining those factors with not having any service center options and an RV only worth 15k, I will have to weigh it all out.
Thanks for the video (and leaving comments on)
I have never had an issue with it. I don't even buy Dicor, just an off brand. I go one step further and seal all seams and edges of it with clear Pro-Flex. It's there forever!
Maybe in your California climate this would not hold up...but it seems to be working for everyone else...for over 3 years.
Why would the manufacturers want to provide long term solutions like an impervious UV resistant seam tape, when they can sell gallons of overpriced goop and also claim no warranty when they say you put the goop on wrong and or not often enough? It’s about some of the biggest consumer marketing rip off ever.
why wouldn't RV manufacturers use tape... because they are cheap AF and just want to turn out campers as quick as possible. The sealant they use will surely outlast their 1 year "warranty." They could careless about YOUR water damage 5 years down the road.
The tape easily comes off with a heat gun 🙂
Sometime, but makes a hell of a mess.
Manufacturers aren't using this product simply because it is more expensive and the labour is time-consuming. The only time you'd ever wanna remove that "tape" is if you've got some serious structural failure happening, aside from that, it does last longer than lap.
We sealed all seams with RV Roof Magic then applied Eternabond from front to back with one piece, then sealed Eternabond edges with more RV Roof Magic. A lot more protection than the RV manufacturers will ever do. Also cut out holes in Eternabond and put over running lights on front top of camper. I’m not a betting man, but I’ll bet this lasts 15 years.
What’s RV roof magic?
@@danlux4954 Just Google it. They have their own website.
@@danlux4954 Huh? Thought I responded to you. Google it, they have a website. Think they are in CT. Easy to use, no mixing.
@@danlux4954 Dicor Product, Acrylic coating, nothing special.
Any advice on thoroughly cleaning my black rubber-like roof (I'm not sure what you call the material that it's made out of) before doing repairs... It's kinda chalky...
There was some bird damage on the rubber roof material... About six places where the birds pecked a little hole... I cleaned the black suface with denatured alcohol, then use the peel off black gorilla tape for patching the holes... After about 8 months in spots the gorilla tape kind of wrinkled and loosened... I am hoping to reclean the roof and redo the patches and redo the patches with eternabond
It's a 93 Cobra, 33 ft, with fiberglass front and end caps and around vents and skylights and roof rack, the lap sealant has lifted away, from the roof material everywhere, causing leaks
I am contemplating using eternabond to seal the front and end caps but I am concerned about getting both the fiberglass and the black rubberized roof material clean enough for good adhesion and not having problems in the future ...
Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated...
Money is really tight for us and we have to be as economical as possible
Thanks
All manufacturers are not using it because 1. It's more expensive, 2. people would not need repairs so they would lose business. Eternabond is sun resistant AND It has a outdoor exposure life of.....THIRTY YEARS.
It doesn’t have the same thermal properties at the sealant.
If the manufacturer would inject some of the areas, secure molding better and use the right about of sealant they wouldn’t leak.
But that’s my 25 plus years experience in this industry.
So what if you don't have a TPO but its an older unit with a metal roof, what is the best way to do the length seams, and front and back seams?
I know this is a year old but, manufacturers have been using Eternabond (or similar) on factory built 5ers. Across the rear roof/wall seam and all the slides' perimeters are done on Momentums. I know, I own one since new.
It’s depends on the roof and the installation.
Did I hear 24 tubes of silicone caulking? Wow that's a few more tubes than I would use... And it's funny that you hear countless old timers saying their eternabond tape has been in place, trouble free, for 20,30+ years! I makes me wonder about the motives of the naysayers...
Disagree....Who the hell wants to inspect the roof every year and reseal with self leveling RV sealant like DICOR.. JUNK.. I've used Eternabond on my RV roof for years set it and forget it..The reason RV manufactures don't use it is because it cost more and they want you to bring your RV to the Stealership to inspect or reseal the roof weather you need it or not. no Thank You..
It funny to me that Caulk is a finish material but Tape in this application is somehow just a patch. Caulking is patch (Not try to ruffle any feathers here)
No feathers ruffled over here. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Manufactures do not use it because it is expensive, many people post how great it last, some have had it on for 5 years and still looks new.
