Eternabond installation

[diehard]

Hi all,

We just bought an old Triple-E Empress as an introduction to RVing to
see if we enjoy it. Unfortunately, with all the rain we've been having
up here, I've discovered that we have a leak in the bedroom. One of the
products I've heard great things about is this eternabond tape, so I
went out and bought a couple of rolls.

Now the old girl is currently in the shop getting a trailer hitch
fabricated (old one was rotted), I asked if they could send someone up
to have a look. Well, I got a call last night that there is a
significant problem... appears that the previous owner, or whoever last
worked on it, went crazy on the roof with silicone. Of course...
eternabond will not stick to silicone. Awesome.

I told the guy to leave it for now and we'll just worry about getting
the hitch done and I'll have a look at the roof myself. I really don't
feel like paying someone something like $85/hour to be up there scraping
silicone off.

Does anyone here have any experience with the eternabond? In addition,
I've heard that Bestine could do a pretty good job of at least thinning
the silicone and/or make it tacky enough for stuff to stick to it. Any
ideas on this?

I haven't been up top myself, but I'd find it hard to believe that my
4-inch wide tape wouldn't be beyond the width of the silicone used along
the seams, but, at the same time, I just don't know who has been up
there previously and what their experience is.

Thanks

[Eric J]

you right eternabond will not stick to silicone, I dont know how easy the silicone would be to get off either? but ya may try and see if it will just start rubbing off by chance, if it was not cleaned real good when the silicone was put on it may could rub off?
I put some eternabond on my roof, I used a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a rag and cleaned the rubber off a lil bit before I stuck it down and put a small bead of caulking made for the rubber roof on the edge of the tape, but its only been 6 months ago and that's not long enough to see what will happen? I did look at it the other day and it all looks like it did when I put it on their.
if the silicone were not able to come off? could you use a wider tape? and I know that ain't cheep

[Russ Chastain]

Silicone is crazy stuff, you can clean off all visible traces of it and it will still be present - and will keep paint from sticking properly... don't know about keeping tape from sticking.

This is not what you want to hear, but I think you probably need to get some structural work done to it. Sounds like the leak has been there for long enough that wood rot is likely.

[Carl]

Some encouragement, I hope. Take a putty knife and scrap off all the sillycone you can, then use spray Carb cleaner and a rag and some 60 grit sand paper. Work small sections at a time. Spray the carb cleaner over the area, a little at a time and wipe with the rag. DO NOT smoke or be near a flame while using carb cleaner. After you get all the sillycone off, sand the area, wipe again with carb cleaner, allow to dry. Then you can apply your Eternabond. That is what I did and it seems to be sticking OK. But as Russ noted, all you are doing is stopping the leaks, there is probably structural damage under the aluminum. Carl

[diehard]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate the help.

[diehard]

Well, after spending 3 of the last 4 days on the roof (and the last 4 days being the hottest days of the summer up here), I think I've finally located the problem.

The previous guy up there had, literally, gone crazy with silicone and something that felt like putty or that plaster you'd put on the sheet-rock on the walls of your house. It was crazy up there. It took twice as long just to scrape the junk than it did to lay the tape down.

After the multiple times with me going up and down that ladder, I noticed this afternoon that there was an area of putty around one of the ladder anchors on top that was lifting. I peeled that back and, lo and behold, was only putty and could remove it easily with my hand. Under the putty... the old holes where a previous ladder was... and the holes weren't filled that well. The water must have been rushing in right there. Patched that up with the tape, screwed the anchor right through that tape so it should be good.

Looking at it now... it doesn't look like I did much, but it took quite a long time and couldn't work up there for long periods of time at once with no shade. Hopefully this is it, else I'll be back up there sooner rather than later. Hopefully, it'll be cooler. Only the seams around the roof need be done, but I don't see an issue there at all.

[Russ Chastain]

screwed the anchor right through that tape so it should be good.

Um... putting screw holes through the stuff that you're using to seal your roof is likely to be counterproductive. Screws and nails provide a wonderful path for water to follow. Unless the head is sealed over, a screw will often wick water right on into your rig.

[Carl]

I agree with Russ. You need to seal around the screw and cover them. What I do when I have to remove a screw and reinstall it, I take some two part epoxy and fill the hole where the screw is to go and also coat the screw before I install it. The two part epoxy becomes part of the wood and bonds to the screw to keep water out. Old boatmans trick. Of course I use West Systems Epoxy. Carl

[diehard]

The Eternabond seals itself around the screw when you screw through it. I read that numerous places. It's the only reason why I did it....

[Eric J]

well.....the tape it not very thick, seal around the screw it may? for how long would be the question? it could not hurt to at least put some rubber roof caulking around the heads of the screws

[Russ Chastain]

What Eric said.

People selling Eternabond will certainly claim that it does everything good and wonderful. But experience has taught be not to believe some claims... and that includes any tape properly sealing around a screw punched through it for any length of time.

We're offering you advice based on many years of collective experience. You don't have to take it - you have the right to ignore it and gamble that you're right.

But I say it's better to be safe than sorry, and I also say that if the screws do leak around the Eternabond, you will not know it until it's too late and lots of wood in the roof and wall has rotted as a result.

[Carl]

I guess I will repeat myself. I am with russ here. What I normally do when I have to install screws is dip the screw in a mixture of two part epoxy, then screw it in. When the epoxy dries, you have a water and air tight seal around the screw. Was taught that when I worked in a boat yard. Carl