RV Roof showing air conditioners and vents. 
rv air conditioner outside view on the roof of a fifth wheel
The RV Roof is one of the most important things to your RV. This is for a million reasons – first and foremost I’m reminded of the saying “three squares and a roof over my head” ( or something similar ). Or when the weather is incredibly terrible, raining, snowing, hailing, etc, – you’d rather have a roof over your head than anything else. Add in the fact that you paid $60K dollars for a really nice fifth wheel, and you want a roof to protect your investment too!
On your roof, you’ll find the air conditioners, roof vents, plumbing vents, sometimes you’ll find a skylight, and finally communications antennas ( rv tv antenna, satellite antennas, fm antennas ).
An RV roof is expensive to repair and I’ve heard that you can’t really do it in the field – its a trip to a dealer. I’ve heard estimates that say the roof is easily a $10K replacement value. So take care of it.
The RV Roof is a multilayer thing, but the final layer tends to be a rubberized coating called EPDM or TPO.
These roofs cannot really be more than 12/13 feet tall since they have to abide by transportation laws.
Hello, my question is: How can I tell if I have a EPDM or a TPO type RV roof on my RV?
The service folks at a local RV service shop tell us that EPDM rubber (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) is a pliable rubber. It’s much more flexible than the TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin).
Another differentiator is the backing. In the RV industry, the EPDM typically has a black backing, and in other industries, it’s often solid black. The TPO has a felt backing.
For more info, check outwww.roofhelp.com/choices/tpo or find more about EPDM on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPDM_rubber.
To summarize: The TPO has a felt backing and is stiff. The EPDM is a pliable rubber with a black backing. That’s the difference.
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RV Roof Repair How To Video Collection:
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Henry Garcia says
great video! ..this has helped me alot… thank you for sharing ! =)
RV Roof Coatings says
When you are choosing a product for repairing leaks, make sure you find one that is specifically designed for RVs and mobile homes e.g., RV Roof Magic. RV Roof Magic can help with a variety of leaking issues that could be troubling your vehicle.
CT Camper says
Thank you for sharing the difference between EPDM and TPO roof. Many people can’t distinguish among them and face difficulty while repairing their roofs. Well, every RV roof is prone to leak and wear n tear whatever the roof type. For roof repairs, my go-to is RV Roof Magic. They have over a 25-year history of success. It’s the only liquid butyl rubber in the world that is solvent based. It’s ozone and UV resistant. It is a very flexible, durable, waterproof, airtight long-lasting sealant that’ll protect the roof from extreme weather fluctuations. It can withstand ponding water 365 days a year.