Roof repair on 1984 Winnebago Chieftain motorhome

[dave hilley]

When we got our 1984 Winnebago Chieftain motorhome it had been sitting for some time.  The roof showed signs of previous repairs, none which were done properly, and not knowing any better I performed more repairs for minor leaks, again not done properly, so after a 1400 mile trip from New Mexico to Alabama, where we are located now, I decided to research rv roof repairs and discovered the proper way to repair an rv roof and thus began the process of proper repair. First I cleaned all the previous repairs off all the way back down to the metal roof, I then scrubbed the entire roof down with dishwashing soap and water, let it dry completely and then applied lap seal to all joints and seams. After drying for about 5 days I then applied eterna bond tape to all seams and joints and let this bake in the sun for about 4 days, I then applied lap seal again around all the edge areas of the tape and then let this dry for 4 more days. I found a product from a company called Aemes roffing products in Oregon, called Maximum Stretch, it is a white elastomeric/liquid rubber roof coating, which can be applied with sprayer or by roller and brush, I chose the second method and coated the roof with two complete coats of this product , which is guaranteed to stop roof leaks for 15 years. Now my roof is repaired properly.  It did require quite a bit of time and hard work, but well worth it in the end.  We have had several hard rains since this repair, one of which was more than 10 inches in two days and not one leak!!! The maximum Stretch product is $50.00 per gallon, and covers much more than you would think, and is said to stretch more than 750 times its original area and still maintain waterseal, a really excellent product, the company also carries many more roofing products, which I am sure are equally as effective.  My roof now has a nice white reflective watertight seal which should last for many, many years. Hope this helps anyone who is or has experienced rv roof problems. If you have any questions regarding this process please feel free to contact me.

[dave hilley]

Hi Ken, Thanks for your inquiry on the roof repair, yes there is a web site for the Ames Maximum stretch product http://www.amesonlinestore.com/index.php/product-list/maximum-stret... I am providing a link for you to access it. This product is really amazing, so easy to apply and really seals. I will take some photos and post them asap. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me. 

[Ken Nolte]

Did you have or post any pictures of the finished product? I'm looking to redo the roof on my 89 Winnebago. This looks like exactly what I had in mind. Seal the seams then cover the entire roof with a reflective coating of some kind. Is there a website for the coating? Thanks for sharing.

Ken