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Old 08-27-2018, 07:01 PM   #1
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Should I be concerned about this?

Washed the Sunstar today and while rinsing off the roof, noticed the tape that seals between the roof and front fiberglass looked a little weird. Is this something I should replace soon? I assume this is a DIY type job, or should I take it to a dealer (under extended warranty)?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kn-...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DeG...ew?usp=sharing
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Old 08-27-2018, 07:24 PM   #2
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It doesn't look like normal aging to me.

In any case I don't see what you have to lose by taking it in.
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Old 08-29-2018, 10:09 AM   #3
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Ok, so the warranty company says that seals such as this are not covered, only mechanical issues, so it looks like a DIY job. What does everyone recommend? I see two choices, Eternabond tape or Dicor liquid. Both are predicated on me getting the old tape/sealant off and cleaning the area thoroughly.
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Old 08-29-2018, 11:01 AM   #4
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Most use Eternabond tape for that kind of repair.

https://www.eternabond.com/

Just about any RV supply store will have it in stock.
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Old 08-29-2018, 12:06 PM   #5
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Don't use Dicor, it's made for application to rubber roofs, not fiberglass. I second the recommendation to use Eternabond, although you'll probably find it cheaper on Amazon.com.
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Old 08-29-2018, 12:25 PM   #6
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Yes I have an extended warranty too and it does not cover "routine maintenance" and maintaining sealant integrity is just that.

Buried in your Winnebago owner's manual somewhere is section on maintenance. Winnebago recommends that you have the sealant integrity inspected once a year. An "OEM" style repair would be to trim off any loose sealant and then cover the areas with the Winnebago recommended self leveling lap sealant.

Or as was mentioned by another you can buy a 50' roll of 4" Eternabond Tape and after cleaning and drying the area where the sealant is sealing the front cap to roof joint you can roll out a continuous piece of the Eternabond tape for a "one and done" long term fix. The Eternabond tape has a rated life of 10 years. Does it really last that long? I don't know but I have some tape that has been on the roof in all weather and sun that is still looking very good after 4 years.
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Old 08-31-2018, 04:52 AM   #7
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Don't use Dicor, it's made for application to rubber roofs, not fiberglass. I second the recommendation to use Eternabond, although you'll probably find it cheaper on Amazon.com.
What is the reason you don't use Dicor on fiberglass?

Dicor adheres very well to most everything except plastic holding tanks & water tanks.


Dicor does not dry out and crack. It stays very flexible and if you ever need to remove the dicor you can scrape it off and use paint thinner (not on rubber roofs!) to remove the last of any residue for a clean surface to work with.


Dicor comes in two formulas, "self leveling" which seeps into cracks and crevices and "non-sagging" for vertical applications.

For the last 15 years I have used Dicor for a sealant and/or adhesive on our RV. I also use dicor around the house sometimes as well.
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Old 08-31-2018, 05:41 AM   #8
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I don't know if Dicor is detrimental or not, however, it is formulated specifically for EDPM (rubber roofs) and is marketed as such by Dicor. For some reason, it's become the go-to sealant for most RV owners for every application.

Dicor is not specified anywhere in Winnebago's sealant "callout" sheets that list what Winnebago used in the manufacturing process for each application. Each product listed has properties specific to how it's used. Some have adhesive properties, some don't, etc. Here's a link to the callout sheet for the OP's year/model:

https://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram.../000200568.pdf

And some more information from Winnebago:

https://winnebagoind.com/resources/s...t%20Sheets.pdf

Some info from E-Trailer:

https://www.etrailer.com/question-119059.html

Additionally, here's an (admittedly non-expert, but interesting) Youtube video on the topic



I'm no expert either, but I do try to research things as much as I can, and I prefer to use products specified by Winnebago for the specific application in question. My motorhome is a 2002, so I'm not concerned about warranty issues but, if the one were to use a non-specified sealant and something happened, such as a leak, it may not be covered by either Winnebago's or an extended warranty.

Whatever you choose to use, make sure you remove the old sealant and clean the area in question to ensure proper adhesion. Never apply new sealant over old. There's no need to goop it on like so many owners and manufacturers seem to do, making RV roofs look like they're covered in seagull poop.
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Old 08-31-2018, 08:27 AM   #9
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Interesting video. There are lots of reasons why something doesn't stick to a surface, failing to properly clean the surface before putting the sealant on comes to mind.



It would have been much more helpful if the person making the video explained why the Dicor will not adhere to fiberglass. In the videl it looks like the Dicor didn't adhere to the white part of the antenna. Perhaps that white material was made from a plastic that requires a special caulking to stick. If that is the case, then the video has nothing to do with the not using Dicor on the roof. It would be specific to the material the antenna base is made from.



I wonder if the materials list has a specific product for sealing that antenna.



I have used Dicor numerous times on the roof of my Sightseer and have not had a problem. This includes sealing around the supports for my large 325 watt, 60" x 72" solar panels, the plate which covers the wires for my satellite TV dish where it passes through the roof, around the skylight and other places as well.



It is good to note that we have driven the rig on some pretty rough roads. that includes our 2016 4 1/2 month trip to Alaska, which included 460 round trip miles on the Dalton Hwy. The Dalton hwy is the gravel haul road which follows the Alaska pipeline to Prudhoe Bay. Lots of bumps and pot holes along the way.
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Old 08-31-2018, 09:52 AM   #10
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Although many have used Dicor on fiberglass without any problems, that doesn't mean it's the right product for the job.