Although I agree on some of your points, as far as the industry not using it is an easy answer, $$ cost $$. The RV industry is notorious at cutting corners to lower cost and rise profits, in an industry that gives quality control a passing glanc, using Eternabond is just too cost prohibitive.
I would like to mention you said manufactures don't use Eternabond Tape, but the roof jobs they do is very bad low quality workman ship so I would not trust a manufactures judgment.
If you want to add some strength with a roof seal lay some product down, in-bed cloth material in the bed and cover over that with your roof coat material.
What do you recommend using to reseal the roof??? I just bought a camper & I want to reseal it now just for peace of mind. What about Flex seal liquid rubber? I watched a video of a couple that used it & they seem pretty happy with the results in a 2yr later post hurricane video. I'm definitely clueless now. I've seen the Eternabond method as well, I'm definitely skeptical about it.
Dicor, Hengs or Geocel
Of course manufacturers would prefer that you spend the money to replace your entire roof.
When cleaned prepped and dried properly my eternal bond has been on for 8 years
Warning- do not buy any of the knockoff products claiming to be the same as eternabond. Speaking from experience it fails within a year. The true eternabond product lasts 15-20+ years
I think that is a key factor
So what does that have to do with the roof?
I think it depends on the roof and your needs. Eternabond is a more permanent 'fix' in that its not going to wear and leak like caulks and sealers for a long time but its going to be a bitch to take off. So folks that make money working on RV roofs won't get as much business and the business they get will be a hard job they may cuss the whole way through. So i get why anyone working in the field will say its a bad idea. I do think the roof also matters... if you have a 'modern' rubber RV roof your likely to have to change the roof before the eternabond tape and the tape will make that job harder. But if you have an RV with an aluminum / metal roof especially a vintage RV with decades of caulk and patchwork as previous owners have fought leaks... then eternabond tape is an ideal solution IMO as it seals up the seams and the solution will likely outlive your use of the RV if not you.
I agree but as far as having to replace the rubber roof it appears that there are coatings that may last nearly as long as the eternabond tape these days. Henry's 887 has a lifetime warranty.
Manufacturers are all about fast and cheap. It is much faster to put down thick globs of "lap sealant" from a gun, even if the "lap sealant" is total garbage and fails after a few years. RV companies are all about speed and cost. It would take three times as long for an employee to roll down eternabond over every seal and it takes skill to avoid wrinkles. So there's no way they will use it. Lap sealant only protects the already sealed joint. The actual joints are sealed with caulk. If they did a proper job with the lap sealant and sprinkled white roof sand over it before it cured, they could form what is the same as an asphalt shingle on your home roof, that would last 20 years in the sun with the sand protecting the sealants from UV.
Eternabond is an exelente product the I use it is I put it around the vents then I'll put Henry Tropi-Cool on top that product is life time warranty and like you yourself say you have a hard time removing it that says the product is really strong the Dicor is a product that you have to do often and when there is too much piled up you have to scrape it off I'm a professional at this I know but to each his own.
Brinkley uses it during the building of there fifth wheel Rv’s????
The performance of the tape likely depends on the climate. Cold, wet with 4 seasons will damage the tape. IN Florida's climate , the tape is more long lasting.
What about putting this tape on the underside? Especially when repairs have been done and the underlayment wasn't out back as good as it was when new. It seems to be perfect the prevent water and critters from getting into the belly of the RV.
Mark - I've never used Eternabond tape on the underbelly, but it doesn't make it wrong to use. I do prefer to use underbelly tape material. It's a permanent adhesive patch (like Eternabond), but it is black to match the underbelly material and a heck of a lot cheaper! I like to keep a small roll in my unit should I need to make any bandaid repairs while in transit. amzn.to/3Uxmsjv
Thanks for the question!
@@yourrvspecialists Thanks. I actually used Flex Tape. It was priced ok and came in long rolls. I like the idea of keeping a roll on hand just in case. Thanks again.
I used Eternabond tape to enclose the fifth wheel pin box to keep birds out of it.
He says not to use it because he can’t repair them anymore. Permanent fix means less $$ in his pockets
So why the manufacturer use the tape on slide out ?
Because it works.
Hi. I just bought a Bigfoot camper and the person who sold it to me used a TON of that terrible tape. And recommendations on how to remove it? Should I use a goo gone or solvent?
