Category: RV Tips

Cruise America Used RV Sales – Are Their RVs Worth Buying?

Cruise America RV Sales – should you buy a Class C RV from them or not?

Actually, I get asked about this a lot. In fact, I’m kind of surprised how often this subject comes up.

So it’s time to put my thoughts on the subject in an article now.

Watch my video on buying a Cruise America RV

Of course, Cruise America is one of the largest RV rental companies in the country.

And renting really is a great way for especially newer RVers to be able to learn about motorhomes.

They can also learn about RVs in general and RV travel and camping.

And they can get experience and knowledge without having to go out and purchase an RV right away.

But what about buying used Class C rentals after their life of rental service is over? Is that a smart idea or not?

Well as almost everything else in the RV World there are pros and there are cons to buying a Cruise America Class C RV.

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Pro #1 – You Can Buy The RV Cheap

So let’s start with the pros first. And the number one pro is that you can buy them cheap.

Yes, you can you can save considerably by buying from Cruise America RV Sales.

In fact, when I did the research for this article I was surprised at how inexpensive they were.

Low prices is the number one pro for buying from Cruise America
Low prices is the number one pro for buying from Cruise America

It appears that you can buy about a five year old Cruise America Class C for anywhere between the mid 30 thousands to the low 40 thousands.

And that’s a really good price for an RV of that age. So that’s a big pro for sure!

Pro #2- Their Claim Of Maintenance And Repair

Now the second pro is that Cruise America on their website claims that they maintain and refurbish every single unit before they sell it to you.

So in other words, what they’re saying is that as that unit goes through its service life they’re going to maintain it.

And as it comes in from each rental they maintain it and keep it in good shape.

Then before they sell it at the end of its service life they’re going to go even further.

They promise to go through and refurbish it completely from top to bottom.

Cruise America Used RV Sales claims to fully refurbish each unit
Cruise America Used RV Sales claims to fully refurbish each unit

Now it’s up to you to decide how well you think they do with this kind of maintenance. Or how much you believe what they say.

Personally, I’m pretty skeptical when large companies make these kind of claims.

Because they’re very hard to actually verify. However, if they do indeed maintain and refurbish their units as they say they do, that’s a real pro!

Pro #3 for Cruise America Used RV Sales – The Warranties

Now the next pro is that Cruise America Used RV Sales is going to give you a warranty of some type with every sale.

In fact, they will give you a free three-month 3,000 mile warranty with every purchase.

You get a free 3ooo mile warranty with every purchase
You get a free 3ooo mile warranty with every purchase

But they’ll give you the option of spending $2000 more for an extended warranty.

And that will buy you an engine and drivetrain warranty that extends the coverage for five years or 100,000 miles.

You can get an extended warranty on the RV for not much more
You can get an extended warranty on the RV for not much more

So when you buy other class C RVs on the used market very often you’ll be buying it as is.

But in this case, you have warranty options. And that’s a pro in favor of buying from Cruise America Used RV Sales.

Pro #4- Rent To Buy

The next pro is that it looks like you can actually rent to buy a used Class C RV.

Yes, it seems that Cruise America will allow you to rent one of their units first.

Cruise America Used RV Sales has a rent to buy program
Cruise America Used RV Sales has a rent to buy program

And you can go out and enjoy your camping experience in it for a while.

Then if you decide to buy one of their RVs, they will apply the money you spent on the rental to the cost of the RV. And that can also be considered a pro as well.

Pro #5- They Sell Smaller RVs

Now the final pro we want to talk about is that they’re all smaller class C RVs.

So that means that they’re easy to move around. They’re very nimble to get around with both in traffic and at the campsite.

And for newer RVers, this is a pretty good idea. Because it helps you get used to working with motorhomes.

And doing it in a way that you’re not overwhelmed by the bulk of a larger rig.

OK, that’s the pros of buying from Cruise America Used RV Sales. Now let’s talk about the cons as well.

Con #1 For Cruise America Used RV Sales – It’s A Rental!

And the number one con that’s in everybody’s mind is, it’s a rental RV!

And what is your experience with the way people treat rentals of anything?

