RV Roof Replacement PART 7: Reinstallation of Trim and Fixtures

RV Roof Replacement

PART 7: Reinstallation of Trim and Fixtures

This part went fairly smoothly. Luckily, everything was clean and labeled which made reinstallation a breeze. 

We started with the side trim. We applied a long piece of new Butyl tape to the underside of the trim and then matched up the screw holes on the roof so that the trim was exactly where it was positioned before. We then used new screws to reattach the trim to the roof. 

Applying new butyl tape to side trim

We then started replacing the slide covers and awning. The mistake we made was putting the slide cover back on BEFORE adding the vinyl screw cover trim back in. So later when we went to put the insert back in we had to remove and then reinstall the slide covers. Luckily, we didn't have to do that with the awning, as we could easily access the side trim from under the awning. 

Our very dangerous and unprofessional makeshift scaffolding. DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME

Side trim and canopies/awning reinstalled

The next part of the project was reinstallation of the rear termination bar. This proved to be somewhat difficult, as we knew this was the original weak spot and we wanted to get it right. Originally, the roof membrane was cut so that any water from the roof could leak directly into the interior walls, so this time we positioned the membrane so that it would run down the exterior. We also applied some aluminum tape on the corner of the roof so that any water would not leak into the interior walls. This may or may not have affected the adhesive to the roof- the jury is still out so only time will tell if it worked. 

Rear of RV ready for rear termination bar

Installation of rear termination bar

After installation of the rear termination bar we replaced the vinyl trim, making sure to tuck it under the termination bar at the ends. 

We then moved onto the rest of the fixtures. This part was also pretty easy, and we had everything (A/C included) up within an hour. 

We then finished the day off by reinserting the rest of the vinyl trim. Since our ladder hadn't been secure yet, we had to, um, improvise. Do NOT do this at home. 

One very dangerous way of putting things back on the roof

Making sure the vinyl trim is tucked underneath before metal trim is screwed down. 

We then worked on the ladder, which we saved for last because it uses 8-pointed spider screws, something that we couldn't find a dedicated tool anywhere to remove. Internet to the rescue! I read that you can use a square bit to remove them and lo and behold, it worked!

Square bit alongside spider screw

One thing that was really bothersome when we bought the RV was how loose the ladder felt. Not only did we discover that the ladder was attached by rusty screwed to 1/8" plywood at the top, but the pieces that attached the ladder to the RV were not completely screwed in, causing the ladder to sag downwards. So dangerous!

To fix this we removed the ladder from the RV, unscrewed those metal pieces and then accessed a screw from the side that originally faced the RV wall. After tightening that screw, we then reinstalled the ladder and it felt incredibly strong. 

The final phase of our RV roof replacement project is next!