Roof Restoration

[Becky B.]

I was in denial about the roof on my 1988 Avion 32S. I knew it was bad up there, but thought I could put it off a while longer.....until it started leaking in several places. It was coated with some kind of substance that was hard as a rock. Under it was silicone, followed by an Eternabond-style tape. I began by having my son lend me a scaffold! I worked my way around the trailer with my heat gun in hand. After removing the first layer of goo, I used Kleen Strip stripper to remove the brown, sticky residue left behind. On the awning rails, I used a wire brush to remove the gobs of silicone from the rivets, since that is not Anodized Aluminum like the rest of the trailer. All seams were sealed with Tempro 635 topped with Eternabond. The rivets were all sealed with Captain Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure. It was a long, tedious project and I'm so glad it's over! Best of all, my roof no longer leaks!

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[Becky B.]

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[FrancescaS]

What an amazing job you did! Your hard work has definitely paid off. Is this clean up/seal for the life of trailer, or will you have to do it in several years?

[KYAvion]

Wow. Impressive job!
What was the purpose of the clamps on the heat guns?

[Razorback]

Now THAT is an impressive roof job! Now, when you sit in your Avion and listen to the rain on the roof, it won't be a feeling of dread you have..... it'll be the enjoyment of having done a fantastic job of cleaning and sealing, knowing that it could quite possibly last as long as you will need it to last! Just today, we got to do just that! Rain on the roof is one of my favorite sounds!

[Avionstream]

Better than new!

[Becky B.]

Wow. Impressive job!
What was the purpose of the clamps on the heat guns?

They were just attached to prop the heat guns so I could scrape while they worked. Plus, my hand was falling asleep from holding them so long!!

[Becky B.]

What an amazing job you did! Your hard work has definitely paid off. Is this clean up/seal for the life of trailer, or will you have to do it in several years?

I should be done for my lifetime....if all goes according to plan! The entire top doesn't really need to be coated with a sealant. I sealed each rivet instead. My daughter's 34' Avion also was coated, and is also failing. People in the south may coat them to keep them cooler, but I'm in the Midwest & don't see that kind of heat.

[argjose7]

Hi Becky, after taking all the goo and residue off the roof did you polish or buffer it?