I mean, from power tools to cars to whatever, how do people often treat rentals?

Well, isn’t it true that generally if they don’t own it, they don’t worry about it?

Instead, they will often abuse the rental in many cases, right? Well, it’s true of these RVs too.

They get hard use while in service. And very often, it’s by newer RVers who aren’t really good with working with an RV to begin with.

They aren’t familiar with driving it, parking it, and camping with it much at all.

So indeed, they often get hard use. And that’s a con that you need to think about before buying.

Con #2- High Mileage

Now the second con we’re going to talk about is usually they have very high mileage on their units.

In fact, the ones I have seen recently have somewhere between 125K to 150K miles on them. And for a gasoline engine that’s quite a bit.

Now if it was a diesel, you could expect it to go 300K – 400K miles and be fine. But it’s a gasoline engine.

So here’s a recommendation if you buy a Cruise America RV with that high mileage.

I think you should plan on budgeting for major repairs to the engine and drivetrain. And plan on it as if it could happen not long after purchase.

That way, if it does come up you’re ready for it. And you can have the funds on hand to take care of the necessary repairs.

And getting their extended warranty for coverage of major repairs could also be a smart move too.

Con #3 For Cruise America Used RV Sales- Not Much Brand Selection

OK, the next con is you really only have the selection of one brand of RV. And that’s Thor.

Also, the models you get to choose from are very limited too. It really comes down to just a couple of models or so. And that’s a con too.

There’s just not a lot of flexibility in your choice of RV when you buy from Cruise America.

Con #4- Not Many Features And Amenities

Now the next con is that these RVs are very spartan. And when I say that they are spartan, I really mean it.

There’s not a lot in the way of features in these RVs at all. So don’t expect to see slides, awnings, or leveling jacks in Cruise America Class C RVs.

Of course, these are things that you normally expect to see in most RVs you buy. But you’re not going to see them with Cruise America RV Sales.

And when you go inside, the interiors are very plain as well. It’s obvious that they’re made for utilitarian use, not for appearance in most cases.

But the thing to appreciate about this is that Cruise America is getting these RVs from Thor.

And they buy them with the idea of renting them out for the first several years of their life.

So they don’t want to put a lot of features in them. Because features and amenities are easily broken in many cases.

And they’re also very expensive to repair. So for the company’s sake, they’ve kept that extra cost as inexpensive as possible.

Now whether that appeals to you or not is up to you. But I would say that for many people, it’s probably going to be a con.

Con #5 – You May Have Better Choices

OK, the last con we’re going to talk about is that if you spend a little bit more, you can get more.

And I’m talking about $10K – $15 more than what Cruise America is going to cost.

And in that range, you’re going to be able to get non-rental units that haven’t had the hard use. Or most of the other cons that we’ve talked about.

Also, they’ll have lots more features too. And you can be able to buy them on the used market and not have to buy a rental RV.

So spending a little bit more money can often get you a lot more in the way of features and service.

All right, now having discussed the pros and the cons, let’s talk about who should consider buying from Cruise America Used RV Sales.

Who Should Buy AN RV From Cruise America Used RV Sales?

And honestly, it’s mainly beneficial for low price shoppers. In other words, those who want the least amount of investment possible.

Cruise America Class C RVs are great for low price shoppers
Cruise America Class C RVs are great for low price shoppers

Also those who may have a very tiny budget for buying an RV. So their budget just doesn’t allow them to get much more in the way of a motorhome.

And if that’s the case, this kind of RV can fit you very well. Especially if you don’t need or even want a lot of extras and amenities.

Now it’s true that there’s people that don’t even want those amenities or extras.

Because they feel that those luxuries are just more things to go wrong on an RV.

So if you’ve got a tight budget and you don’t want a lot of extras. then Cruise America Class C RVs could be right down your alley.

But of course, most buyers will probably want better quality and more features. Along with a wider selection as well.

And in that case, they really should choose to buy other used Class C RVs on the market. And choose from other brands to get better build quality.

Conclusion

So it really comes down to your choice of the way that you want to use this RV. And what you are looking for in it.

