Fiberglass roof care

[StormnDale]

J Dee,
We have a '00 190 Popular originally out of FLA, and with 200+ smiles on it, its roof has been exposed ! A north Denver RV repair place recommended PROTECT ALL [WALMART $10 160z btl] was a great and reasonable product. I did the roof 2 weeks ago and am totally happy with the results. one bottle shud be enough for that job.

I also have a blue jumpseat cushion, backrest and headrest and seatbelt for sale.
The base remains in the van. Denver 303-738-1266.

[tbroad]

We had a similar problem with the roof of our 1990 RT Independent, which we bought in 2016. After we scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed the years of accumulated filth off the roof, we were left with a lot of exposed fiberglass. The gel-coat was basically missing in many spots and the remainder of the roof was disgusting. After looking at many alternatives, and wanting a DIY product, we decided to give Dicor Corp. RP-FRC-1 Fiberglass RV Roof Coating a try. Note: This is NOT Dicor costing for rubber roofs -- it is an entirely different product, so be sure you get the correct coating.

Our application process ...

• Hand sand the entire roof -- we avoided a power sander because we were right down to fiberglass in many spots.
• Wash & scrub the roof with water, then clean with Dicor Fiberglass Clean & Prep. Rinse, rinse, RINSE with clean water.
• Use Dicor caulk to seal around all roof perforations.
• Mask van with poly sheeting and painters tape.
• Now comes the fun and rewarding part. Using ordinary household painting tools (paint roller and tray), apply several coats to the roof of the van. After the first coat we were doubtful that this was going to work, but after two coats it started looking good, and with coat three it was BEAUTIFUL. As with all paint, many light coats will work better -- do not apply heavy coats.
• Allow adequate time between coats to cure. This is an acrylic product -- it "cures" not dries. We had a heated space to do this during the winter, so didn't have to worry about debris falling on the roof during this process.
• Remove masking promptly or it will be difficult to get off (don't ask how I know this!). When removing the tape, have a razor knife handy in case some of the coating begins to lift with the tape -- simply run the knife along the edge of the tape for a clean look.

The result is a BRIGHT white clean roof, well sealed from the elements of nature. The RT is noticeably cooler in sun. After several years I still need to wear sunglasses if I am looking at the roof in sunlight -- it is that bright still.

We absolutely love the result, and the fact that we could do it ourself with less that $200 for all materials.

Both of these Dicor products are available from Amazon:
* https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-RP-FRC-.../dp/B00MJVOGDK
* https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-RP-FCP-...dp/B00MJVOI4W/

[peteco]

Originally Posted by tbroad

The result is a BRIGHT white clean roof, well sealed from the elements of nature. The RT is noticeably cooler in sun. After several years I still need to wear sunglasses if I am looking at the roof in sunlight -- it is that bright still.

We absolutely love the result, and the fact that we could do it ourself with less that $200 for all materials.

Please post pictures. Sounds like a great fix.

[tbroad]

Here are a few photos of the actual masking & painting part of the project. I assume everyone knows what washing and sanding looks, though I will mention that when sanding fiberglass & resin, be sure to wear a mask. NO SPECIAL PROTECTION is needed for this Dicor coating product -- another plus.

Note this is also good for those folks who are looking to make their rig a bit more "stealthy" since it covers over much of the branding on the roof.