DustyRose Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 The top of my 1990 Sunrader is showing some wear and dirt. I just bought her last fall and am looking forward to doing some maintenance and getting on the road this spring. I first want to give the roof a good cleaning and coat it, but I'm not sure what to use. It is a fiberglass clam-shell coach. What should I use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 You shouldn't have to coat the roof at all unless its leaking and if it is leaking, you've got serious problems that coating won't help. The roof is made of fiberglass, the same thing boat decks are made of and they don't get "coated" with anything. Cleaning the roof is a good idea, though. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Ditto the comments above about leaks in fiberglass unless something has physically done some damage up there. That said, this doesn't mean that a Sunrader can't (and won't) leak at any of the many holes in the fiberglass. Vents, windows, clearance lights, rack, ladder, etc, etc. Another possible improvement would be to spray or roll on some white 'bedliner' up there to provide some anti-slip surfaces to walk on (if you expect to go up there often). Clean, polished gelcoat can be slippery when wet! That's why boat decks have anti-slip areas incorporated and slides at the water park don't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulwyk Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hi Dusty: If you're looking for something to clean and polish your Sunrader coach: the same products used on boats work great on a Sunrader. Check Walmart. I've had good luck with Mother's products, but ask the good-ol-boy behind the sporting goods counter what he uses on his Bass Boat. When polishing, some folks get real serious and use an electric buffer for the final finish, but if you have the time, hand buffing works just fine. If you have leaks in your roof, don't worry, they're easy to fix. Get a ladder, climb up there, and take a close look at the vents. There's two (maybe three) kinds: the big vents you open to let air into the cabin, and little round plumbing vents (and maybe a long narrow vent for the fridge). They're all made of plastic and after 20 years or so the plastic gets brittle and cracks. You're most likely to see cracks around the mounting screws and in the cornors of square vents. You might also see where someone has tried to re-caulk the vents---usually with silicone caulk. Silicone works for awhile and then pops loose--you can test it by trying to work a fingernail under the caulking bead, see if it's really sealed to the roof. If your vents are leaking order some new ones--they're all still available on eBay. Remove the old vents, scrape off all the old caulking, re-caulk and screw down the new vents. (Your old vents were probably installed with #8 screws---you'll find that #10 screws will fit nicely in the by-now-worn-out fiberglass holes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I have n o sunrader exp but personaly i prefure too install the metal frame type square vents they dont leak from hiden base cracks. and the base does not get brittle . could not get my leack stoped. new metal frame vent sealed it and no more problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The roof on the Dolphin is different than the roof on the Sunrader, but the vents are very similiar. Here are a couple links to vent replacement: Leaking Vents Replacing Vents John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Please don't coat it with anything but yes use the boat stuff and it can be buffed to shine it up. Might make it slippery yes but also makes it stay cleaner so you don't have to get up there and wash it so often. Linda S The top of my 1990 Sunrader is showing some wear and dirt. I just bought her last fall and am looking forward to doing some maintenance and getting on the road this spring. I first want to give the roof a good cleaning and coat it, but I'm not sure what to use. It is a fiberglass clam-shell coach. What should I use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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