Body, Roof & Weatherproofing
What is a Roof Seam Sealant?
The unglamorous stuff that quietly stops your van's biggest cause of expensive damage: water ingress.
Simplified animation — not to scale.
In plain English
Every roof fitting — vents, aerials, solar panels, seams between panels — is sealed with a flexible sealant (often Sikaflex or similar). It's the single most important preventative job on any motorhome or campervan.
How it works
A flexible polyurethane or polymer sealant bonds to the roof and fitting, moving with the vehicle's flex without cracking — for a while. UV exposure and time eventually cause it to shrink, crack, or lift.
Signs of trouble
- ⚠Visible cracking or lifting of sealant around any roof fitting
- ⚠Any sign of damp or staining on interior ceilings or walls
- ⚠It's simply been more than 12 months since it was last checked — this is a 'little and often' job, not a wait-for-a-leak one
Rough UK cost
A DIY re-seal costs the price of a tube of sealant (£10–£20); a professional roof survey and reseal runs £150 – £400.
Ballpark only — depends on your van, converter and local labour rates.
Heads up: CamperAutonomy is for general guidance only. Anything gas-related must be signed off by a Gas Safe engineer with LPG endorsement.