FOREST RIVER SOLERA – Roof Leak Repair and Resealing

Roof Leak Repair and Resealing for FOREST RIVER SOLERA

Most Solera owners don’t reseal their roof until water is already dripping onto the bed. By then, the damage has moved past the membrane and into the structural wood underneath—and now you’re looking at replacing decking instead of spending an afternoon on top of the rig with a caulking gun. I’ve cut into enough water-logged Soleras to know that the factory sealant around vents, ridge seams, and the A/C unit starts deteriorating in year two, sometimes sooner if the rig sits in direct sun. Hairline cracks appear first, barely visible, but once they’re there, water finds them during the next rainstorm. What begins as a preventable $50 tube of lap sealant job turns into a $3,000+ structural rebuild if you wait too long. The upside: catch it early, and resealing is a straight one-day job on your own terms, no dealer involved.

Required Parts

• Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealante Dicor 501LSW-1 Epdm Self-Leveling Lap Sealant-10.3 Oz. Tube, White, 10.3 Fluid_Ounces (Packaging May Vary)
• Eternabond RoofSeal Tape0 EternaBond RoofSeal White 4″ x25′ MicroSealant UV Stable RV Roof Seal Repair Tape | 35 mil Total Thickness – EB-RW040-25R – One-Step Durable, Waterproof and Airtight Sealant
• Rubber roof cleanern Dicor RP-RC-1GL Deep Cleaning Rubber RV Roof Cleanser Spray Refill – White, 1 Gallon

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Leak Detection and Documentation

Water gets into a Class C RV roof and then just keeps traveling—sideways, down into walls, through cabinets—until you spot it inside weeks after it first entered. Start your investigation indoors, preferably during or right after rain, checking every ceiling corner, around light fixtures, inside overhead lockers, and especially near the air conditioner and roof vents. Look for water stains (tan or rust-colored marks), soft ceiling material when you press on it gently, bubbling wallpaper, visible drips, or that unmistakable moldy odor. Grab a flashlight and peer inside cabinets and behind fixtures. Photograph each suspect spot and sketch a simple diagram marking where water is actually showing up. Keep in mind that water can run ten or twelve feet horizontally along the roof framing before it appears as a stain—so the spot you see inside might be nowhere near the hole where water entered.

Step 2: Exterior Roof Inspection and Preparation

Pick a calm, dry day with outdoor temps between 50–90°F (sealant needs these conditions to cure properly). Use a ladder with stabilizer bars to reach your roof safely, and never work up there when it’s windy or wet. Solera roofs use a rubber EPDM or TPO membrane—you can walk on it but wear soft shoes and stay clear of anything sharp that could puncture it. Scan methodically from front to back, looking hard at every place something penetrates the membrane: A/C unit, roof vents, plumbing stacks, antenna, ladder brackets, and the area where the fiberglass cap meets the rubber. Examine every seam and every inch of old sealant for cracks, separations, brittleness, or areas where it’s pulled back. Slap masking tape on each problem spot so you don’t skip it during the repair work.

Step 3: Cleaning and Surface Preparation

New sealant won’t stick to a dirty roof, and that’s where most DIY repairs fail—people rush through the prep. Grab a rubber roof cleaner (Dicor RP-RC-1GL is the standard), and scrub out a zone at least 6 inches wider than your repair area on all sides. Apply the cleaner per the label, usually with a soft brush, let it sit 5–10 minutes to dissolve old grime and oxidation, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. If old sealant is thick or bonded hard, use a plastic putty knife to chip it away—never metal tools, which can slice the membrane. Now let everything dry completely. This takes 2–4 hours depending on heat and humidity, and you can’t skip it. Moisture under new sealant means the seal fails within months.

