Roof Maintenance Long Term Overview – 14 Year Old RV

Since we bought our Keystone Cougar fifth-wheel trailer in early 2011, I’ve put much effort into maintaining and keeping the roof well-sealed. I know that water damage is a top destroyer of RVs. Most leaks emanate from cracked seams on the roof, leading to wood rot to the ceiling, walls, and flooring, not to mention mold issues.

In this video, I give an overview of the current state of our 14-year-old RV roof and the various products and methods I’ve used to keep it leak-free and looking good.  Rather than use a lot of lap sealant that needs to be refreshed almost yearly, I elected to employ roof patch repair tape early on.  The upfront cost has paid off for me with much less maintenance and ongoing expenses for sealant.

A couple of years ago, the original EDPM rubber roof material started to look pretty shabby and darkened over the years. So, I added a coat of acrylic roof coating to the main roof area and replaced the slideout roof with a TPO-type material. This freshened up the roof’s look and added to its leak resistance. This increased whiteness also helped keep the eRV cooler in the hot sun.

Other things added to the roof were solar panels and wiring, roof vent covers, vent fans, waste tank vents, etc. New RVs are expensive, so I aim to keep this older one going for as long as possible. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

RV Roof Maintenance Update after 14 years