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Old 11-12-2007, 08:31 AM   #21
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I've posted a couple of times on this subject. I did Eternabond on my full body paint and then had it painted to match. Yes, it was in pain in the rear and was more involved than I first imagined. Now that it's done I've decided I would do it again. Yes; to the knowlegeable eye one can tell it's been taped, but so what! It's acceptable to those folks as well. The main thing is that I shouldn't have to worry about any longer.
When I went to the dealer to buy the proper stuff the gal gave me what was on the shelf. I asked her to look it up and one of the techs said that was what they used on all coaches. The Vectra data specified something else so I had them special order it for me. Was difficult to apply and I obviously screwed it up as it didn't last. Maybe the techs were right, don't know.
However, I do know that the taped roof will not leak again. Yes, Winnebago should improve the attachment of roof to side wall. That's the biggest dissapointment I have with my coach and look forward to many years of travel. That is, if I can afford to buy fuel in the future....
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Old 11-12-2007, 09:27 AM   #22
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As I recall the original use of Eternabond came about a few years ago (4 or 5) when some of the Winnie coaches traveling in the western states were having their fiberglass roofs lift at the place where the roof meets the seam. The wind got under that famous seam and would lift and tear off a section of the roof. Some fiberglass roofs built at that time did not extend "1" or so" behind the screwed on rail we call the gutter.
My roof at the time on a 2000 Brave 35 did not even reach the gutter rail let alone extend behind it. There were gaps as much as 1/8th of an inch from the fiberglass roof to the gutter strip. My newer Winnie does not have that problem as the roof extends firmly behind the gutter strip and is half a%#$* caulked and we do not hear much about Winne roofs lifting these days.
Winnie's answer to the problem in those days was, you guessed it, all owners were supposed to check that seam every 6 months and re-caulk if necessary. There were many discussions on this forum about the famous seam and the dangers of your roof blowing off. So someone came up with Eternabond as the final solution and as I remember a fellow named Captain Bill from Delaware gave us all a good lesson on the famous seam. The Winnie roof seam picture that circulates here from time to time was first shown by Captain Bill. We all learned at that time that a water leak from the famous seam was not very likely unless the small drain slots under the gutter strip became completely clogged and did not allow the water to drain if it does water will "run uphill".

My 2000 Brave did not, I repeat, did not have any caulking at all in that seam for 2yrs with no water leaks and I only added the Eternabond for fear (after reading this forum a few years back) of the roof lifting. I do not have any Eternabond on my present Winnie.

So......If Eternabond looks "bad" to you don't use it. Does it look bad to some folks? I'm sure it does but I wasn't looking thru your eyes at the time.
If your worried about your Winnie's roof blowing off (unlikely today) and don't want to keep re-doing the seams use it. I didn't trust the Winnie sealant of choice in those days simply because some of our forum members were calling Winnebago and being told to use everything from silicone to peanut butter and just make sure you have something documented from a dealer that that famous seam was checked every 6 months.

If you think it will hurt your re-sale value and it will make you feel guilty for trading it that way be sure to tell your dealer you used Eternabond so he can deduct that from your trade in value. Oh and don't forget to tell your dealer about all the things you've added so he can give you credit for them.

It's a shame all that info from the old days is gone from this forum but where would you store it.
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Old 11-12-2007, 09:53 AM   #23
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Heck...it would be much easier to use eternabond on my motorhome (front and rear seams only), but I still won't buy one that has eternabond on it (for the reasons I mentioned earlier).

Motorhomes are easy to trade to a dealer (our last 8 units we traded weren't even hardly GLANCED at by the dealer when we traded)...but selling one PRIVATELY is a different matter. Sure, an unknowing buyer might not be savvy about roofs or construction, and you might be able to sneak this repair by them, but not me.

KCE's post above is also correct. These roofs aren't held on by the side bead of caulk, and that side caulk is not a leaking point as water would have to run uphill...not likely.

I prefer to caulk, as recommended by the manufacturer Winnebago.
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Old 11-12-2007, 10:42 AM   #24
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HERE is a post with a link to Winnebago's roof construction view and sealant instructions. This shows how the roof is screwed on to the sidewall, and how the overlapping thin fiberglass roof is pulled down overlapping the sidewall.

For those that dont know (and I do as I have seen the step by step in person), the fiberglass that is on the rolled edges on our roofs is not glued to the rolled edges of the roof, and it is pulled down over the side walls and held in place by the gutter rail which is screwed into the side walls every 6 inches.

Notice, no where in the Winnebago sealant instructions do they use the word "seam".

I think we are getting confused of what the word "seams" we are talking about. The side caulk does not seal a "seam". It seals the fiberglass rollover to the top of the gutter rail which is screwed on to the side walls. This bead of caulk does NOT seal the roof to the sidewall...it just forces water into the railing and not behind it.

I would only consider where the front cap and rear caps connect to the roof a "seam", and MAYBE is where the OP is questioning about installing the Eternabond. There could be a good place for water intrusion and would might be a good candidate for Eternabond.

I'm not sure what installing Eternabond down the full length of the side gutter rails gives you except that you eliminate re-caulking the gutter...and a person will notice your "fix" from the ground.
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Old 11-12-2007, 12:28 PM   #25
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'm not sure what installing Eternabond down the full length of the side gutter rails gives you except that you eliminate re-caulking the gutter... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bingo!!
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Old 11-12-2007, 03:04 PM   #26
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I think we are coming to a general consensus of opinion here now.
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Old 11-12-2007, 08:39 PM   #27
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I now beleive it's time to forget about using anything along the roof to wall. The concenses appears to be that the caulking has no purpose other than to cause us to inspect and/or repair every six months. Maybe it's just their way of getting us into the dealership to spend our hard earned paychecks.
The caulking doesn't hold the roof on and it doesn't prevent water intrusion.
What am I missing here?
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Old 11-13-2007, 12:16 AM   #28
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I think it is a judgment call. Personally I am enternabonded and glad of it. I feel it is the best permanent insurance policy against water intrusion, regardless of all claims to the contrary. I had a friend with a serious water leak at the seam with his Adventurer. No drastic damage, but unsightly water stains before he went eternabond. I have my own doubts about eternabond holding a roof down that wants to go airborne, but I didn't put it on for that reason.
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Old 11-13-2007, 01:37 AM   #29
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We keep saying "if the weep holes get plugged" but it really should be "when".

When the weep holes plug up you will have water fill up the gitter rail and overflow between you side walls into the front cap and windshield area. Once that happens you will have water drip (flood) down on the dash during moderate to hard stops. We are only thinking 2 dimensions here up and down and not considering front and back.
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