You have to be very careful when removing it, use a low heat gun and mild solvent to clean off the surfaces. In some cases you have to replace the tape as needed and just live with it, now that it has been added. You can always seals around the seams and even if needed apply a coating over it as well.
Thanks! Do you happen to know what sort of coating I can apply over the tape?
What would you recommend on the sides of a fiberglass trailer for UV protection? Are dealer installed protectants like Eco RV Pro worth the price tag? ($1500)
Remove ALL the oxidation and apply 2 coats of RejeX twice a year. Do that EVERY SEASON and the fiberglass gelcoat on your RV will outlive YOU!
I put it on the long seams aluminum roof three years ago and whaaaalaaah it is still good
Studied DIY female application beats rip
Off trailer repair 😅
Hi I have to say that you are right about the Eternal Bond tape. But they didn't finish the job, You just don't put the tape up there and then say okay it's finished. As you said the tape will deteriorate over time and you have problems. You put the tape up first and then you seal the roof with a good liquid rubber coating. So now the liquid rubber coating has UV protection in it to prevent the tape from deteriorating. So now the tape will last as long as the silicone rubber roof last. So you talking maybe 30 to 40 years before you'd have to even start to think about resurfacing that roof again. 😎
That's a good sensible comment -thanks.
I hope your right. That's what I did. Tape and then rubber roof coating over the top.
You make sense 100%! I never thought of all factors of how all the sealants degrades overtime. Thanks for putting this content out there.
Thank you, if it’s sealed thick enough from the start it would last a lot longer.
He's wrong. Eternabond has a 30 year exposure life. He don't want people to use it because he's an RV repair guy. He would lose business.
I’m not going to rely on a goop to seal and protect a flat roof. Billions of dollars of roof damage to RV’s is enough to scare me away. Sure some of those Rv roofs were neglected but I’m not going to pay thousands to have the roof checked every year. I built a aluminum roof and used metal roof flashing with a aluminum outer skin and hope this lasts 50 years like a metal roof. I park it on a slope to aid with the runoff.
What products do you recommend for UV protection for the roof? Thanks for making great videos!
Sorry for late response. Completely missed this, there is a bunch of different options available now a days.
I typically like to use 303 on plastics, Thetford purchase protect all company and I like there roof cleaner and treatment. Camco, Dicor and Alpha all make good products for cleaning and treating as well.
My combo would be 303 and protectall brand.
@@yourrvspecialists Thank you for replying - please forgive my newbie questions! So just to confirm, your recommendations are to use Eternabond tape if there is an emergency puncture or leak, but should be remediated as soon as possible using Dicor or some similar product? IOW - Eternabond is not recommended for a long-term sealant around fans, ducts, A/C's, etc. - Is that assumption correct?
Thanks Again!
Your first comment is a remarkably dumb one; if it was so great then why wouldn't all RV manufacturers do it? RV manufacturers don't do a lot of things that would make the product better.
Exactly 💯...! RV manufacturers use the cheapest and quickest stuff possible. Most of it garbage. Owners using high quality materials on aftermarket fixes are what make the rv last. Not the factory junk.
You mean like make frames that don't crack? Lol
Eternabond sure is a PITA to remove, as I found out on a skylight replacement and a roof vent replacement..
It sure is. Thanks for sharing with us.
The thing is, for the prices of these RVs they sure are built poorly and i mean everything! Wiring, appliances, plastic junk vents, Workmanship, everything, unbelievable! And Who has time too climb unto 10-12' roofs many times a year to inspect ,clean and maintain them? Especially when you are 70 years old, I mean I'm a mechanic by trade but i hate climbing ladders in the first place , yeah 10ish feet isnt that bad but still. I understand keeping an eye on things and I do but come on! I also undersand that RVs need to be built as light as possiable as well. Otherwise you would need a Mack semi truck to haul them. But they surely could be built somewhat better. I have an small 30 year old gulfstream fifthwheel that's still in decent shape and the roof on it has been surprisingly good, no leaks. But the axles should have been a bit farther rearward on those old ones. I've found there isnt quite enough weight on the kingpin, so I try to be sure to try travel with the rear mounted grey & black tanks empty otherwise it will sway sometimes. But get this, it wears tires rather fast because the wheels aren't in line. Also I found the kingpin was factory welded two inches off center to the left which im sure contributes to the sway, which fifth wheels & goosenecks normally don't do.. I've been contemplating cutting it loose and rewelding it centered, because i see some cracks in the weld corners of the pinbox anyway, but have been advised not too for liability purposes. But who cares , certainly not the factories the way it sounds! :(
removed all dicor and replace with eternabond been outside for 6 years and is still perfect
What do you use as a sealant on the roof ?
