WINNEBAGO TRAVATO – Roof Seal and Skylight Maintenance

Roof Seal and Skylight Maintenance for WINNEBAGO TRAVATO

I’m up on the Travato’s roof with my fingers tracing the seam where the ProMaster’s steel transitions into fiberglass at the rear cap, and I can feel it immediately — a slight gap where the factory sealant has turned chalky and pulled away from the edge. This exact spot is where I find the worst water intrusion when owners call me after months of slow leaking, the kind where damage spreads inside the walls before anyone realizes water got in. I’ve peeled back EPDM on these rigs and found the wooden substrate underneath still looked intact from below until my hand went right through it — crumbled like wet cardboard. That’s the Travato’s weak point: a hybrid roof structure where factory sealant fails in a predictable way, and if you catch it before it breaches, you can stop the rot completely with the right materials and method. This guide walks you through what I do when I’m standing on one of these roofs with a plan to keep it sealed for the next three to five years.

Required Parts

• Self-leveling Dicor lap sealant (white, 10.3 oz tube) Dicor 501LSW-1 EPDM Self-Leveling Lap Sealant, 10.3 oz – White
• EternaBond RoofSeal tape (4″ × 50 ft roll) EternaBond RoofSeal White 4″ x50′ MicroSealant UV-Stable Roof Repair Tape
• EPDM rubber roof coating – 1 gallon HENG’S Industries Rubber Roof Coating, 1 Gallon, EPDM Waterproof UV-Resistant
• Dicor rubber roof cleaner and degreaser – 1 gallon Dicor RP-RC-1GL Deep Cleaning Rubber RV Roof Cleanser Spray Refill, 1 Gallon
• Plastic putty knife set (for removing old sealant without tearing membrane) Rerdeim 5-Piece Putty Knife Scraper Set, 1″–5″
• Professional drip-free caulking gun Newborn 930-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun, 10:1 Thrust Ratio
• Liquid Rubber EPDM/TPO primer – 1 gallon Liquid Rubber EPDM and TPO Primer, 1 Gallon – RV Roof Basecoat
• 3-inch paint roller kit (for applying roof coating) ROLLINGDOG Small Paint Roller Kit, 3 Inch with Tray and Stir Bar
• J-roller (for pressing EternaBond tape to full adhesion) POWERTEC 12″ Long Handle J Roller, 1-1/2″ Diameter, 3″ Wide

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Set Up Safely and Access the Roof

Position the Travato on level ground, engage the parking brake, and place wheel chocks at the rear — the ProMaster 3500’s height means a roof fall is a genuine injury hazard. Position a freestanding A-frame ladder at the rear passenger-side corner; never rest a ladder directly against the EPDM membrane edge because the drip rail will crack under that load. Before you climb, cut power at the TT-30 inlet and switch off the Xantrex Freedom XC inverter/charger from the driver-side lower cabinet panel — the Fantastic Fan wiring runs through the roof and you want no live circuits near penetrations. On the 59G model, make sure the Honda generator is fully shut down and its compartment hatch is secured. Haul your tool bucket up with a rope instead of making multiple ladder climbs. Wear soft-soled shoes so you don’t leave marks in the EPDM. When you’re on the roof, step only on the ribs you can feel flex under your weight and stay toward the middle where the ProMaster’s structural rails sit closest to the surface.

Step 2: Perform a Thorough Leak Inspection

Begin at the rear fiberglass cap and scan toward the front — this is where 80 percent of Travato water entry happens. Feel along the complete transition where the white EPDM meets the fiberglass cap edge; look for lifted sections, gaps, or sealant that’s turned white and powdery and comes off in small pieces instead of stretching. Factory lap sealant at this location typically starts deteriorating two to four years in depending on climate and sun exposure. Next, work around the Fantastic Fan housing — check all four corners where the flange mounts, because those screws are a direct channel for water if the sealant around them has shrunk. Inspect the Thule HideAway awning’s mounting rail where it bolts through the roof membrane; the bolts seal from underneath but the washer surface on top is a common spot for seeping. Press on any sealant that looks discolored or has a dull, hardened surface; quality Dicor lap sealant should yield slightly under thumb pressure, like firm rubber does. Take phone photos of each problem area before you touch anything — this gives you a record of what needs addressing and lets you verify nothing’s been overlooked once you’re done.

Step 3: Remove Deteriorated Sealant Without Damaging the Membrane

This is where rushing causes catastrophic failure — one careless scrape with metal and you’ve sliced through the EPDM and created a leak far worse than the one you started with. Stick to plastic putty knives only; metal tools will cut membrane in a single moment of inattention. Start at the rear cap transition seam. Slip the wide plastic blade under the sealant edge at a very shallow angle — around 15 degrees — and peel the bead back in strips. If the old Dicor is extremely hard and brittle, use a heat gun on its lowest setting from six inches away for about 20 seconds to soften it without harming the membrane. In the Fantastic Fan corners, use the narrow putty knife to reach into tight spaces. Don’t aim for a perfectly clean membrane at this stage — leaving behind a thin layer of old sealant is better than scraping aggressively. At the awning rail bolts, remove only the sealant cap on top of the bolt heads; don’t remove the rail itself. Collect all the old sealant scraps in a bag so they don’t blow onto the ProMaster hood vents or clog the awning track below.

