RV Rubber-Roof Care

Keeping a rubber roof alive

Rubber roofing degrades from the top down. UV chalks the surface, that chalk streaks down your sidewalls with every rain, and an untreated membrane slowly dries out and turns brittle. Heading it off costs little next to a reroof: clean it a few times a year with a rubber-specific cleaner, then lay down a conditioner or UV protectant. What you avoid matters too, since petroleum solvents, citrus cleaners, and harsh degreasers all break EPDM down.

• Clean with a rubber-specific formula. Cleaners like the Thetford and Star Brite Premium rubber roof cleaners lift oxidation and road film without attacking the membrane. Steer clear of citrus- or petroleum-based cleaners on rubber, which soften it and shorten its life.
• Condition and protect after cleaning. A protectant such as the Star Brite Premium Roof Protectant or Bio-Kleen's SPF 70 formula puts a UV barrier back on the membrane so it stops chalking. A few products, like the Valterra and Bio-Kleen cleaner-conditioners, do both jobs in one pass.
• Match the size to the job. A 32 oz spray handles spot cleaning and a small trailer roof; a Class A or fifth wheel roof calls for a gallon or the 128 oz jugs so you are not refilling mid-job.
• Mind the runoff. Whatever you rinse off the roof lands on your sidewalls, so plan to wash the sides afterward, since that is where the black streaks come from.

Clean and condition two to four times a season, depending on tree cover and sun. The chalky residue that washes down is the same stuff you fight on the walls, so pair roof work with a black streak remover for the sidewalls, and once the roof is clean, a broader UV protectant keeps the rest of the exterior from fading too.