UPDATE: Since making this video, we replaced these caps with 360 Siphon RV roof vents, which are AWESOME! Check out the updated video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xX60cCHwlM.html
Yes, and that is a wonderful video. It convinced us to get a 360 for the black water tank a while back. Works great. When I realized the three other vents were damaged I stupidly did not think to just upgrade the damaged ones.
@@nenanenica6783 yes, good observation. Its an overlooked water entry risk. The entry point in this video would not be a problem, ironically, because his sealant seems to cover the tube to the roof completely. Even without the base and cap, rain would just drip into the tank, presumably. But water is famous for sneaking around. So, the double seal.*edit* I just read a comment below which said the wider hole around the base of the vent pipe should NOT be sealed to the roof... in order to let moisture out of the roof space from the open gap around the base of the pipe.
I just redid my Travel Trailer roof.... Heat gun and a wood chisel (stiffer than a putty knife) made the removal of "dicor" (Lap Sealant) and butyl tape amazingly easy.
Great instruction, good tips. I just replaced two cracked bases and covers on my 2006 Class A. Mine weren't self-tapping screws. I lucked out though, and the holes in the new base matched existing holes in the roof. Loaded it up with Dicor and I'm good to go. Thanks!
Although a little bit of content has been added the videos since, but, Even back then, 11 years ago, the videos were short and straight to the point with no filler content before getting to the point of the video like some other youtubers do.
We had to come watch this video after we heard you talking about it on Drivin' and Vibin'. Very informative and the wonky camera work did not bother us at all :)
Thanks for the video guys. Replaced vent caps this morning. Took about an hour and would have had it done sooner but had to make a few trips up and down the ladder. I was expecting screws but cap was attached with nuts. I also didn't want to drill new holes in my roof so I used my putty knife to make a couple of marks to line up all of the screw holes for the new cap.
Solar panels are a great place to lay tools and stuff on. Also, you do have a choice, buy a vent cap with the metal clips so they hold the cap on from the inside of the vent pipe. I used to use DiCore but got tired of redoing it every year so I now use sealant tape made for rubber roofs.
Question is with the sealer tape if your plumbing vent is dry rotted and have to replace the plumbing vent isn't it hard to remove this sealer tape without ripping the roof fabric???. I like the Idea though.
Thank You very informative. My dog brought me a pluming roof vent with cap and all. The pluming roof vent was brittle and dry and dry rotten glad I got it before the rain. Good Doggie Otis. Replace all 4 vents after checking them out.
Careful with that last screw to hold the cap on! If you camp in treed areas like I do, I would recommend you leave that screw out (They snap on really tight anyways). If the cap gets snagged by a branch, it'll just pop off. But if the screw is there, it might rip the whole thing out of the roof! I used the putty tape that came with my vents, then trimmed off any putty that came out the edges, and then use the lap sealant all the way around and over the screws. I wouldn't put the lap sealant underneath because you screw it down right away, and then the sealant spreads out underneath. And then with the screw covered, you can't retighten it. I'm sure it's fine, but I prefer my method ;)
Was up on the roof today adding snow seal and notice how badly sun damaged my vents were. One of the caps almost looked like a Styrofoam cup after putting fuel in it; the sun had virtually dissolved it. Thanks for the great tip!
very informative. im not that handy so i bought the 7 dollar universal cap at the camping store and it works just fine. took about 30 seconds to install.
To Tab, before you buy an RV head out to RV shows and shop around. And talk to people who own RVs before buying. You can also rent an RV to see if you can handle the lifestyle. Another thing about RVing, you'll make a lot of friends - it's a community thing. AND a lot of RVers are mechanically inclined. It helps when you have friends that know how to use a hammer and screwdriver! ; )
Dicor, I've gotta remember that stuff and have plenty around.lol... Great vid and Great Info. I'll be checking in on your other vids asap so I'll know as my h as possible about repairs and more thanks again and please keep'em coming!
Dicor will not fill large spaces, especially horizontal ones, as it will just sag down and fall through the space. I don't know if Dicor makes another product for this job, or if it even matters if the space is open. Maybe there's an RV technician out there who could could comment on this one? Or try going to the irv2(dot)com forums, where you'll find a ton of expertise on every RV topic. Hope this helps.
My vent pipe had about 3/16" space all around it. I said "sheesh- what a cheesy job!" I spent about 2 extra hours fashioning an aluminium "washer" with very little clearance(1/32" or less) that had an "apron" of about 1-1/2" all around and caulked the edge to the vent pipe and fastened it down with a good caulk (Chemlink M1). Then I talked to a guy that was a dealer repair guy (with 30 years experience) and told him what I had done and he said "That was a mistake. You just closed up the roof vent that allows moisture to escape from the "attic" instead of being in there to create dry rot and mold" So I spent ANOTHER 1+ hours UNDOING my "really good job" sigh.....