But let me say this. Whatever you buy, be sure to get a certified NRVIA inspector to go through it from top to bottom.

Always hire an NRVIA certified RV inspector before buying any RV
Always hire an NRVIA certified RV inspector before buying any RV

That way you can make sure that it works like it should when you buy it.

And to me, that’s especially true with Cruise America Class C RVs.

You need to make sure that they have refurbished it like they say that they did.

And when you get the inspection, whether it’s a Cruise America RV or not, you’re going to get a really good report on the real condition of that RV.

Then if there are issues you can get them addressed before you actually complete the sale.

And by doing that, you can make sure that your RV works from the very first day of ownership.

Whether you bought it from Cruise America Used RV Sales or not.

I hope this article has been helpful for you. And I hope you have safe and happy RV travels!

The Best Motorhome Tires – How To Get Them Quick And Cheap

This article is going to be about the best motorhome tires to buy.

And how you can get them installed fast, easy and cheap. Almost anywhere in the country!

Of course, many tire manufacturers recommend that RVers change their tires about every five to six years or so.

And it doesn’t matter what the tread looks like when you change them either.

Why is that? Well, because RV tires usually age out long before they wear out.

And a lot of RVers don’t know that, and so they make a mistake in this area.

They kind of feel that they’ll replace their RV tires the same way they do their car tires.

So when the tread finally gets down low enough, then it will time to replace them. But that’s not a good idea if you want to travel safely.

Instead, you want to go by the age of the tire. And every five to six years you need to be planning to replace all the tires on your RV or your motorhome.

Watch my video on getting the best motorhome tires

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So how do you know how old the tires are on your RV? Well, there’s a very easy way to get that information.

How To Find Out The Age Of Your RV Tires

Because on every single tire there is a manufacture date that’s stamped onto it.

And you’ll usually find it in an oval pattern on the tire sidewall like you see here in this photo. Notice that it has four numbers in the oval.

The best motorhome tires - Look for this oval pattern on the tire sidewall to know when the tire was made
Look for this oval pattern on the tire sidewall to know when the tire was made

Well, the first two numbers represent the week the tire was manufactured. And the second two numbers represent the year the tire was made.

So to understand this time stamp better, let’s use a hypothetical example here.

Let’s say that the tire you’re looking at says “3418” for the manufacture date in the oval, like you see in the above picture.

Well, that means the tire was manufactured in the 34th week of 2018. And let’s say that you are in 2024 when you find out the age of your RV’s tires.

So what does that mean in terms of the age of that tire? Clearly, it means that it’s time to seriously consider replacing your tires at that point.

That is, if you want to safely stay within the recommendations of many RV tire manufacturers.

So I highly recommend that you go out and check all the manufacture dates on your RV tires right away.

And not just one of them either. Because if someone else bought the tires that are on your RV now, it could be that they don’t all have the same manufacture date. So be sure to check all of them!

And by the way, sometimes the date code is on the side of the tire facing under the RV.

It’s a pain to check for it that way for sure, but you still have to do it.

Where Can You Go To Get The Best Motorhome Tires?

Now the next question we want to cover is “where are you going to get your new tires for your motorhome or RV?”

Well, you could shop around at local tire shops and try to get the best deal possible in that area.

And it’s very possible that you could find a good deal on RV tires doing that. In fact, a lot of RVers find their new tires that way.

But there’s a couple of caveats here. And number one is something you really need to be aware of.

That is that if you get a deal at a tire shop, there’s a very good chance they’re going to sell you tires that could be a year to even a year and a half old. It happens a lot.

So you could start off the life of your motorhome tires already in the hole by a good bit. And that’s not good!

So I always recommend that if you’re going to buy from a tire shop, check the manufacturer dates on the tires they want to sell you.

And make sure that you are getting freshly made tires for your RV or motorhome.

Now the second caveat is that very often tire shops don’t really have a lot of selection.

They might have a couple of brands or maybe a few more. But in most cases they won’t have a large selection to choose from in RV sizes.

So what’s a better solution than buying RV tires at local tire shops?

