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Old 06-04-2018, 02:36 PM   #1
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To sand or not to sand - pre TropiCool?

just started a skoolie build on a 97 international and trying to determine a few things in regard to sealing the roof.
1. Should i sand the top of the bus before applying?
2. Not sure if the bus leaks, but the floor had a lot of surface rust. Should I do something on the seams on top to seal them first, or with the TCool handle that?
3. I plan to eventually swap out emergencies with skylights, is there much difference between doing that now vs waiting on it, not completely sure what skylights i want, might DIY?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

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Old 06-04-2018, 03:43 PM   #2
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Sanding gives the finish a "tooth" for the new paint to grab onto, so yes, you should sand before painting.
Are you insulting the ceiling? If so and the ceiling has been removed, spray water over the bus to find leaks and use a good sealer to seal, don't rely on paint to seal them. If you are building a skoolie it is important to start with a solid foundation, which means removing the existing wood subfloor and inspecting and repairing any rust and sealing the floor before progressing.

Once the hatch is removed you can seal and pop rivet a piece of Lexan (polycarbonate, NOT plexi) over the hole, simple skylight. I plan on doing that and then adding a vent/fan in the middle of it.
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Old 06-04-2018, 04:16 PM   #3
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Thanks,

Just asking because some of the videos I seen, seemed like people were sanding the sides of the bus when applying regular paint, but not sanding roof when they were applying the silicon paint.

I have removed the ply, ground surface rust, and treated the floor with corroseal, and am in the process of removing the ceiling and walls. Also plan to pain the floor and in the next couple of days and seal the holes with pennies/polyurethane adhesive.
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Old 06-05-2018, 06:44 AM   #4
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I sanded the entire roof with a pole sander attachment

Then I seam sealed every rivet, seam and bolt with self leveling stuff

Then I painted the roof

Haven’t finished yet but I am going to apply several coats on the roof

After the sealing and first roof coating I got zero leaks following several rounds of severe rain storms (3-4” in a partial day) and so we spray foam insulated the roof
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Old 06-05-2018, 07:00 AM   #5
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...Are you insulting the ceiling?...
I've always been very nice to my ceiling.
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Old 06-05-2018, 09:32 AM   #6
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Thanks, Gulley, think i will do the same. What self leveling sealant did you use?
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Old 06-05-2018, 09:36 AM   #7
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To sand or not to sand - pre TropiCool?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MambaJack View Post
Thanks, Gulley, think i will do the same. What self leveling sealant did you use?


Https://amzn.to/2xHyKAD

I used 3-4 tubes on the whole bus

That link is for 4 tubes
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Old 06-05-2018, 10:04 AM   #8
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Thanks for the link! I was looking at that brand but the cost i saw was like 13 per tube. This is a much better deal
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Old 06-06-2018, 02:41 PM   #9
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Thanks for the link! I was looking at that brand but the cost i saw was like 13 per tube. This is a much better deal
You bet Dicor is spendy, but nowhere near as much as the results of a leak!

I can point you to at least 3 Class C RVs, 2 or 3 Travel trailers, and one skoolie that are utterly destroyed because of leaks...
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Old 06-06-2018, 02:42 PM   #10
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You bet Dicor is spendy, but nowhere near as much as the results of a leak!

I can point you to at least 3 Class C RVs, 2 or 3 Travel trailers, and one skoolie that are utterly destroyed because of leaks...
I use dicor for the roof vents and seam sealer for the seams.
Dicor is awesome stuff.
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Old 06-07-2018, 08:48 AM   #11
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I used Tropicool and gave up sanding the roof about 1/4 of the way through it. I power-washed the roof instead and called it a day. I see no difference between the areas I sanded and the areas I did not....

I find it odd to "seal" stuff on the roof before applying Tropicool. Tropicool is silicone, and given enough coats will seal the roof itself. I did one coat, then was interrupted by weather all the way into the winter... the one coat itself covers all the seams, screws and rivets, but I can still see some of the original color coming through.

I had leaks, but those were in the windows. Post removing the windows, its bone dry in the entire bus.

I'm going to power wash the roof again and then do three more coats.
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Old 06-07-2018, 09:27 AM   #12
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We sanded the roof two days ago, tsp washed it, then rolled on the tropicool yesterday. All went well.
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Old 05-30-2020, 01:20 PM   #13
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Could you give an update on your Tropi-Cool Ŕoof coating now that it’s almost 2 years later, please?
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Old 05-30-2020, 01:20 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by kazetsukai View Post
I used Tropicool and gave up sanding the roof about 1/4 of the way through it. I power-washed the roof instead and called it a day. I see no difference between the areas I sanded and the areas I did not....

I find it odd to "seal" stuff on the roof before applying Tropicool. Tropicool is silicone, and given enough coats will seal the roof itself. I did one coat, then was interrupted by weather all the way into the winter... the one coat itself covers all the seams, screws and rivets, but I can still see some of the original color coming through.

I had leaks, but those were in the windows. Post removing the windows, its bone dry in the entire bus.

I'm going to power wash the roof again and then do three more coats.
Could you give an update on your Tropi-Cool Ŕoof coating now that it’s almost 2 years later, please?
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Old 05-30-2020, 02:14 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maggie’nMick View Post
Could you give an update on your Tropi-Cool Ŕoof coating now that it’s almost 2 years later, please?
It doesn't look pretty, as it is rubber and some bits get into it over time. Its still white, so it hasn't yellowed on me or anything. I'd probably add another coat some time down the road to fill in the areas that have been scratched but that's about it.



The whole bus being white has helped with keeping it cool, prior to this stuff it was an oven in here and the roof metal was too hot to touch on the inside. After, its cool to the touch.



Its not magic, but it is a good product IMO.
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