We're not exactly in the same boat, being that we both know which end of the screwdriver is for nail pounding (we pride ourselves on being stereotype breakers). ;-) There are lots of ways to get RV service... RV dealers, mobile RV service technicians, Coach Care facilities (for us diesel pusher types), and even Camping World. There are lots of people who don't do any of their own RV service, so there's plenty of infrastructure in place to meet your needs. Don't let it intimidate you!
Thanks for the great video. Just discovered my caps are cracked, but so is one of the bases. But when I pulled the cap off to replace, noticed there is NO SEALANT around the vent pipe. Just air between the vent pipe, roof, and base. What should I use to seal it up? I'm sure DICOR has a product I can use. Suggestions?
this is cut and pasted from a prior response. I am truly sorry to be 9+ years late to answer this...My vent pipe had about 3/16" space all around it. I said "sheesh- what a cheesy job!" I spent about 2 extra hours fashioning an aluminium "washer" with very little clearance(1/32" or less) that had an "apron" of about 1-1/2" all around and caulked the edge to the vent pipe and fastened it down with a good caulk (Chemlink M1). Then I talked to a guy that was a dealer repair guy (with 30 years experience) and told him what I had done and he said "That was a mistake. You just closed up the roof vent that allows moisture to escape from the "attic" instead of being in there to create dry rot and mold" So I spent ANOTHER 1+ hours UNDOING my "really good job" sigh.....
Whenever I need to do any RV maintenance I search for something similar y'all have done. Let me say again that watching your videos has been empowering in that you make it all manageable/doable. So, I wrecked some roof vents and found this 8 year old video. Thank you! I have just one question: once everything is installed and you line up the hole in the top with the part inside that corresponds to the hole, you put a screw in the hole. Is the only purpose of that screw to hold the top cap on? That top cap says "PULL TO REMOVE". I was wondering if it is still a good idea to use the screw or not? Just a few comments: If I was smart I would have ordered 360 vents for the three broken ones. The 360 vent was the only one NOT broken. Unfortunately, it is too late to return these so...next time. Hopefully, I will not require a reminder again.
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you so much for the kind words. It's always nice to hear that people find our videos helpful... it truly makes our day!! As for the screw... it's probably not absolutely necessary, but we'd still recommend using it. The clips that hold the cap in place seem to be fairly strong... but adding the screw is just an extra safety measure to keep them from being torn/blown off.
The only one we’ve done about heating, including a mention of heat pumps, is this one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1pgYW2xQwho.html so if you’ve already watched that one, that’s all we’ve done.
I haven't counted, but I bet it pales in comparison to the number of times I said "gasket" in the video about how to make any size replacement gasket. You'd get totally s**t-faced doing shots to that one! LOL
Hello I've purchased a used pull behind camper and it's February so it's not warm in Kentucky. Can I use a heat gun to warm up the sealer around the vent pipes to make the job easier? I have a rubber roof and realize I need not to heat the roof up. Please help Thank you
+Richard New You should be able to warm the sealant, but be very careful using a heat gun, especially on a rubber roof, as they can get extremely hot. If it were an ordinary hair dryer, we wouldn't worry, so just be sure to avoid heating anything too much with the gun.
My base portion of the plumbing vents crumbled and i can see open air space into the roof. I understand how to replace the vent properly but if water or moisture followed down the outside of the black tubing where would that water end up?
Hi Kathy. So sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this. Unfortunately, if the plumbing vent pipe is cracked, any water that gets down into the area around it will likely end up in your roof, or inside your RV. Either way, that water can cause extensive damage over time. You’ll want to have that area properly sealed to prevent leakage.
At the top of the plumbing vent, there’s space around the pipe. If you don’t put a cap on it, you will almost certainly get rainwater leaking into the roof structure
Would this be the issue if I am driving my 2007 Tiffin phaeton and have a severe Grey/black tank odor? I replaced all the valves under the sinks and washer/dryer??
While we can't be certain what the source is of the odor on your rig, replacing ordinary roof vents with 360 Siphon vents is one of the easiest things to try. Even if there is some other primary source of the odor, every RV is better off equipped with these great devices.
Hi Bart! We are not 100% certain, because we don’t have those caps anymore, but we’re pretty sure this is it: amzn.to/3hK0ND0 But the reason we don’t have those caps anymore is because we’ve replaced them with a far superior design, the 360 Siphon vents. If you’re going to replace any of it, you might want to spring for a little more and upgrade to these fantastic caps, that do more than just cover the pipe. They actively draw air up out of the holding tanks, reducing or eliminating tank odors entirely: amzn.to/3yrNrCg That link is for the newer design, but even our original style 360s are fantastic! Here’s the video we made about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xX60cCHwlM.html Hope this all helps.
wow, really? did you pay attention to the video? He said the name several times, it's in the video description........it's called DiCor self leveling sealant
LOL..Watching this video, I figured out why your videos are my favorites.. in the captions u mention being anal retentive, I like to call that, OCD. an I have it.. to me.. one can never be to cautious. I'm at the beginning of your video's, (I think) an my plan for today, is Binge Watching. I so enjoy your videos. I'm adopting you as my Teacher. k?