Step 4: Removing Failed Sealant

Any sealant that’s cracked, pulled back, or obviously compromised needs to come off before you lay down new material. Use a plastic putty knife or sealant scraper and go slow—the goal is to strip the bad sealant without gouging or tearing the roof underneath. On really stubborn, hardened sealant, a commercial adhesive remover (designed for RV roofs) can soften it, but test it first on a hidden spot to make sure it doesn’t eat your roof material. Once the old stuff is off, wipe the area down again with roof cleaner to get rid of any oily residue left behind. If you uncover punctures, tears, or serious membrane damage during this step, you’ll need to patch those with Eternabond tape before you sealant over top.

Step 5: Applying Eternabond Tape to Damaged Areas

Eternabond RoofSeal is a pressure-sensitive permanent seal that stops water cold—use it on any cracks, tears, or spots where the membrane has really deteriorated. Measure out enough tape to extend 2 inches past the damage in all directions; 4-inch-wide tape handles most Solera repairs. Peel back the release liner an inch or two, stick the tape down directly over the damaged zone, and press it flat. Keep peeling and pressing as you work from one end to the other, which keeps air pockets out. Once it’s on, go over the whole surface with a J-roller or your hand, pressing hard and steady, with special attention to the edges where lifting usually starts.

Step 6: Applying Lap Sealant to Seams and Penetrations

Dicor self-leveling lap sealant is made for RV roofs and stays flexible through freeze-thaw cycles, heat waves, and all the wild temperature swings real traveling throws at a rig. Load it into a good caulking gun, cut the tip at 45 degrees to open a 3/8-inch hole. Start at each roof vent and penetration, laying down a fat bead of sealant all the way around its base, overlapping any existing good sealant by at least half an inch. Don’t be stingy—the bead should run roughly 1/4 inch thick and 3/4 inch wide. Keep steady pressure and consistent speed on the trigger for even flow. The A/C unit especially needs attention at all four corners where it meets the roof; those corners are leak magnets.

Step 7: Sealing Roof Seams and Final Inspection

The Solera’s rubber membrane comes in sections with long seams running front-to-back. Factory seals age and crack, so these seams need fresh sealant to stay watertight. Run a bead of lap sealant down the entire length of each seam, covering the seam itself plus about an inch on either side. Where two seams meet or terminate—those spots are prime leak entry points—apply extra bead and make sure it’s thick. The front area where the fiberglass cap transitions to the rubber roof is another high-stress zone; it flexes when you drive, so give it a heavy, flexible seal. When you’re done, walk around and eyeball everything from different angles—look for thin spots, missed sections, or bubbles. The sealant will level itself out over the next 24 hours, so don’t drive or get back on the roof during cure time. Plan to inspect and refresh the roof seals once a year going forward.

← Back to Top 20 Class C RV Models

The Sealant That Actually Adheres to Solera Roof Seams Without Cracking Out

Forest River Solera roofs fail at the factory seams because the original sealant hardens and shrinks within two to three years, leaving hairline cracks that let water run directly into the walls. The Dicor 501LSW self-leveling sealant cures differently—it stays flexible and doesn’t pull away from the joint as the roof expands and contracts with temperature swings.

What works

• Self-levels across uneven factory seams so you don’t have to feather it by hand—just apply and let gravity do the work while it cures.
• Stays pliable after cure, which means it won’t crack and separate when the roof thermally cycles between 120°F in direct sun and 40°F at night.
• One tube covers all the problem seams on a Solera (around vent boots, along the ridge, and around the A/C penetration) without running short.

What doesn’t

• Cure time is 24 to 48 hours—you can’t seal the roof and take it out in the rain the next morning, which matters if you’re on a timeline.
• The tube’s applicator tip is smaller than the seam depth on some Solera models, so you may need to make two passes on wide factory gaps to get full coverage.

I second-guessed switching from the white Dicor to a tape-only repair on one flip unit because the seam looked too deep, but the self-leveling formula filled it completely where tape would have left voids. Order the Dicor 501LSW-1 Epdm Self-Leveling Lap Sealant-10.3 Oz. Tube, White, 10.3 Fluid_Ounces (Packaging May Vary) and give yourself two days of dry weather after application.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.