PLAS-T-COTE Alkyd Fibered Roof coating cracking up

[stephonze]

So, after looking on the roof, the Plas-t-coating on the penetrations has small cracks forming, nothing looks gaping but what shall I do? Dicor lap seal right on top? Let it be? Anybody else have this problem?

[Donna D.]

ahhhh Jeff, I'm not sure anyone here has ever (purposely) applied Plast-T-Cote to an all molded fiberglass trailer!?! Unless it was so gelcoat glazed there was nothing else to do to seal it up.

Is your trailer all molded? Or is it a slab sided Bigfoot with a molded roof? Forgive my ignorance. If it's something other than ALL molded, I can point you to a different forum for solutions (as can others).

[BCDave]

That model is the 25 foot, front bedroom (all-molded) Bigfoot

Model nomenclature for Bigfoot is (in this case) 25B25FB

Breaks out as follows: The leading "25B" means series 25B - winter model, all insulated, double pane windows, heated tanks, etc
The second 2 numbers are the size - in his case 25 footer
FB for Front bedroom

Mine is a 25B21RB - series 25B (winterized etc) 21 foot, Rear bedroom model

Bigfoot made some "weird ones", too but this would be a molded one.

[Donna D.]

Thanks Dave... any suggestions for a roof repair other than removing that 'stuff' and trying Captain Tolley Creeping Crack Cure?

[BCDave]

I think I'd fall back on the way Gina D was fixing up her Leocraft while she was in Cali. However, FIRST I'd get the PlastiKote Fibered roof coating OFF the roof of the trailer, and then I'd look into why it is on there in the first place - are there cracks in the fiberglass? leaks?

Then find a way to deal with those issues - but another coating on top of a coating that isn't working out real well - somehow just doesn't seem like a great plan. I'm NOT a fiberglass expert by any means - that's one of the many reasons I that read virtually every message on this site - I need to learn - a lot!

From the description, "the Plas-t-coating on the penetrations has small cracks forming" makes me wonder if it isn't just leaks around fan openings, fridge openings, sun roof opening, antenna openings, vent openings and etc. that were patched with the "plasti-kote"

If THAT is the case, the answer is to remove the vent or what ever, clean up the opening and reinstall with Butyl rubber tape (NOT SILICONE!!!!) and clean around the area., getting rid of the "foreign material" which likely won't adhere well to the fiberglass gelcoat anyway.

Unless of course, I'm completely wrong. (I was wrong about something once - I thought I'd made a mistake, but I really should have known better than that! )

[stephonze]

Thanks for the interest..so to clarify, the molded roof top has fans, a/c, and tv antenna and a roof rack/ladder mounted. If looking at the fan, the Bigfoot factory used masking tape and applied in a square shape around the fan, then plas-t-cote was brushed on the overlap of the fan's base flange to the fiberglass roof, masking tape removed and nice squares of Plas-t-cote remain. I would think a b-tape or a gasket was used under the flange as it was mounted (it's an 2009) but I don't know. It looks like the Plas-t-cote was a extra over the flange base, screw holes for the rack etc. It's just that it is showing small cracks, i was planing on removing and resealing the small dabs of plas-t-cote on screws etc. but on the fans and a/c the plas-t-cote looks good under the cracks...so maybe the best thing is to eternabond tape the square sections around the fans and a/c...or brush on more plas-t-cote to fill the small cracks...I would hate to take up the sealant when it looks half good. Also, there are no leaks.

[Derek Johnson]

I have read elsewhere that the Plas-ti-cote is from the factory. Scrub it well, mask it off and apply another coat.

Derek

[Tim Wood]

Originally Posted by Derek Johnson

I have read elsewhere that the Plas-ti-cote is from the factory. Scrub it well, mask it off and apply another coat.

Derek

Yep what he said. And If I remember right my old 17' Bigfoot had the same thing.

[Gina D.]

I did actually end up doing a rubber coat on mine. I used Dicors product, however, not plasticoat.

After epoxying and glassing in every single visible spot that *might* be a cause of leakage, and still having some issues, I coated it.

I knew it was not the vents or other typical leaks spots. On a 1977 trailer that spent most its life in the desert, I could only "guess" that the gelcoat was so worn and bad that it would be impossible to find the few spots left that still leaked. 2 coats per instruction fixed them all.

That said, I would do everything in your power to NOT do that. It will need to be done again in 5 years if you do. Getting the coating off is near impossible, and very expensive if done professionally.

AFTER I used Dicor rubber, which is good to use on glass too, Dicor has come out with a product specifically for glass. (Ya, a day late and a dollar short for me!)