Motorhometires.com Is A Great Place To Buy The Best Motorhome Tires

Well, I have talked about using motorhometires.com in some of my previous online videos.

And the reason I did that is because I kept coming across people talking about them in RV forums.

Motorhometires.com is a great resource for the best motorhome tires
Motorhometires.com is a great resource for the best motorhome tires

In fact, many were saying that they had really good results with them. And they would happily recommend them to others.

So in case you haven’t heard of motorhometires.com, let me explain what they do.

First, you order the tires from them either online or by phone. Then they will ship them to either you, a local tire installer, or a tire shop that’s local to you.

Once the tires are received, then you can have them installed. And the installation and shipping is included in the price of the tires.

Now I just had to replace all the tires on my motorhome last year. And so I decided that I’m going to put my money where my mouth is.

So I chose to use motorhometires.com for doing my own rig. And this article is going to cover my experience with them.

I’ll show you exactly how it was done. But first of all, let me say that you can order all of your tires right online.

Using The Motorhometires.com Website

In fact, they’ve got a great website, and I’m going to show you how the ordering process works.

So the first step is to go to the motorhometires.com website. And this is where you can start your search for tires. Right on the home page.

Now if you already know what you want then you just select your width of tire first. And there’s quite a few available as you can see.

Now lets use my tire to fill out the information and it’s a 275/70 tire. Then the rim size is 22.5 inches.

Next you tell them how many tires you want. And then press the button to find the available tires in that size.

The next thing you know, up pops all the tires that are available for you. And as you can see, they have quite a few brands that are for sale.

Once you get done looking over the brands, just select the one that you feel fits you best. And then you just buy it right online.

Of course, once you buy the tires, then it puts the whole process in motion. And they will be shipped right to you wherever you want them.

You can have them sent either to you yourself, an installer locally, or a local tire shop. The choice is up to you.

OK, so that’s how you order your tires online if you already know what you want.

A More personal Way To Order Motorhome Or RV Tires

But for me personally, I like to talk to somebody when I’m ordering something like this.

Especially when we’re talking about a final dollar figure this big. You bet that I want to talk to somebody in that case.

So I called them instead instead of ordering online. And that’s fine because they’ve got a a toll-free number for that very reason.

The representative I got was very knowledgeable and very helpful. And I could tell that this person really knew what they were talking about.

Now I had a tire brand in mind that I thought would be best for me already. Because I had looked over their website carefully in advance.

But when I talked with the rep, he actually suggested I consider a different brand. One that was less expensive than I had selected.

And it would save me $500. So after talking it out with him, I agreed that those tires were going to be at least as good and maybe even better than the ones I thought I would really like to have.

So I bought the ones he suggested. And once I placed the order, they contacted me right away to verify my order.

Customer Support For Getting My Motorhome Tires

I was impressed that I got an email from them about my order immediately.

After that, I got a phone call as well. And they wanted to let me know they’re going to be with me through the entire process.

They assured me that they would make sure that everything would be well coordinated from that point on.

I also decided that I wanted them to send their installer out to have the tires replaced on my RV park site. Instead of having a local tire shop do it.

Lots of mobile installers are ready to install your tires
Lots of mobile installers are ready to install your tires

And by the way, my motorhome was in storage at this point. So they had to send the installer right out to that spot to have them replaced.

Now I was very interested to see how all of this was going to work.

Well, within a very short time the installer called me as well. So clearly, very good communication was going on here.

And the installer made an appointment with me that would work for us both.

Now it did take a couple of days for shipping to get the tires to the installer.

But after that, just a couple of days later he was on my site installing my brand new tires.

Removing The Old Tires On My Class A Motorhome

So let me show you how it actually happened on my RV site.

OK, so the installer arrived early in the morning. And the first thing he did is put jacks in place under my rig and lift up each tire to work on it.

First the RV is jacked up on the spot where the tire is removed
First the RV is jacked up on the spot where the tire is removed

And as you can see here, he removes the nuts holding the cover in place.

Then he pried off the cover, and he had the equipment needed to get the lug nuts off easily. And that leaves just the wheel hub.

