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Old 07-13-2018, 07:58 AM   #1
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Angry Forest River Forester Class C

Hate to post bad news, but.......2016 Forest River Forester Class C 31' motorhome purchased new in 2016. Only has 3700 miles on it. Was on a storage lot in the mountains. Went to check on it and get it ready to roll for a summer vacation and found water running down the passenger side past the door. Went inside and found water damage in the bunk ceiling and on the bunk bottom and mattress. Sagging ceiling. Husband went up top and couldn't find anything wrong. No limbs or anything were found. Took it to dealership where purchased and they won't cover costs to fix. Said leaking at seam on over cab. Contacted insurance company and they went and inspected (didn't climb on roof-just looked at dealer pics). Won't cover. We had lots of rain in Georgia over the winter/spring. Our hearts are broken over this issue. Anyone else have one of these units and had the same problem? Thanks!
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Old 07-13-2018, 01:29 PM   #2
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That is bad news. Unfortunately, it happens way too often and is very preventable. This is your first post in years. There is so much information on the subject that could haved saved you heartache, frustrtration and lots of money. On the positive side, your damage does not sound like it is terminal. My first suggestion is to fix the leak. Ready to roll up your sleves and get it fixed? Lots of help is available.
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Old 07-15-2018, 10:08 AM   #3
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Where would I find information on this subject? Thanks.
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Old 07-15-2018, 10:40 AM   #4
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We’re here to help others help themselves but it takes a little time.

You can use the “search” box in the upper right corner to pose your questions and concerns.
You can review entries under the proper forum to narrow your information gathering.


RVs need a little attention to stay ahead of things that can be very costly if you don’t stay on top. You can’t just put them away and assume things will stay unchanged. Do you think you could leave your car, house or any other entities untouched and not expect troubles.

We’ll help....but you need to help us. If you don’t have your signature including your rig, we need to know the make, model, year, appliance brand, whatever you can provide. And......pictures always work best for us to see.
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Old 07-15-2018, 01:46 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dumboatt2 View Post
Where would I find information on this subject? Thanks.
It just so happens that Hoglou started a thread What would I now do on day one. The thread is in the Sunseeker Section which is almost the same as Forester but without some bells n whistles. Hoglou begins with putting Eternabond tape on all the seems. Had the OP done that, it is unlikely we would be having this conversation.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1835465

Searching “roof leak” in the General Tech and Repair - Exterior Maintenance section yielded 496 threads.

Or you can start a new thread in the appropriate section following the sage advice that Ken just gave. There are a lot of folks with subject matter expertiese and some out of the box thinkers that can and will help you with whatever you want to try.

Safe Travels,
Ducky


Edit: I found the missing “e” from post #2.
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Old 07-15-2018, 08:25 PM   #6
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call the factory Coachman is going to fix my leak
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Old 07-16-2018, 08:16 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patsylou2 View Post
Hate to post bad news, but.......2016 Forest River Forester Class C 31' motorhome purchased new in 2016. Only has 3700 miles on it. Was on a storage lot in the mountains. Went to check on it and get it ready to roll for a summer vacation and found water running down the passenger side past the door. Went inside and found water damage in the bunk ceiling and on the bunk bottom and mattress. Sagging ceiling. Husband went up top and couldn't find anything wrong. No limbs or anything were found. Took it to dealership where purchased and they won't cover costs to fix. Said leaking at seam on over cab. Contacted insurance company and they went and inspected (didn't climb on roof-just looked at dealer pics). Won't cover. We had lots of rain in Georgia over the winter/spring. Our hearts are broken over this issue. Anyone else have one of these units and had the same problem? Thanks!
What excuse is the Ins. Co using ???
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Old 07-16-2018, 08:32 AM   #8
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WoW, what the hell is insurance for then? You pay all that money and then need them to just say no. Check your policy and I am going to do the same. I went thru Good Sam, not sure who the company is though. Going to check on this tonight.
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Old 07-16-2018, 08:39 AM   #9
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I had a sailing boat at a slip in a lake for 8 years and what I learned is that leaking is not a question of IF but a question of WHEN it will leak.
Even well built units (boats or RVs) will leak given enough time.
To make things worst, It will almost always start leaking when you are not using so when you find out, the damage will not be small...
I learned that with my boat and that is the reason I have a cover for my unit and strongly recommend to use a cover if the place where you store your unit is not covered.
Every other year roof inspection can help to catch / prevent leaking but leave the unit on the open for months without a cover is a recipe for disaster.
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Old 07-16-2018, 09:46 AM   #10
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[QUOTE=Duckogram;1871020]It just so happens that Hoglou started a thread What would I now do on day one. The thread is in the Sunseeker Section which is almost the same as Forester but without some bells n whistles. Hoglou begins with putting Eternabond tape on all the seems. Had the OP done that, it is unlikely we would be having this conversation.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1835465

