Top of Slide - tape curling

[Steve P]

From what I read on previous posts, the cure is to remove the topper, cut away the old tape, clean with alcohol, and tape over with and rollout new Eternabond... is that the consensus?

Thanks - Steve 

[Tom Cherry]

Yes.  Eternabond makes a “remover”.  On Amazon.  Purchase that.  I had all mine done.  Maybe 2 cans.  You also need a tube of Proflex.  There may be some voids in the sealer (caulk) that need to be touched up to get a smooth or uniform surface.  You need the HEAVY ROLLER to properly press down or roll out the Eternabond tape.  This is what the techs use to get the tape fully adhered.  Make sure you watch the video on removal of the toppers and count the turns when you start to “unwind” the tensioning springs.  Always install and tighten or turn them to the original installation position….unless you are well versed in how to properly adjust and tension.

if your toppers are frayed or in bad shape, then contact @throgmartin  Chris is our expert and is affiliated, still, with his original “RV TOPPER REPLACEMENT” company, Stone Vos.  I have his “vinyl” toppers….installed in 2015.  Excellent quality and still look as good as new.

 Eternabond EBR-125 2-1/2" Wide 2Lb Steel Roller. 

 

 

[Gary M]

I used what Tom suggested. Did my slide roofs, front and rear cowlings and shower skylight.

[JohnC3]

I agree with Tom but instead of eternabond remover, I found that gas (and even better gas with 2 cycle oil added) worked wonderfully. A YouTuber ( think it was RV with Tito DIY) did a video on removing eternabond and found gas the best) one time I ran out and had to borrow a cup from the RV park. All they had was gas with 2 cycle oil added) tried it and it worked even better than gas) I have an aluminum top on the slide. Use needle nose to start pulling the plastic membrane up. Then if the eternabond is warm ( I did it April in az) you can use a scraper to help the tarry layer come up. When you get it right you can pull  the plastic layer and scrape the tarry underlayer with either a razor scraper or a putty knife scraper ( can't remember which worked better) so both mostly come up. Clean tool  with the gas and it works well with a little trial and error. Cleaning the remaining tar is easy with the gas. Then reapply and use the heavy roller.

I didn't remove roller, I brought my slide 6 inches from in then unbolted the topper from the slide and used cordage to hold in place on the roof. I then put the slide fully out and removed the eternabond ( a 2x4 piece worked to raise the top seal enough to replace the eternabond at the innermost parts of the front and back ends of the slide... just force the wood piece under the seal about 4 inches from either end. You may need different thickness depending on how your slide is adjusted. 

Good luck!

John

 

One thing, my eternabond was pealed back at least an inch in some places when I replaced it. 

Also trying to get 12ft of eternabond completely straight is almost impossible. You can do it in smaller sections and overlap them about 4-6 inches. I think I dit the long edge in 1/2s.

You may need a helper to tie up the topper on the roof. When I reinstalled the topper, I just brought in the slide about 6-8 inches from closed, set the topper on the slide roof (be careful of the tape, the brackets can slice it) and then rolled the topper from the slide roof to the slide face.and had the helper hold the other end in approximate place with a loop of cordage from the roof while I got the first screw of one side in. Then I moved the ladder to the other end and screwed the 2nd end of the topper in place. Then went back to the 1st end I secured and put in the remaining screws. Took a few hours to complete/slide much longer beforehand to learn how to secure the topper and remove the old eternabond.

John

[96 EVO]

That's not Eternabond up there, it's tar tape!

I've done a few of mine. Removed the tar tape completely (WD-40 works well to remove the tar residue), and replaced with Eternabond.

Don't know how well Eternabond would stick to that aluminum backing.

[Steve P]

All the Eternabond stuff and the roller are on their way.  Good fall project (November).  Thanks everyone for sharing your experience!