bwatters60
Advanced Member
Less than two years ago I decided to tackle the paint and clear coat (peeling) issues on the top of my white '08 Roadtrek 210P {'07 chassis). I prepped and painted a couple small areas with small spray cans, and removed loose clear coat and scuffed/lightly sanded the roof, followed by a couple coats of two part clear coat. It turned out great but unfortunately only lasted about 16 months - the TX sun is brutal! Fortunately the tuition was relatively cheap. Given the rig is 12 years old with 130K miles, I don't want to spend big bucks on a total repaint, but I've got a lot invested in upgrades, it runs great, and we plan to keep it for several more years, so I spent more time this summer researching alternative solutions for my sun baked roof. I had just about settled on a product called Durabak, which is bed liner product available in many colors as both a smooth or textured finish. But then I ran across InterBlog's roof refinishing project on her Airstream Interstate using a product called Bus Kote, made and sold by Hy-Tech in Melbourne, FL. Further investigation revealed that many class A motorhome owners have used this product and appear to be very happy with its durability and heat reflection characteristics. It's easy to apply (e.g., brush, roller, or spray) and advertises that its "ceramic barrier reflects up to 90% of the heat back to the source". So after prepping my roof with an orbiter sander (using 80 grit discs), I used a 4 inch roller with a 3/8" nap to apply one coat of Bond-It (the primer), and three coats of Bus Kote. I waited 24 hours between each coat and fortunately the weather cooperated so I was able to complete the job in less than a week. Note that I didn't have access to a facility so the RV would be covered at night so I covered the roof with plastic each night to prevent any adverse effects from overnight dew. The only thing I have left to do is allow the Bus Kote to cure for 30 days, and then apply two coats of Flexi-Clear, another Hy-Tech product. The Bond-It is the consistency of skim milk, while the Bus Kote has the consistency of a banana pudding. It rolls on easy but there is a texture to it, and it is a brighter white than my RV but as I applied it, one really doesn't notice it from ground level (which is why I did not apply all the way down to the windshield). Many thanks to InterBlog for documenting your project and sharing the information online - it introduced me to the Hy-Tech products and helped me get the job done right the first time! So far I'm happy with the Bus Kote, so now I'm onto the next project which is to come up with a solution for the paint/peeling issues between the windshield and the Bus Kote (any suggestions welcome!).
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