For Gary k52, Took the family out to dinner and we purchased new toilets for our home. Getting older need ADA,higher toilets or is it too many surgeries? Something for DH to install. Posed this question to DH. Is it possible to replace a metal roof on a HiLo with a rubber roof? Keep reading over and over again a bout pinholes in the metal roofs and not realizing the dammage until you need total replacement. Does any one have a preference as to what kind of roof they would like to have on their RV. Is a rubber roof better than a metal one for longevity? When I get a spare minute I will call my trusty service advisor at our HiLo dealer and "pick his braines. The first sentence of my post should read,Took the family out to dinner after we purchased new toilets. Any thoughts on this subject?

Regarding roof replacement, J & R Enterprises can replace a metal roof with another metal roof. I checked with them 18 months ago when I thought we had finally developed a roof leak in our 1969 Hi-Lo. Turns out it wasn't the roof, just the caulk around the bathroom ceiling vent. Never considered asking them about replacing a metal roof with a rubber roof.

In most geographic areas with an urban center, RV repair businesses can be found who can replace a roof on ANY trailer. Hi-Lo roofs aren't special.

A while back, on HTF, we had a very good thread discussing the pros and cons of rubber vs. metal roofs. Would be worth the search to review. I remember there being advantages to both.

Having had a Hi-Lo with an older aluminum roof, and our current Hi-Lo with a rubber roof, my feeling is that the aluminum roof is tougher and more durable. I'll qualify that statement by saying that I kept our 1969 in the low humidity of the inland West since 1976... and I honestly don't know how long it would have held up to galvanic corrosion if it had been kept in the more humid East. After all, low humidity is the principal reason the Air Force stores all those mothballed "aluminum" airplanes at Davis-Monthan AFB in AZ. Hehe, now that my son has the 1969 Hi-Lo in the smoggy air of Riverside, CA, the roof will probably chemically dissolve in just a couple of years.

To me the rubber roof seems more fragile. Need to avoid certain types of chemicals, could be torn by a branch, supposed to clean and "treat," it periodically.... the only thing I ever did to the aluminum roof was hose the dirt off, and in a life span of 40 plus years it accumulated a number of dents and creases that never broke through. Don't think the rubber roof would have survived as well. My opinion.

Jim

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1967 17' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1967-1969)
1969 19' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1969-2011)
2004 27' Hi-Lo TowLite (2010-present)
2015 Chevy Tahoe LTZ

I wonder in the later years if the metal roof was as good as your 69. Our Rubber roof has held up just fine .It was only after owning it for ten yrs. that we finaly had to prime it and recoat the roof. It made it look brand new. The previous owner must have done battle with a tree branch. He had the roof repaired at our HiLo dealer and it has held up all these years. I had in mind our DIY members who need to do roof replacement/repairs. Mark polk on Rv education 101 put on a rubber roof on a !(67 Yellowstone trailer that he totaly restored. Check out his 10 part series on the internet.I is free and he ended up winning an award for his series.

Hi Sam,

You may be right about the quality of the older aluminum roof. No easy way to check, but it does generally seem that over the years, lighter, thinner and less material is being used in many applications for a number of reasons.

I'm heartened to read that you've had good durability and longevity with your rubber roof! Hope we do to!

Jim

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1967 17' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1967-1969)
1969 19' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1969-2011)
2004 27' Hi-Lo TowLite (2010-present)
2015 Chevy Tahoe LTZ

Just saying, we have kept our unit outside uncovered for the eleven years we have owned. So far so good. A cover would be $650.00 ouch.!!!