Heng's alkyd fibered roof coating

[Norbert]

Hi, this is probably my first post.

Has anyone used Heng's white alkyd fibered roof coating before?

I have an early '80s 17 ft Bigfoot trailer that I've started to get back into working order, starting with reinstalling the windows, recaulking all the roof vents, and covering the roof with some sort of sealant.

I don't recall where, but I found a recommendation for the Heng's product, ordered a couple of gallons, and after much cleaning and scraping and sanding, started to apply it today. It is far far too thick, and impossible to applying away that looks even half decent. I stopped after a couple of square feet.

Based on my experience thus far I would not recommend this product at all.

[ShelbyM]

Yep, that's pretty awful. Welcome and thanks for the warning.

[Norbert]

Anyone got any recommendations for a better roof sealant? Something that can cover hairline cracks screw heads and caulking.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Norbert

Hi, this is probably my first post.

Has anyone used Heng's white alkyd fibered roof coating before?
Based on my experience thus far I would not recommend this product at all.

The Heng's Alkyd Fibered Roof Coating is a protective, high quality weatherproof coating for metal and aluminum roofing. I have it on the top of an old military communication shelter on the boondocking lot to reflect the sun and it has held up well for two years. But I would never use it for fiberglass.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Norbert

Anyone got any recommendations for a better roof sealant? Something that can cover hairline cracks screw heads and caulking.

Fiberglass gelcoat should never be coated with anything but wax.

For an older, severely weathered unit, I would suggest Zep high gloss floor wax for the entire shell. De-oxidize, clean really well, then wipe on 4-5 thin coats with a clean, white rag. Makes a high gloss finish that approximates new gelcoat.

It will last 1-4 years depending on climate, storage, and UV exposure. When it’s time to redo, you’ll need the Zep stripper to remove the old, wash, then reapply. There are a number of old threads on the process.

I’ve heard people mention some high end marine fiberglass sealants as well.

[JonRaw]

Heng's alkyd fibered roof coating is what Grant Bilodeau, President of Bigfoot Industries, suggested I use to reseal my vents on the roof of my 2018 Bigfoot. That's what they put on at the factory. I would not use it as you did in the pictures though. It looks like you were trying to cover the entire roof, but that's not what the product is intended for at all. The benefit of using it is that according to Grant, you can just clean the old stuff with soap and water and apply a new coat on top. Here are some pictures of a reseal I did recently. After removing the tape, the edges are squared off and look close to what the original seals looked like (although a bit thicker obviously.) I'm not at all sure I did it right, but this was the way Grant suggested I do it.

[Norbert]

Hey JonRaw, thanks for that. I think it may have been your post I read about this product way back because I remember the part about Bigfoot confirming that they use this product in their factory. I can't think of a better endorsement than that.

From the photos it looks like you also struggled to apply it smoothly, although your job does look better. The directions state that it should be applied no thicker than 3mm, but due to the thickness of the product and the fact it hardens up and become unworkable quite quickly after spreading, I'm wondering if it can be thinned out a bit. I've written to both the supplier and Heng's themselves to see if that is possible.

Honestly, now that I've had a chance to check out the fully dried product, it seems like an extremely durable rubbery coating. If only I could apply it smoothly I would love to coat the entire roof, notwithstanding Jon in AZ's recommendation. Being in the PNW, we get loads of rain and snow, so water ingress is my main concern, especially with older models such as mine where the roof sags and allows water to pool. I have heard that sometimes the fibreglass shells get pinholes, though I don't know how prevalent this problem is. Yes, I'd like to fix the sagging, but that is a major project I'm not ready to tackle right now.

[JonRaw]

Originally Posted by Norbert

Hey JonRaw, thanks for that. I think it may have been your post I read about this product way back because I remember the part about Bigfoot confirming that they use this product in their factory. I can't think of a better endorsement than that.

From the photos it looks like you also struggled to apply it smoothly, although your job does look better. The directions state that it should be applied no thicker than 3mm, but due to the thickness of the product and the fact it hardens up and become unworkable quite quickly after spreading, I'm wondering if it can be thinned out a bit. I've written to both the supplier and Heng's themselves to see if that is possible.

Honestly, now that I've had a chance to check out the fully dried product, it seems like an extremely durable rubbery coating. If only I could apply it smoothly I would love to coat the entire roof, notwithstanding Jon in AZ's recommendation. Being in the PNW, we get loads of rain and snow, so water ingress is my main concern, especially with older models such as mine where the roof sags and allows water to pool. I have heard that sometimes the fibreglass shells get pinholes, though I don't know how prevalent this problem is. Yes, I'd like to fix the sagging, but that is a major project I'm not ready to tackle right now.

Yeah it is pretty thick stuff. The instructions specifically say not to thin it but I was wondering the same thing. I'd like it just a tiny bit thinner.


Here is the link to the article where Grant mentions using it:
https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/...5c10-4-review/