Warranty Maintenance Requirements

[Friendsfam]

Hello - New to being a Heartland owner. Just purchased a 2022 Mallard M251bh. Was reading the maintenance schedule and it notes roof and sidewall sealants every 3 months??? Can anyone confirm that this means to reseal every 3 months? Will my warranty void if I don't?

Also, can anyone give me a run down of whay they do routinely to their unit?

 

[sengli]

First off water eats RV's. Any leak can damage your unit potentially very badly if not caught in a timely manner. This suggestion is for any brand RV, not just a heartland thing.
Basically what they are saying is you are supposed to check all the caulked/ sealed seams for any cracks or damage. Like your roofing material is warrantied for something like 10-12 years, but if the caulked seam anywhere on that roof leaks, because you didnt catch a damaged spot in a seam....your warranty is void with respect of any damage that leak will have caused.
Obviously there are a lot areas on an RV which are sealed. I go over mine with a visual inspection basically constantly. I get on the roof usually twice a year and again just look for any areas where the seams are cracked open, or are maybe a little thin. A lot people tend to think these RV's are like cars and you can just use them w/o any basic maintenance and get away with it. With the road vibration and other forces exerted on the RV, seams can fail at anytime, even if the unit is only months old.

 

[donr827]

I checked all of the seams on my trailers twice a year. Do the job thoroughly. Occasionally I would find cracks in the caulking and would repair them. Do not forget the slide outs top.

 

[Dahillbilly]

all sealants including the factory sealants do dry out/shrink over time; that's why factory says to check often. I look my over each trip from the ground & few times a year I get up on the roof & check all the seams over.

 

[taskswap]

That goes for plumbing too, especially on a new camper. They're tossing these things together just as fast as they can these days, half the time using any pair of hands who shows up at the door regardless of experience. I have an hour-long video walking through everything that was wrong with ours when we bought it last year, but even if yours is "seasoned" the old joke is every trip with an RV is like taking your house through an earthquake. Plumbing fittings can loosen, faucets can leak, etc. Even tiny seeps can cause a lot of damage over time if left to sit. As part of my winterizing process, before blowing out my lines and while there's still pressure in the system, I like to go around and quickly check all the sinks and toilet lines and drains are tight and dry to the touch. It only takes 5 minutes and I've caught issues at least three times over the past 10 years.

 

[wdk450]

In my opinion the rubber roof sealed with caulk is 50 year old roof technology. I strongly advocate a newer, one component elsatometric roof sealing system like Henrys Tropi-Cool 887, RV Roof Armor, or the like. Eternabond tape over all roof caulked joints (with an 11 year warranty) is also a big step up from caulking.

I live in the dry West, but a side benefit of the Henrys Tropi-Cool 887 coating is a 94% Infrared reflectance rating to help keep the rig cooler in the summer heat.

 

[Jim Posz]

We have had three travel trailers and four fifth wheels since 1992. The last three were Heartland.

It has become my habit to have the unit given a professional service visit once per year with emphasis on checking all the roof sealants, greasing wheel bearings and checking running gear. I also try to have a fresh tube of Dicor caulk on hand and try look for opening caulk seams on the sidewalls to be repaired as we travel. (The Alaska highway kept us busy).
Anyway, that has become our routine, and seems to be working. Also, if you should encounter a low hanging tree branch or similar object, ignorance is not bliss. Get up and check it out; waiting to see if water comes in during the next rain may not end well.
Jim