Step 4: Clean and Degrease the Entire Roof Surface

The adhesive bond lives or dies on surface cleanliness — sealant or tape laid over road grime, oxidized rubber, or mold release from manufacturing will fail inside a year. Pour Dicor rubber roof cleaner and degreaser directly onto the membrane in four-foot sections. Use a medium-bristle brush, not an abrasive pad, because aggressive scrubbing can micro-damage the EPDM surface and speed UV breakdown. Work the cleaner in with circular brush strokes and rinse thoroughly with clean water from a bucket; skip the pressure washer because the ProMaster’s drip rail seams can funnel high pressure water back under the membrane edge. Spend extra time on the rear cap transition recess where road residue tends to collect and hide. Clean the Fantastic Fan flange and awning mounting zone with the same cleaner, using a smaller brush to work into bolt holes. Once rinsed, allow the entire roof to dry completely — aim for two hours in direct sun, or four hours if skies are cloudy. The surface must be entirely dry before any sealant or tape goes on; moisture trapped beneath Dicor or EternaBond kills the bond and won’t show up until the product starts peeling back months down the road.

Step 5: Apply EternaBond Tape to the Rear Cap Transition Seam

The rear cap seam deserves your most robust approach, which is why EternaBond RoofSeal tape belongs here instead of sealant-only treatment — it locks the joint mechanically rather than relying on adhesive chemistry alone. Measure and cut the 4-inch tape to span the entire rear cap seam width plus four inches of overlap on each end — cut before you peel because repositioning EternaBond once it touches down is nearly impossible. Apply Liquid Rubber EPDM/TPO primer to both the membrane and the fiberglass cap in the seam zone and wait 15 minutes until the surface is tacky but not wet. Peel back the first six inches of liner only, center the tape on the seam, and press that leading edge down with force. Slowly peel the remaining liner while pushing the tape flat with your other hand in one smooth rolling motion — work out to one side, return to center, then finish the other side. After the full tape is down, run the J-roller across the complete length using firm, steady pressure in overlapping strokes. The J-roller is not optional — hand pressure alone leaves air gaps that become water gaps. Finish by running a bead of self-leveling Dicor lap sealant along both edges of the tape to seal the tape’s own margins against wind-driven moisture.

Step 6: Reseal the Fantastic Fan, Awning Rail, and All Roof Penetrations

Insert the self-leveling Dicor lap sealant into the drip-free caulking gun — the drip-free feature matters on a roof because normal guns weep between beads and deposit sealant in unwanted spots. Cut the nozzle at a 45-degree angle for a bead width around 3/8 inch. At one corner of the Fantastic Fan flange, start a continuous bead that circles the entire perimeter and overlaps your starting point by two inches. Self-leveling Dicor flows slightly and smooths itself on flat surfaces — this is intended and good, but it also means it will run off any slope, so finish the fan before moving to angled areas. Along the awning mounting rail, run a bead on the uphill side and individually crown each bolt head with a small sealant dome so water naturally sheds away from the fastener. Don’t overlook the propane vent pipe collar if your Travato has one — it exits through the roof and is frequently forgotten. Every other factory penetration — antenna bases, extra vents, anything that breaks the membrane — gets the same treatment: a clean perimeter bead with highlighted fastener heads. Allow the Dicor to sit undisturbed for 24 hours before applying the roof coating layer.

Step 7: Apply EPDM Roof Coating to Protect the Full Membrane

The EPDM rubber roof coating is your final layer and provides UV shielding for the entire membrane — when applied correctly, it adds five or more years to the underlying rubber’s lifespan. Stir the gallon of coating thoroughly before opening; it settles in transit and an unstirred batch will apply unevenly and inconsistently. Put down Liquid Rubber primer first on any exposed membrane where you’ve worked, let it become tacky over 15 minutes, then begin rolling the full coating. Use the 3-inch roller with a medium-nap sleeve — the nap texture grabs the EPDM surface and distributes coating evenly without trapping air bubbles. Start at the rear cap and advance toward the front cab, keeping a consistent wet edge and uniform overlap on each pass. Lay down two complete coats: make the first coat thin and allow it to cure fully — normally two to three hours at 75°F with full sun — before applying the second. The second coat can be slightly thicker and delivers the final opaque white appearance. Use a brush to cut in around the Fantastic Fan dome, EternaBond tape perimeter, and awning rail before you roll — the roller can’t reach those details without risk of contamination. Let the finished coating cure for 48 hours before rain exposure or running the Fantastic Fan at maximum speed.

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The Sealant That Actually Stays Put on Travato Seams

Travatos get pinhole leaks and seam splits because factory sealant becomes rigid and cracks under UV rays and temperature swings — once water finds an opening, it spreads into the structure and framing before you spot it. Dicor 501LSW is the industry standard for self-leveling because it remains flexible, doesn’t solidify until you’re finished laying it, and hardens into a rubber compound that flexes along with the roof.

What works

• Self-levels as you apply it so you’re not fighting to feather and smooth the bead — it naturally settles into the right profile.
• Stays pliable after it hardens, so it stretches and contracts with temperature and membrane movement rather than fracturing open again within months.
• White finish blends with existing Travato seam color and doesn’t show dust or weathering the way gray sealant becomes obvious on a light roof surface.

What doesn’t

• The 10.3 oz cartridge depletes faster than expected on jobs larger than one isolated seam — you’ll want two cartridges on hand for wide perimeter work or multiple sealed penetrations.
• The working window is short; once it begins firming up (roughly 15–20 minutes in normal humidity), any tools need immediate solvent washing or the sealant hardens and bonds them permanently.

I second-guessed swapping from the generic hardware-store caulk after seeing one Travato owner’s DIY attempt hold for only eight months before the seam split again — but the difference was that they’d used paintable silicone instead of EPDM-compatible sealant. Dicor 501LSW-1 EPDM Self-Leveling Lap Sealant, 10.3 oz – White has been the permanent fix on every Travato I’ve touched since.

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