Roof Repair

Repairing a pop up roof is probably the most done repair of all, next to cables. Some older models had a bad roof design, or never had routine maintenance done. Any leak is bad because it could lead to bigger problems if not taken care of soon.  

Yearly Maintenance for a Pop Up Roof

Lube the cable box (Goshen system only)
Under the camper is a long box where the cables run through. On this boz are 2 grease zerks that need filled every year. This keeps the cables in good shape. If you hear a popping noise as you crank up, the issue is no grease on the cables.
Lube lift posts
Each corner post needs to be cleaned and lubed yearly. I use a white lithium spray grease because it dries. Oily lubes will gather dust. Place a piece of cardboard behind the post, spray then wipe off any excess.
Inspect Roof for Leaks
Check the corners and edges of your roof every year for any damage or missing caulk. Any dry caulk should be removed and replaced.

What to use? Dicor is highly recommended, it comes in formulas for vertical or horizontal applications. However any good polyurethane caulk is fine. Do Not use silicone caulk. It does not adhere well to these roofs.
Most important is clean the old caulk off first, as much as possible. Then before putting new on clean the surface with acetone or alcohol to remove any oily residues that prevent good adhesion of the caulk.

So our roof had issues from day one. The lift system jammed up the first time out. Didn't want to open more than 2/3 of the way.  By the end of the first season it had a leak in the roof just above the door. I think it spent more time in the shop the first two years than in a campground.

Since Tim lost his job and we moved to the big city it got stored under our carport for almost seven years. In 2007 our son helped me tackle the repair. We opened up the camper not knowing what we'd find, but suprisingly it was in good shape. So we tore into the sidewall, stripped off all the rotted wood to the outer skin and to where it was solid, about a two foot section. Made up a cardboard jig of the space to cut a piece of plywood to fit.  Held it in place with waterproof construction glue, then put a coat of paint on it. This is one repair I did not take pictures of.

For the outside I found EternaBond Tape. This stuff is great. It comes in a roll, white on one side and sticky caulk on the other side. After scraping off the old caulk and cleaning the surface with Acetone the EternaBond simply rolled on in place over the roof edges. It sealed the leak, and has lasted for over ten years already! It doesn't look the best, but once the roof is up and no water is leaking in, who cares? 

I've also used EternaBond for a repair, one time the awning got blown up on the roof during a windstorm. It punched a small dent in the roof, breaking the skin. I filled in the dent with fiberglass resin until level then added a short piece of EternaBond over that.