Connect Magazine

11 Keeping Roof Repair Tape on Hand Will Help Keep Your Customers on The Road By Avy Kaplan,Vice President of Operations, Cofair Products Inc There’s no greater feeling than taking off and seeing the country in an RV. Your customers know that properly maintaining an RV, keeping it clean, sealed and waxed, and with all its pieces in good working order, can help extend its life and keep them on the road and exploring the country for years. But maintenance can’t protect them from the unexpected hazards on the road. There’s no worse feeling than when they hear that impact from a low-hanging tree branch, the crack of a stone that got kicked up by the truck driving in front of them, or any of the many other sudden dangers that can pop up on the open road. Free time is valuable, and your customers know that time they spend stuck on the side of the road or in a repair shop is time lost. That’s why you provide them with repair products. Because any experienced road-warrior always plans and keeps a toolkit to help them get back on the road in an emergency. And no RV toolkit is complete without a roll of UV-stabilized RV roof repair tape. A roll of RV repair tape usually takes up about as much room as your favorite coffee mug, and it can make the difference between being on the road or not. Make sure your customers know that if they’ve been sidelined by a puncture or a tear in their roof, having this tool on hand means that they can take care of the problem themselves in no time, and can save the trip to the garage for the end of the season, instead of during their vacation time. The installation process is simple and easy. First, they just need to make sure that the repair area is clean and dry, free from grease and debris. Then just cut a length of the selfadhesive repair tape, making sure to extend the tape past any tear or puncture by at least two inches on either side, peel off the protective backing paper, and firmly press the tape into place over the damaged area of the roof. To maximize the adhesion, it’s best to go over the area with a hard spatula or hand-roller and work out any trapped air bubbles. And that’s it! They’re back on the road in no time, with a UV-stable, permanent repair for their RV roof that will last for years. RV roofs come in different designs and materials, so it only makes sense that roof repair products do the same. Most new RV roofs these days are made of TPO. If you’re only going to stock one roof-repair tape in your shop, it should be a product with a TPO facing material and a high-quality butyl or acrylic adhesive. There are still many EPDM roofs on campers out there as well, so an excellent second option is one of the available RV roof repair tapes that are bonded to a sheet of real EPDM rubber. For older roofs made of metal, there are still some repair tapes available with a sheet of real aluminum bonded to the adhesive. These products are also excellent for repairing horse trailers, toy haulers, and any other leaky metal surface your customers may be towing along with them on their trip. However, typically these aluminum-faced products have an asphaltbased adhesive which, while well suited for repairs on metal roofs, do not adhere to TPO. RV roof repair tapes commonly come in white and tan, the most popular RV colors, as well as in black for slide-outs. But more and more these days, RVs with more flashy colors are becoming available. Fortunately, clear repair tapes are also available to help fix any of the more interestingly colored RVs on the road. These new clear tapes are also perfect for cracked windows and skylights, torn awnings or cushions, and a thousand other small repairs that your customers may need from time to time to keep their home-on-wheels in good working order. Keeping an assortment of these RV repair tapes on hand, depending on the needs of the customers in your area, can really help to fill out your RV roof repair category, and keep your customers on the road instead of on the sidelines. More and more RV shops are stocking a category of repair tapes. RV roof repair tape is an excellent addition to the “welcome basket” that you include with the new RVs that you sell, is a great product recommendation to include with every repair job you do and is an ideal item to stock on your shelves. Make sure to always recommend that your customers grab a roll of it for emergencies to fill out their toolkit, and make sure that they’re prepared for anything the road can throw at them. Shop Cofair Roof Tape EDUCATIONAL TIPS

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA5Nzg2Mg==