All the lug nuts are removed from the wheel
All the lug nuts are removed from the wheel
Then the wheel and tire is removed from the RV leaving just the hub showing
Then the wheel and tire is removed from the RV leaving just the hub showing

So then he breaks the tire bead away from the wheel itself. And then he applied some real slippery soapy solution around the tire bead.

The installer breaks the bead holding the tire to the rim and applies a soapy solution
The installer breaks the bead holding the tire to the rim and applies a soapy solution

That allows him to take his pry bars and just work the tire all around to loosen it. And then as you see, it comes right off.

Using pry bars the tire is removed from the rim
Using pry bars the tire is removed from the rim

Now I was amazed at how fast all of this happened. I could see that this fellow really knew what he was doing. So it went very quickly.

Installing My New Motorhome Tires

Now the next thing is to put a bag of balancing beads in the new tire before installing it.

A bag of balancing beads is placed in each tire
A bag of balancing beads is placed in each tire

And this helps to keep your tires nice and balanced as they go down the highway so there’s no big vibration taking place.

Once that’s done, it’s time to put the tire back on. So the soapy solution comes out again and he stands on one side and just keeps working it around with his pry bar until he gets it on the wheel.

The new tire is installed on the wheel
The new tire is installed on the wheel

After that, he inflated the tire and put it back on the wheel. And finally he tightened the lug nuts using a torque wrench, and then on goes the wheel covers.

The best motorhome tires - the new tire, wheel and wheel cover is installed
Finally the new tire, wheel and wheel cover is installed

Now he did all six tires like this in a little over an hour and a quarter. And it was amazing to watch!

What About The Test Drive Afterward?

OK, so that’s how simple and easy it really was for installing my own motorhome tires right at my own location. And I was amazed!

But you know, I always figure that the proof is in the pudding, right?

So I took the coach out for a trial run. I wanted to make sure those tires actually lived up to their reputation that the sales rep had given me.

And I also wanted to make sure that they were installed correctly too. So here’s what I found:

These tires seem to ride even better than the set of Michelins that I had on the coach before.

Now the main reason I didn’t go back with Michelins was that they’re unbelievably expensive at that size tire.

And when you’re replacing six of them at a time, it can really hit your wallet hard.

But these tires ride at least as good, and in fact, I feel maybe even better than the Michelins did.

And I could not detect any problems with the installation whatsoever either.

Conclusion

So now here’s some more good news. Once again, motorhometires.com contacted me after the installation.

And they wanted to make sure that I was happy with the whole process.

They also wanted to see if were there any problems that need to be fixed at that point too. And for me, that is great customer service!

So the upshot of all of this is that I am a pleased customer. And I am impressed with the whole experience that I went through.

I was pleased with the product, the installation, and the customer service.

So, what if you have to replace your motorhome or RV tires anytime soon?

Well, let me say that I can give motorhometires.com a hearty recommendation. So why not give them a try?

I am not affiliated with them in any way. And I don’t get paid if you choose their service. So what have you got to lose?

Give them a call and see what they have to offer for your RV or motorhome tires.

Have safe and happy RV travels!

RV Roof Coatings – Which One Should You Buy?

This article is about RV roof coatings and which one is the best to buy.

Which one can drastically extend the life of your RV roof? And really cut down on the maintenance you spend on that roof as well?

So recently I made a video about RV rubber roofs. And you can view that video by clicking here now.

And in that video I included information about how to identify what kind of rubber roof you have. If that’s what you have on your RV.

And I also covered information on how to maintain the roof as well. That’s because RV roof care is vital to the life of your RV.

In fact, it’s the first line of defense against water leaks and water intrusion.

Because if your roof allows water to get into your RV, it can break it down from the inside out. And could eventually destroy it altogether.

Watch my video on the best RV roof coatings

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RV Roof Maintenance – Why Many Don’t Do It

But here’s the sad truth. Very few RVers actually care for their RV roof like they should.

Now there can be various reasons for this. And number one is that the roof is up on top of the RV.

So it’s out of sight and therefore in many cases it’s also out of mind. And they often just don’t think that much about the roof.

