How To Repair A Pop Up Camper Roof

When we bought our popular up camper, we had been looking on Craigslist for quite some fourth dimension for just the correct deal.  I wasn't quite sure what I wanted in a pop up, merely I knew one thing — I did non want a Coleman with an ABS roof.  We obviously threw that right out the window when this fiddling Coleman Santa Fe came along.

Because our Santa Atomic number 26 was in such fabulous condition for the price, we jumped on it.  I had read horror stories about the Coleman ABS roof situation, but I was confident nosotros could head off whatsoever problems.  What is an ABS roof?  Well, in the mid-ninety'due south, Coleman had this fantastic idea to make a one piece, ABS plastic roof on some of their higher finish popular up trailers.  The thought was good, no seams for h2o to leak in, etc., but in reality, the ABS roof didn't hold up on most trailers.  The sun really stale them out, and in that location was some severe groovy and delamination on many campers.  Coleman had to supplant quite a few roofs.  The pop upward camper division of Coleman/Fleetwood eventually went out of business, and at present information technology is impossible to have your roof replaced.  Seems similar a deal billow, correct?

I thought then, also.  After a lot of research, though, I realized that you could still repair that ABS roof, and, in many cases, the owners of the repaired Coleman ABS roofs were happier with the results than had they gone with a traditional pop up camper roof.  We had minimal cracking in our ABS roof.  There were a couple of medium sized cracks on one corner, a few small hairline cracks along the lip of the roof, and some spidery cracks under the awning rail.

Subsequently a lot of enquiry, nosotros decided the best method for repairing the roof, and preventing further neat in the future, was the ABS MEK patch method, followed by a skilful coat of UV protectant bedliner.  The Popular Upwardly Portal was an invaluable resource for all things repair related, and there is a good corporeality of information there nigh the MEK repair method.  If yous have a popular up, and you oasis't checked the Portal all the same, you are missing out!  And then, what is the ABS MEK patch method?

Mr. TypeTwoFun started out by drilling a small hole at each cease of the crack.  This is supposed to aid proceed the crack from spreading.

And so he used a cut bicycle to clean out the crack.  He wanted a squeamish clean surface for the patch to adhere to.

Now, I don't take a picture of the next step, because the stuff Mr. TypeTwoFun used to patch the crack is pretty toxic.  He had to use a respirator when he was applying the stuff.  We basically took equal parts of MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) and white ABS plastic pellets and mixed them together in a glass jar with a lid.  MEK is a solvent that breaks downwards plastic, and it is pretty dang toxic. Make certain y'all habiliment gloves and a respirator when handling information technology.   You can purchase ABS pellets on eBay, but nosotros only took white airsoft bb'due south, which happen to be made of ABS plastic, and used them.  It takes about 24 hours for the MEK to cook down the plastic, but then y'all've got a nice liquid patch for your cracks.

Wipe down the cracks you lot are patching with a bit of MEK on a make clean rag.  The MEK will swallow into the plastic a flake and give y'all a prissy surface for your patch to adhere to.  Utilise a Popsicle stick or pigment stirrer to patch your cracks and then let them dry.  Once again, use the respirator and gloves when working with your MEK patch "goo."  Once you've got your crack patched to your satisfaction, you tin sand it down a fleck with some fine grit sandpaper or steel wool.

Once we had all of our cracks repaired, we used some steel wool pads in our sander to sand the whole roof down.  Nosotros wanted to make sure that nosotros had a overnice clean surface for our bedliner paint to adhere to.

It'south a niggling hard to tell from the moving-picture show, merely when you sand, it will get out your roof looking a little irksome.  That'southward what you desire.  Brand certain the whole surface has been sanded evenly.

Nosotros then used drop cloths and painters tape to protect the areas nosotros didn't desire to paint.  One time y'all've got your camper taped upward, yous can don that hot respirator again and break out your MEK.  You want to wipe the whole roof down with MEK.  Nosotros used clean, old t-shirts cutting into rags.  Make sure you protect your hands with gloves and bank check them periodically for holes.  (The MEK ate through Mr. TypeTwoFun'southward gloves!)  🙁   Once your roof is wiped downwardly, information technology should shine like you lot run into in the film above.  At present you are ready to paint on your bedliner.

Nosotros used a product calledGrizzly Grip, which tin can just be purchased online.  Information technology is supposed to be incredibly durable, and it is a favorite product amid Coleman ABS owners.  Nosotros purchased the 4×8 kit in Snow White.  Our camper is approximately half-dozen.v′ ten 8′ and we had  PLENTY  of production to finish the job.  We actually had about half a jar left over.

This pace was pretty toxic, besides, so I stayed away.  I did manage to snap a picture show of Mr. TypeTwoFun finishing up the first coat.  The paint goes on with a foam roller, and y'all want to apply a low-cal showtime coat, await 2-4 hours, and follow with a heavier top coat.  Same rules here — gloves and respirator — and don't get it on your skin!  It is supposed to cure within 24 hours, just ours was still tacky 24 hours later on, and so make sure to allow for plenty of dry fourth dimension.

Recall that corner scissure from before?  You can't even see it anymore!  The roof looks amazing.  It's at present bright white, and it looks brand new.

The spidery cracks underneath the awning rail are gone, too.  You tin can run across that the Grizzly Grip did leave a slight bit of texture, only I don't actually mind it.  It seems strong, and I am hoping it volition last the life of the trailer.

When we went to put the seal back on, we discovered that it had shrunk quite a scrap.  We tried everything, but couldn't get it back on.  In the end, we had to buy a new seal.  We purchased it from colemanpopupparts.com and the new one went on pretty easily.  Nosotros wiped downward the lip of the roof with some acetone to make sure nosotros had a clean surface for the new seal to adhere to.

The new seal had a tape adhesive on one side, and we just gently peeled off the backing and tapped the seal into place with a prophylactic mallet.

And then we cranked the roof downwards all the way to go on the seal in place while the adhesive cured.

Here's one final look at my make new roof.  Isn't it pretty?  Patently, if you have a Coleman ABS roof with major cracks and/or delamination, the roof repair might not be and so uncomplicated.  If you've simply got a few cracks in the ABS plastic, like we did, this may be the repair to become with!  We'll written report back on how information technology holds up over the summertime.  Now who'due south ready for some camping?   😀

Happy Camping ground!

Source: https://thepopupprincess.com/pop-up-camper-remodel/pop-up-camper-remodel-repairing-a-coleman-abs-roof/

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