We use sealant. If it's a TPO or EPDM roof, we utilize Dicor. If it's a fiberglass roof, we utilize Heng's NuFlex.
@@yourrvspecialistso you use dicor for even alpha Tpo roofs? I have an alpha roof and I bought alpha lap sealant but I don’t know what the previous owner used… I plan to reseal soon as it’s been a year or two but not sure about mixing (if he used dicor or something else) thanks! Also where are you guys located?! I am in Riverside
Manufacturers build based on cost, if it is cheaper they will do it. Eternbond is more expensive but worth the investment.
Your concerns are the same as mine when it comes to the weathering. However rv manufacturers most are not concerned with doing the best for the rig/Customer. They are more concerned with speed and cost. Eternabond is expensive. They would never increase the cost of the roof to this extent just to make the customer feel better because most customers won’t. Wondering weekend has a video of 4 year weathering and it looks great!
If he's worried That the plastic is going to. breakdown? Why wouldn't you just use the eternal bond tape with the aluminum backing?
What are your thoughts about SikiFlex sealants? Thanks for your on hands knowledge.
I honestly haven't uses SikiFlex in years.
What do you recommend for sealer on 1971 camper with unknown coatings
And chem to clean before caulking
Can you share some pictures of it?
Would it be okay to use the tape just hold down solar panel wires?
I do, in small pieces. If I remove the cables, I just cut the tape on each side of the cable and leave the rest of the tape on the roof, otherwise you’ll rip the roof up trying to get it off.
@@TJ-qz6hr That was going to be my plan. Thanks
@@TJ-qz6hr actually if u don't mind I want ask u a question. I am getting ready to put 6- 215w solar panels on the roof of my 5th wheel. After a month or 2 thinking about it I am not sure I want to use the Z mounts. Actually leaning towards Unistrut Channel. I would think aluminum strut would be strong enough to use. I am thinking laying out 3 foot lengths put butyl tape down first, screwing or lagging them down then dicor. That way if i want to change out panels easy to do no more drilling into the roof. Going back and forth on aluminum or galvanized unit strut. Aluminum cuts the weight down. Have you heard or know any bad experience with aluminum? Wood screws? Or small lags?
Jim - Yes, we use Eternabond tape to hold down solar panel wires (and coax cables). The videos intent was just to warn against the craze of covering all seams with the tape. We had no idea we would ruffle so many feathers!
@@yourrvspecialists to be honest it's kinda a no brainer to use that tape around openings. I think it was said in the video if it was so great for around skylights and vent it would of cam from the factory that way.
Sorry but manufacturers really could care less about what they produce. The poor quality materials and thin roof materials call for something to protect your investment at any cost. If this stuff works for people, then I do not see an issue. As far as your opinion, it is just that, your opinion. My automobile dealer tried to tell me what I should or shouldn't do as far as maintaining my investment. I do what I myself think I should do, especially having the knowledge to fix things myself. I believe in thinking outside the box. Those that go by the book are the ones that fail by the book. You sound like a dealer or RV service rep. I wouldn't take much of what you say as gospel.
Would much rather try to get old caulk off than old eternabond tape. From a service point of veiw, cant stand the stuff, but from an emergency patch point of view, its great.
Thanks for the comment. YES - eternabond tape is excellent as a patch for an emergency!
This type of tape is used on TPO roofs in the SW US. It will last 15 years minimum and that's absolutely worst case.
If there wasn’t a problem people wouldn’t look for a solution. Every trailer is garbage. I’m sure they can build them with 3m sealants instead of made to fail crap they come with. All trailers are garbage.
Totally disagree. But having said that nothing lasts forever. Not even eternabond. The other option is recaulking which has to be done more often. I used a hot air dryer and the eternabond will come off. If it came of easy the product would not be any good.
Bad advice. This tape has been working great for me. IMO everyone should use it. It's really a no -brainer