Also, it could be that the RV owner doesn’t really know what to do to maintain their roof. And therefore they kind of do nothing because of that.

But in many cases, they just don’t want to get up there and do that kind of work. So the job just gets procrastinated and keeps on getting worse.

Well, RV inspectors like myself find these roof problems regularly. In fact, it’s one of the most common problems that we list on our RV inspection reports.

RV Roof Sealant Problems

Now usually, it’s a problem with the sealant. And we always note where the sealant has started to age.

Very often it has started to crack somewhat and needs to be reapplied.

RV roof sealant that begun to age and crack
RV roof sealant that has begun to age and crack

But in many cases, it has often gone so far and the neglect has happened so long that there’s no saving it.

And at that point the sealant just has to be scraped off and reapplied brand new again.

Well that’s a lot of work, right? However, it’s also a lot of work to maintain the sealant and RV roofing material as well.

So a good question would be – is there a way to lower the required maintenance on RV roofs?

Now I ask that question because I myself am not crazy about going up on RV roofs and doing all of that necessary work.

I mean it’s not something I look forward to. But I do it anyway! Because I know that it’s so important. It’s so vital to the life of my RV!

So is there a way that we can lower all of that effort and time spent on RV roof maintenance?

Why I Bought Another RV

Well, let me tell you what I did to my own RV that could be helpful in this area.

Last year I bought a Grand Design fifth wheel. The purpose is so that we could use it as a home base for our RV travels.

Our Grand Design fifth wheel
Our Grand Design fifth wheel

And that’s because Covid-19 taught us a lot of lessons. But one of the best lessons we learned is that it’s a good idea to have a home base.

Even when you’re full-time traveling in an RV. Or maybe, especially if you are a fulltime RV traveler!

So we got the fifth wheel and we put it on a permanent RV lot in Arizona. It’s a 2015 model that has an EPDM Rubber roof.

The Rubber Roof Problems On My Fifth Wheel RV

And the rubber roof is already showing some wearing and age, and as a result it’s darkening.

Now if you watched my video about rubber roofs you know that’s a characteristic of EPDM. As it ages, it very often darkens in color.

And that means that it absorbs more heat and transfers that into the RV. Of course, that’s not a good thing, especially in Arizona.

So I decided that I needed to put an RV coating over the original rubber roof.

3 Things I Wanted A Roof Coating To Do For My RV

And I wanted to accomplish a few things. Number one is I wanted to extend the life of my roof. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Then number two is I wanted to reflect heat off of that roof better too.

And number three is I wanted to find a way that I could cut down on all the necessary maintenance that I was having to do on RV roofs.

A Great Product That Cuts Down On RV Roof Maintenance Time

Now the good news is that the previous owner of this RV had already started working toward the idea of cutting down on roof maintenance.

So they had used Eternabond tape on several of the seams of the RV. Also around some of the roof equipment, like skylights and vents.

Eternabond Roof Tape
Eternabond Roof Tape

So where the sealant was placed in these areas, they covered it over with Eternabond tape.

And that’s actually a great way to start cutting down on maintenance requirements.

Because Eternabond tape lasts 20 years or more in many cases. And can protect roof sealant from UV damage from the sun that breaks it down.

So it was a good thing when I found that the previous owner had already started to use Eternabond tape on the roof.

But that didn’t solve the problem with the roof material itself being older and aging.

RV Roof Coatings – Here’s One That Works Well

So what coating should I use for that? Well, I started doing a lot of research.

And many RV coatings are made as acrylic based products. In fact, Dicor makes some very good roof coatings that area acrylic based.

Dicor RV roof coatings
Dicor RV roof coatings

And they make coatings for various kinds of RV roofs too. They’ve got a product for rubber, fiberglass and metal.

Now there’s a separate product for each one of them. You don’t use the same product for every kind of roof material made.

But the good news is that there’s lots of great reviews about all of their products. Reviews from people that have used it and had great results.

But the major issue for me was that you had to reapply the product again every few years or so. In order to keep the roof in good shape.

RV Roof Coatings – The One I Chose For My RV

Well, I kept looking and eventually I found a product called Henry’s TropiCool 887 silicone roof coating.

