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RoofsRoofs Defined
from JD Gallant's The Language of RVing If you were an RV manufacturer and you wanted to put the cheapest roof you could on the RVs you were building, you would probably choose the flat one-piece aluminum roof. The one-piece, thin-aluminum roof is nothing more than a single sheet of aluminum of approximately .020-inch thickness that you lay over the roof rafters (you might opt for plywood or chipboard backing if you wanted to push it) and then peen it over the sides (you might opt to leave the front and rear cuts out of sight), and cut holes so you can install your vents and accessories.
Salespeople can now easily tell prospective buyers that the roof cannot leak because it’s a solid, one-piece, metal roof. They fail to tell you (probably because they don’t know) that the one-piece, thin-aluminum roof has the worst record of all types of roofs for leaking around vents and along the edge of the roof. The one-piece milled roof is very subject to expansion and contraction from heat and cold. This expansion and contraction creates stress at all points of fastening which causes a loosening of fasteners and sealants. Because this type of roof is not forgiving to poor manufacturing practices, a prospective buyer should look carefully at the manufacturer who installs it.
Rubber Roofing Rubber roofing has been installed on RVs since 1983 and has become a standard for RV roofing since 1990. With the technical name of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), rubber roofing has taken strides toward replacing aluminum as an RV covering. RV manufacturers who install rubber roofing say this type of roof offers low maintenance, ease of repair, clean appearance, noise insulation, and better insulation from temperature. Disadvantages of this type of roofing are that it is possible to tear with sharp objects and might suffer from deterioration in very hot climates. There is a possibility that fungus might attack rubber roofing and cause problems in hot-wet climates. These limitations are minor when compared to the advantages. All EPDM manufacturers offer a 10-year limited warranty. The limited part usually means that they’ll do something for you if the roof leaks because of manufacturing (material) defects. It is not guaranteed against leaking since most leakages are caused by defects originating with the RV builder. I think that EPDM is the possible answer to many problems that have caused too short of a life span for the average RV. Leaking of the roof has been a major problem for the last 30 years during which rotted beams, floors, and roofs have taken a big toll.
If EPDM is applied and maintained correctly, I believe that it will decrease the high structure failure rate with which RVing has been plagued. Because some RV manufacturers will learn how to cut costs while taking advantage of the promotional aspects of rubber roofing, we cannot automatically consider rubber roofing as a sign of quality. You should also be aware that rubber sheeting is available to RV builders in varying thicknesses from .040 to .060 inches. Because of demand for EPDM material, the quality is already beginning to vary from good to superb. I’m afraid that in the near future that quality may vary from bad to superb. Looking at brand reputation will still be the order of the day.
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RV Reporter is a publication of RV Consumer Group. © 2001 RV ConsumerGroup.