second best and RVers with rubber roofs



Notice the buck’s ears?


And here he is with Meadow.

Deleted the slap joke from last month’s page. If I start off with, ‘not my kind of joke’, that should have told me something.

I’m thinking of a guy who works in a somewhat round office and he is meeting with his advisors. ‘Honesty is the best policy. Okay, now, what’s the second-best policy?’

I have thoughts on why so many people believe politicians over doctors and scientists in regards to our medical crisis and climate change. I’ll just say that they are not my kind of people.

Remember “We the people”? Now it seems to be, We the parties. I’m disgusted and apprehensive with the state of affairs in this country. I cannot see things improving all that much in my lifetime. Glad I’m 70.

I hope to take a road trip next fall, looking for property. Hopefully outside of a University town or at least, a community college. I need to get away from people who are so easily snowed.

I ordered a new Wave 6. My present one is seven years old and does not always light on the first try. And yes, I use compressed air and keep it covered. Since a Wave is my primary source of heat in the cold, it was time for a new one.

I went over to someone’s house and called out. That’s what one does in this community. No answer but there was a ‘doorbell’ with a sign reading, press doorbell. Some of you probably see what’s coming. It was a camera that sent an image to an iPhone or other device. Never saw one of these.


A couple of September fawns.

That’s it for this month. The rest is for roof maintenance. Oh, skip to the centered text below. I always try for a bit of something different there.

Okay, RVers, I’m giving my take on rubber roofs and maintenance. I’m basing this on experience, common sense, and what seems to work best. I’m sure if I applied analytical thinking to each aspect, I might fine-tune it a bit.

I use a cotton water bucket for carrying all items up to the roof.
Start by sweeping off the roof. On a warm day, after the caulking has softened, scrape off all old sealant. Dig out any loose pieces. Be sure to uncover all screws and snug them down. All but a handful of mine needed tightening. Be sure all surfaces are clean.

If you’ve had an RV for awhile, you know to always use self-leveling sealant on roof seams (I use decor Lap Sealant). “A flexible compound designed for sealing EPDM rubber, TPO, fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel or masonry which may be painted over after outer skin has formed.” Not the caulking one finds in a home improvement store. Use the sealant liberally.

Okay, the rubber. If one has not been keeping up on maintenance, the surface can be pretty grungy. Many RV techs use an old classic, Spic&Span, for cleaning the roof. It has always worked well for me. If the grunge has really set in, a sponge won’t be enough. I’m spacing out the name here even though I use one throughout each day in the galley. Maybe a ‘Dobie?’ A sponge wrapped in nylon mesh for cleaning pans and dishes. Anyway, one of those will cut through the grunge. Be sure to just go through the grunge or you’ll be cutting into the rubber. Not good. You’ll know if you do when if you see a small gray spot. Be sure to clean the rubber edge that folds over the sides. Clean a 2-3’ square foot at a time and rinse.

After the roof dries, sweep off any dust.
I’ve had good luck with Protect All Rubber Roof Treatment. Plan ahead so you’re off the roof before it gets hot. If the roof is hot, the treatment may begin to dry before spreading.
Most seniors probably won’t apply the treatment this way but I’m down on my knees with a 7” sponge (with a 2nd one handy). Alright this might just be me, but I don’t rub the sealer in. I pour an amount of sealant on the rubber. Then I grasp the sides of a sponge, lifting is a bit and just use it to spread the sealant. I don’t want to feel the surface, just the liquid. It seems to provide a better coating. If the roof wasn’t fully cleaned in an area, the liquid treatment and sponge will pick up the dirt and start to spread it. If so, turn the sponge over and start using the other side. One can not just rinse out the dirt and go back to the treatment. Water and treatment is not good (well, until the treatment dries). If it happens again, reach for your 2nd sponge.

The next morning, consider applying a second coat of the treatment.

The ball is in your court. Pick it up.

August sixty minutes sixty years— 2975 minutes
August Triple 18—upper: 2640; core: 1810; legs: 6155

One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song,
read a good poem, see a fine picture,
and, if possible, to speak a few reasonable words.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer


RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’

RVwest article ‘The Spaces Between the Places’

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