How to Remove Camper Rubber Roofing

Most RV campers or vehicles have a roof covered with a rubber or rubberized fabric. These are durable and do a good job in weatherizing the top of the camper. In some instances, it may be necessary to remove this rubber coating, either to repair underlying damage, or to replace the roof coating with new material.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Screwdriver
Hex wrench
Drill
Putty knife
Heat gun

Step 1

Remove any trim around the rim of the roof. In most cases this is held on with screws or hex nuts, but in some cases it's riveted onto the camper. Take out the screws or nuts with a screwdriver or hex wrench in the first case. In the second, drill out the rivet with a drill and a bit that's slightly larger than the rivet's head.

Step 2

Slowly peel back the rubber roofing material from the edge of the roof. Once you've gotten a bit of it loose, slide a putty knife or other thin blade underneath and slowly work the rubber coating away from the roof. Depending on the adhesive used, this may go quickly or rather slowly. If the adhesive is difficult, try using a heat gun with the air stream directed underneath the rubber. This will often loosen the rubber from the roof of the RV.

Step 3

Continue peeling back each strip of rubber on the roof of the RV, using the process described in Step 2. You'll find that the process usually goes a little faster after the first strip, since you'll have access to the side, as well as the ends, of the rubber roofing strips.

Article Written By Nichole Liandi

Based in Virginia, Nichole Liandi has been a freelance writer since 2005. Her articles have appeared on various print and online publications. Liandi has traveled extensively in Europe and East Asia and incorporates her experiences into her articles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from West Virginia University.

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