Decided it would be prudent to seal the center seam in my son's 1994 Coleman. Roof is aluminum. Pulled the center trim and found a black rubbery tape, 1" wide, smooth and sticky on one side and a thin sticky foam on the other side. The stuff stretches like a rubber band. I've used a lot of butyl tape, though I don't have a lot of confidence in the stuff — and will probably have to use it again here. But I would appreciate any other ideas. How about putting the screws back in, no trim strip, and then a 2" wide strip of Eternabond? Thanks in advance for your experience or ideas. BTW, any chance that the original stuff can still be found?
Actually, EternaBond makes a double sided tape that would be ideal. DoubleStick MicroSealant Putty Tape.
Many a Coleman Pop-up died horrible deaths due to failure of that darn center seam sealant!
My posts shouldn't be taken for factual data. They are purely fictional, for entertainment purposes and should not be constituted as actually related to scientific, technical, engineering, legal, spiritual or practical advice. Amen.
Either the double sided or the 2" tape covering the seam will work. A couple of notes. It there was any silicone used on the seam you need to have the tape wide enough to span the silicone. That's one thing Etrnabond won't stick to. Another is to strictly follow the cleaning/installation instructions when using the tape.
Do it right and you have a lifetime seal with no maintenance required.
I have an 05 and am looking at the same thing. Would you pull the trim, apply the eternobond and then put the trim back down or put the tape over the trim piece? How much weight can a closed roof hold?
Put the Eternabond down on top of everything. No need to remove it, re-caulk, re-install then put the Eternabond down. Just clean the area EXACTLY per instructions, or you will have wasted your time and money and have to do it right (personal experience).
As for being up on the roof, use a piece of smaller plywood (like 2'x4' or something of the sort) to disperse your weight. Overall, closed, the roof can handle it, but not all of your weight concentrated where your knee or foot would be. You will cave in the roof there (personal experience).
I use a couple of layers of towels first, then place my plywood on top of that. I use a ladder and try to keep as much of my weight still on the ladder, but that only goes so far for a center seam.
Use a little, and I mean just a little, tension on the Eternabond when applying. As you get close to the end, don't use much tension at all, especially if you have to try to conform to any trim strips or the like. Hard to explain, but you want to be able to push the Eternabond into any crevices and not have it being pulled out due to stretching and tension on the tape (personal experience).
I sealed with butyl tape, since everything was already apart when I posted. But were I to do it again, I would do exactly as bondebond suggests. BTW, I am now going to engage in some overkill and seal it all with a 4" wide strip of Eternabond. Got 10' of it on eBay for $27 including shipping.
Offline