Eternabond tape is a valid option, but it will NEVER come off, even if you want it to. And Dicor is designed to stay pliable. It’s only used on the roof though, so not like the way it looks matters that much.
Caution - this video offers great counsel but if you have a rubber roof, don't do it!!! The video mentions mineral spirits compromising the glue underneath the rubber roof but I'm here to tell you the Dicor product itself compromises the glue and creates bubbles wherever it is applied. Total disaster. If you have a fiberglass roof, good to go - you couldn't find better instructions. Rubber roof? Pay someone to do it or you'll regret it.
+Nick J Hi Nick. Our first motorhome had a rubber roof, and came from the factory (we bought it new) with Dicor around the vent caps, antennas, solar panel, ladder and every other seam on the roof. And so does every other RV with a rubber roof we've ever seen or worked on. Dicor is actually the standard roof patch material used by professional techs industry-wide, and is specifically designed for EPDM & TPO roofs (commonly called "rubber" roofs). If you had separation on your roof where it was applied, there must certainly have been some other underlying problem with the glue, as Dicor would not cause any issue on an otherwise-healthy rubber roof. Sorry you had a problem (sounds like a real pain), but it wasn't the Dicor that caused it. Is it possible that some other chemical was used in conjunction with the Dicor, or that this was some kind of unusual roof material?
+RVgeeks Thanks for the response. Easy to understand that Dicor is the industry standard and easy to see that Dicor is already to used to seal all of my other vents and skylights without any bubbles. Let me explain in more detail and I think you will see this in a different light. After removing the existing Dicor and black tank plumbing vent, I observed that the roofing material was fully intact with no air bubbles. The only exception was right around the opening of black pipe, about a 1/2 inch around the opening where it appeared never to have been glued, a very small area. To be clear: there were no bubbles whatsoever and the roof was completely intact except directly around the pipe opening. I then installed the new vent (360 Siphon, at your recommendation - they look great!) and applied the Dicor over the screws and around the perimeter of the vent. I then applied Dicor as shown in the video, about 3/8" thick and about 1 1/2 inches wide. Looked just like your video when finished - the Dicor material is awesome and easy to handle. Everything looked fine. Here's the rub: I climbed back up after about and hour and could see that air bubbles had pushed up around the entire perimeter of the sealant, outside of the sealant. To the touch, I could also feel that there were air pockets underneath all of the area that the Dicor was applied; keep in mind there were no bubbles there before. I didn't panic but added another 1 inch of Dicor around the perimeter to cover up the air bubbles that had pushed up outside of the previously applied Dicor. After another hour I climbed back up to see that new air bubbles had pushed up outside of the second application of Dicor. So these bubbles are now about 4 inches away from the pipe opening and occurring in areas that were not compromised before I applied the Dicor. Its hard to argue the bubbles weren't caused by the application of the Dicor because the more I add, the more the bubbles that were never there before keep traveling. If I were to add more Dicor, the bubbles would just travel further out. An anomaly? No. The exact same thing happened on the gray tank plumbing vent. Now I'm left to figure out how to stop the bubbles from growing even larger (suggestions are welcome). I also need to replace my skylight, so it will be interesting to see if bubbles form and grow, given that SB140 is the sealant for that job. Your videos are right on the money, very instructional, and easy to watch. Wanted to make sure this isn't critical of you guys, just that Dicor clearly caused an issue for me. May be strange and weird but it happened.
+Nick J Hi Nick. Thanks for the detailed follow-up. We have honestly never heard of a phenomenon like this, so we'd suggest casting a wider net to look for an answer. We'd recommend posting the details of your situation on the user forums at iRV2. There are thousands of knowledgeable RVers there (and many techs, too) who are eager to share, and hopefully someone else has experienced the exact same thing and can provide some guidance/insight. It's free to join and post at irv2.com/forums. Best of luck figuring this out, and please let us know how you make out. You might also consider contacting your RV manufacturer for any help they might be able to provide.
+RVgeeks Update. One week has passed. The air bubbles have disappeared! This is confusing. No changes in the weather, heat, or humidity since my last post, so not sure what has transpired. I've read all the theories about air bubbles coming and going over time but I don't believe this is a run-of-the-mill occurrence. The air bubbles have not only disappeared but the rubber roof around the vents is as snug and attached as it was before installing the new vents. Is is possible the small amount of distillates contained in the Dicor temporarily moistened the roofing glue and softened and detached the roofing material, and as the Dicor cured, the roofing material shrunk back to original state and glue dried and reattached itself? This is confounding but I'm relieved. I was always a believer in Dicor but could see there was a direct cause and effect in this instance. So, to all who have read through all of this: now please ignore it, unless the same thing happens to you. And if it does, don't panic - give the Dicor time to cure. Sorry for the confusion!!!
The original screws were perfectly good, and getting covered up with Dicor anyway, so never seen. We’re hardly cheap about caring for our RV, but it’s pointless to replace perfectly good parts.
