While sitting in your RV watching TV, you look up to the ceiling and see something that’s just not right.  All of a sudden you get that bad feeling in your gut and realize you have a roof leak.  You think about all the damage that may be in the roof and wonder how you’re going to fix it.  Not only that, how are you going to find it?  Roof leaks can start at one end of the roof and show up at the other end on the ceiling inside.  If it has been there a while before showing signs of the leak, the damage could be extensive.  Once that sick feeling subsides and start thinking a little clearer, you start to wonder who can help.

You see, an RV roof isn’t like a house roof system.  In most cases, it’s a rubber or fiberglass design.  Rubber roofs don’t last all that long especially when you don’t keep the maintenance up and fiberglass cracks over time. So you can’t just call a roofer to nail some singles on, this calls for an expert.  Most people like me would take it to an RV dealer for repairs and many are very good at what they do.  The problem with that is you end up with the same roof system which could leak again at some point. I’ve had this problem and have spent the money getting the roof resealed before, and in one case replaced.

After doing a little research, I’ve found a very reliable and long lasting system by RV Armor in Florida.  But you don’t have to drive to Florida to get your RV fixed!  They have a network of factory-trained technicians ready to be dispatched to wherever you may be, and can even treat your roof while you continue to live in the unit.

After a careful inspection of the roof, RV Armor technicians start the three part process.   Let’s look at a rubber roof system repair as an example.

Stage 1

After cleaning the roof they start the first stage. This is a yellow epoxy primer that creates a barrier between the membrane and the base or final coats.   This prevents solvents in the product from forming gas pockets underneath the membrane. The primer is rolled on the main areas of the roof and brushed on in the front and rear edges as well as around vents, A/C and skylights.

Stage 2

Next is the self-leveling sealant which is applied around the end caps, antenna and other areas as needed.   They also install a mesh product in these areas to add strength.  After all this is a moving roof.

Stage 3

Finally, the gray base coat is applied to a 28 mil thickness.  This requires two coats drying over night before the final coat which is white in color is applied.   The result is a very nice long lasting roof system that has, according to the company, a transferable lifetime warranty.  That alone is well worth it.

See the RV Armor website for more information, and happy RVing!

All my life, like most people, I’ve been living in a house.  I mean after all that’s how we’re raised.  You grow up, get a job and buy a house; the American dream, right?  Or is it?

Owning a home comes with a lot of headaches like insurance, property taxes, maintenance and the risk that the property will go down in value, especially if the housing market takes nose dive.

I’ve lived the American dream and I can tell you it’s no fun when you get your property tax bill and it’s doubled in a year.  That has happened to me more than once.  Even if you rent, the property costs are always passed onto the renter.  The only problem is that you have to hang your hat somewhere.

So what does a person do to eliminate some of these expenses?  Well, you could find a cheaper valued home but you’d still have all of the same issues as the larger one.   The other alternative is to buy an RV.

When you stop and think about it, it’s not such a bad idea.  I wouldn’t do it while raising a family.  It could get pretty crowded after a while.  But if you’re single or an empty nester, an RV may be the way to go.   If you sold your home and took the profits to buy a nice fifth wheel, you may be able to pay cash for it.  Although you’d lose on the depreciation of the unit, you could offset that by the money you’d save from not paying a mortgage.  Remember, this includes insurance and my favorite, property taxes.   If you have an average mortgage of $1,800 a month, you’d be putting away $21,000 a year.  Not a small amount of cash and over five years that would come out to $105,000.

The pros are that you’d have no yard to mow, no property taxes, no large maintenance bills (an A/C replacement on an RV is $800 while on a house it is $4000).  The downside is that you’d be in an RV park at an expense of around $450.00 a month – but usually that includes, water, and sewage, electric and in some cases, cable.   Another benefit is that if you don’t like your neighbors or the scenic view, you hook up and move.  I’ve seen people rent an RV space as a home base and travel half the year.  If you’re retired, that’s the way to go.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’d rather visit a few places before I depart this Earth and it’s hard to do that while you have a home to maintain.

So what’s the bottom line?  I’d say whatever floats your boat – or in this case, RV.   As a guy well ready for retirement, I think I’d rather do the RV and travel before I get to the point where I can’t.   For yourself, do the math. If it looks like something you’d like to do, go for it and happy travels!