For what it's worth, I never heard of Dicor during my 30+ years of sailboating, and most mainstream sailboats are fiberglass.

At the risk of repeating myself, I don't know the technical details, but Dicor says it's product is intended for rubber roofs, Winnebago doesn't list it as one of their sealants and E-Trailer doesn't recommend it.

Why use it if it's not made for fiberglass and not recommended by Winnebago? If I was on the road or in a time crunch and Dicor was all I could find, I'd use it, but, given the choice, I'm going to stick with Winnebago's specs.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:30 AM   #11
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winnebago will have a list of what sealant to use where, just give them a call
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Old 08-31-2018, 12:09 PM   #12
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I know for our trailer Winnebago recommends Dicor for the roof and Geocell 2300 for everything else. That includes Geocell for the roof to gutter joint.
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Old 08-31-2018, 12:14 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by old_engineer View Post
I know for our trailer Winnebago recommends Dicor for the roof and Geocell 2300 for everything else. That includes Geocell for the roof to gutter joint.
I see several online ads for Micro Minnies that refer to rubber roofs. Therefore I think your roof may not be fiberglass. Can you confirm one way or the other?
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Old 09-01-2018, 08:16 AM   #14
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I see several online ads for Micro Minnies that refer to rubber roofs. Therefore I think your roof may not be fiberglass. Can you confirm one way or the other?

Rubber roof everything else is fiberglass. They only use Dicor where the sealant is on the roof. On the sides or transitions such as where the roof to front/back wall plate meets the fiberglass the use the Geocell even when it is not visible. I think it has to due with adhesion and flexibility. Not a lot of stuff will stick to gelcoat and stay flexible for a long time. My experience has been the Dicor and equivalent Alpha Systems products tend to lose their flexibility and dry out pretty quickly. Being on a rubber roof it doesn't become an issue as it flexes as well so adhesion is maintained. When used on rigid surface like fiberglass something has to give and it is the Dicor adhesion to the fiber glass. My experience with this was our previous trailer by another manufacturer who used Dicor for all roof to other surface transitions. Where it met fiberglass I was constantly removing and redoing the sealant even though it stuck well on the roof. After a couple of seasons I said to heck with this and replaced the Dicor with Eternabond tape.


What I was getting at in my other post was Winnebago wasn't using Dicor on fiberglass or metal joints reserving it only for the rubber roof connections. I guess I wasn't clear but when you have your grandson sitting on your lap keeping your train of thought while typing isn't easy.
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Old 09-01-2018, 09:00 AM   #15
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Thanks, old_engineer, we finally hear from someone with first-hand experience of what kinds of problems Dicor can present when used on fiberglass.
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Old 09-01-2018, 09:32 AM   #16
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Thanks for all the input everyone! Winnebago got back to me after looking at the two pictures and recommended that I replace the sealant. They attached the PDF file of the sealants used, which has their part numbers on it, but no manufacturers names. I sent an email to their parts department asking about the sealant, but they never responded.

So, I went back up on the roof and did a really good inspection of the joint. It seems that the areas that I showed you in the pictures were more of "slop over" spots and not really in the area of the actual sealant of the joint. The joint looks good for the entire length of the lap joint. However, I did purchase some Eternabond tape to keep in the RV and will inspect the joint monthly, if I see any more deterioration, on goes the tape.

On another point... all of my other areas that require sealing, like around vents, air conditioner, the trailing back edge of the roof, ladder, are all sealed with what I assume is Dicor. It's black, it's thick and looks like it was flowed on from a large diameter hose. Anyone know what that material is?
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Old 09-01-2018, 05:39 PM   #17
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On another point... all of my other areas that require sealing, like around vents, air conditioner, the trailing back edge of the roof, ladder, are all sealed with what I assume is Dicor. It's black, it's thick and looks like it was flowed on from a large diameter hose. Anyone know what that material is?
If you have a fiberglass roof it's not Dicor. Check the callout sheets for which I previously gave you the link (post#8). They will have a drawing of your roof indicating what product was, and should be used at each spot.

There's no need to put it on as thick as Winnebago did but, before you put more on, you should remove the old stuff and clean everything. Never put new sealant or caulking over old, you're just asking for trouble. Where sealant is oozing out of the area between the fitting and the roof, just trim it flush with the edge of the fitting and remove what's sticking to the roof. No need to remove the vent or whatever unless there are signs of leaking. In those cases you need to carefully remove the item and all sealant and start over.

You can also trim, clean and cover the areas with Eternabond and forget about it. For things like the ladder, you can cut a circle with a hole in the middle, slit it and overlap the edges of the slit after placing it around the ladder.
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Old 09-04-2018, 05:46 AM   #18
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I heard back from Winnebago regarding whether or not to use DICOR on my Minnie Plus. Bear in mind that he knows I have a towable, not a motorhome so he's probably referring to the towable lines. Here is the response:

The only Winnebago product that has a fiberglass roof is the Drop series. Everything else has a Dicor non-fleece TPO membrane at this time. Most people use Dicor self-leveling for the roof components and Dicor non-leveling for the roof moldings. I hope this helps.
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