Henry's TropiCool 887 roof coating
Henry’s TropiCool 887 roof coating

And I found that it comes with a lifetime warranty, and I thought that’s pretty good!

Also it also can be used on almost any RV surface you want to name. And it specifically says that it’s made for high UV and severe weather areas.

So when you’re talking about high ultraviolet situations, that’s Arizona for sure!

And I thought this is really good, that it specifically resists UV damage.

Then I took a further look at the product instructions on the bucket.

And I highly encourage that whatever product you use, look very closely at the instructions and the guidelines they give you!

Read RV roof coatings bucket instructions carefully
Read RV roof coatings bucket instructions carefully

So the bucket instructions said that it could be used on TPO, EPDM, PVC and on metal roofs.

And here’s the kicker! It can usually be done with a one coat application.

Well, that’s great! Because the Dicor products require a multiple coat application to be effective.

What Roof Preparation Is Needed For RV Roof Coatings?

Then the instructions covered the prep that you need to do on your roof before applying the product.

And the instructions were to just clean the roof with TSP and water. You could use a stiff bristle brush to clean the roof and then hose it off with water.

Or you could use a power washer too. But I recommend that if you’re going to use a power washer, be very careful!

Don’t use high pressure at all. Because you can damage these roofs with really high pressure. So proceed carefully if that what you decide to do!

How I Applied The Roof Coating

Then once you clean the roof thoroughly, allow it to dry completely. And then you can just use a roller, like a paint roller, to apply the product.

Well sure enough, on my rig it was a one coat application. And I found out something else by reading the comments and the reviews that many RV owners have left on Amazon.

Many of them have just gone right over Eternabond on their roof. And they say that it’s worked well for them. So that’s what I did too!

Now let me say this. Whatever product you use, follow the instructions very carefully.

Make sure that you’re using it the way it’s intended to be used. And be safe on RV roofs as well. Take all necessary safety precautions during the process.

Because this kind of work can be very dangerous if you aren’t careful. So if you are not comfortable on RV roofs, then get someone to do it for you.

Before And After Photos Of The Results

Now here’s the proof of the pudding! Let me show you the “before” and the “after” photos on my fifth wheel EPDM roof.

Here’s a picture of the roof after I cleaned it which made it look much better. And the coating has not been applied at this point.

My roof after I cleaned it and before applying the roof coating
My roof after I cleaned it and before applying the roof coating

You can still see that there’s darker areas on the roof that are clearly visible.

OK, so I applied the product, and here is the “after” picture of the roof. After applying the TropiCool product from Henry’s.

My roof after applying one coat of Henry TropiCool

Now isn’t that a beautiful roof? It’s so bright and white, and that is going to reflect heat so much better now.

So for me, I am very happy with the Henry’s product. And I’m also really happy that this is going to cut down on my roof maintenance too.

Now let m be clear that you don’t have to use Henry’s TropiCool on your RV’s roof though.

Other RV Roof Coatings You Should Consider

Once again, I can highly recommend using Dicor too. It’s a quality product that just didn’t fit exactly what I was looking for on my personal RV roof.

But there’s another fine company called Heng’s as well. And they have great reviews from RV owners too.

Heng's RV roof coatings
Heng’s RV roof coatings

The only problem with both Dicor and Heng’s is that you do have to re-apply the product every so often.

But if you decide to use the Henry’s TropiCool 887, let me warn you about something.

And that is that Henry’s makes a lot of roof products. So don’t use anything else if you want to do what I did on my roof.

I used “TropiCool 887”, and that is what you want to look for if you want to do what I did.

And there’s lots of great reviews too from RV owners on Amazon for the Henry’s products. So it does seem to be tried and true at this point.

Conclusion

Now I encourage you do your own research on this subject. And try to determine what’s best for you and your RV before you buy anything.

I just wanted to share with you what has worked well for me in this article.

But you need to choose what works best for your situation and needs.

However, if you want to extend your RV roof’s life, and you want to cut down on your roof maintenance, than getting a really high quality RV roof coating is a great way to do that!

Have safe and happy RV travels my friends!

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