Walking on an RV Roof

Walking on an RV Roof - Les Doll

Underlying the rubber covering is usually a 3/16th to 1/2 inch plywood or particle board sheeting that evenly supports your weight. If your roof is metal, especially if it is the seamed type, (has crosswise seams every 48' or so), then lay a plywood strip or some wide boards (lengthwise) to walk on. This way the boards span the roof rafters and distribute your weight evenly on several supports. Be sure to check your shoes for embedded pebbles or other sharp objects that may damage the roof material.

RV Roof Sealants

ROOF COAT - by Les Doll
http://www.rverscorner.com
http://www.rvrepairmanual.com

Inspecting the roof sealant is something you should do twice a year. Why?

Because that is the likely place that a water leak will first develop. Water runs downhill, of course, and a tiny leak on the roof will turn into a major problem within the structure of the RV.

Think about this - one drip per minute (through a pinhole leak) adds up to 1440 drips per day or 10,080 drips in a week.

I don't have time to figure out how many gallons of water there are in 10,080 drips, but I think you see my point.

Closely inspect the roof sealant condition on every protruding fixture on the roof. Any cracks or thin spots can be touched up with the appropriate material. If the roof sealant is peeling or flaking in any way, then the old coating must be physically removed.

On metal roofs I use a 1' wide scraper with a firm blade, like the ones used by auto technicians for scraping off old gaskets. For rubber roofs I made a similar sized plastic scraper that won't cut the rubber membrane.

If you heat the old coating with a hot air gun, it will come off fairly easily.

Emergency roof repair - http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/eternabond.html

Starting the LPG System

Starting the Flow by Les Doll

When your RV has been stored for a while the propane gas system may have a certain amount of air in the lines. It is a good idea when taking your RV out of storage to first turn on the gas bottle valve and then light one of the stovetop burners.

This does two things: it purges the air from most of the system and it establishes a visual check that gas is present and flowing smoothly.

Once the stove burner lights and the flame is steady, then light the other appliances. Do this at least a week or two before your planned vacation. This will allow you time to deal with any service or repairs needed before you head out on your trip.

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Removing items from shelves and walls before changing destinations is a pain. However, if you place a small amount of window caulking putty (called strip seal or fingertip caulking - from hardware stores) on the bottom of objects, nothing moves or falls from display position between destinations.

When this putty is applied to the corners of picture frames or other wall hangings, it prevents them from swinging side-to-side. NOTE: This putty holds more securely than sticky products specifically designed for this purpose.

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