I looked at this post. My question is if you use the tape(many to choose from), do you need to put sealant on the edges?

Thanks
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Old 07-16-2018, 10:06 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Philkaty View Post
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1835465

I looked at this post. My question is if you use the tape(many to choose from), do you need to put sealant on the edges?

Thanks
Dicor does recommend that you do.
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Old 07-16-2018, 08:57 PM   #12
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Forester 3011DS Leaked

Our Forester leaked while in storage in the bedroom area. Fortunately for us it was still under warranty. The entire ceiling had to be replaced. Forest River sent it to an independent dealer that specializes in interior repairs. I took it back to Camping World but they couldn’t fix it. We bought the MH in June 2015. We noticed the leak in August and never got to use it until November. We also had a leak because the A/C was installed improperly and in August of 2016 they replaced the ceiling in the Dining room/ kitchen area at a contractor in Elkhart, IN, again under warranty. Since then no problems but whenever it rains we get nervous. We are sorry your problems happened after the warranty period.
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Old 07-16-2018, 09:06 PM   #13
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WoW, what the hell is insurance for then? You pay all that money and then need them to just say no. Check your policy and I am going to do the same. I went thru Good Sam, not sure who the company is though. Going to check on this tonight.
Insurance will rarely pay for water damage due to neglect of maintenance. Doesn't matter whether it's a house, auto, or RV.
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Old 07-17-2018, 07:16 AM   #14
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Be careful not to build a damm,,, to where the water has no way to run away from the skylight !!! If you are using sealant,,, it may take a large amount to slop it away from skylight !!!
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Old 07-17-2018, 10:10 AM   #15
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It has been quite a few days since the OP posted the tale of woe. Since the OP has been active since then and posted the same story elsewhere, I must assume that the OP is only interested in the story and not the solution. i.e. this is a dead thread.
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Old 07-17-2018, 10:27 PM   #16
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Checking the roof and all seams on any RV is mandatory at least every 4 - 6 months, unless it is covered for an extended period of time. Even then one should check the cover to make sure it has not blown free and received damage over the winter. We check our vehicles on a regular basis and an RV being checked over is even more critical.
There is a lot of talk about eterna bond tape. Even this is not bullet proof and has to be checked all the time on a regular basis, for lifting or any movement.
RVs are flexing all the time.


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Old 07-18-2018, 07:24 PM   #17
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frequent checks

Really sorry to hear about the roof.

Two choices, have roof aromor installed or get on the roof. When I no longer feel that I can get up there I will go with the first choice.

Until then I use tape over all of the perimeter seams, including the cap seam on the front. We dicor all cracked or chipped dircor each year on vents, antennas, and satt. Some may disagree but putting tape over dicor is a non issue. Always have exterior vent covers over all vents.

The tape may pucker after a while once installed, but it is one of the most sticky things on earth and water has a tough time violating the seal. And if it is too warm out it is messy.

In prep order two tubes each of leveling and non leveling dicor. Two cheap caulk guns simplifies things.

Then pick a nice day and go up with a camera/ phone, a spray bottle of simple green or orange, a few rags, a screwdriver/razor knife, hat, a cool beverage, and just sit for an hour. Really an hour, you will see and learn alot. Don't be afraid to cut and pry around loose dicor.

I throw a rope over the roof with a bucket on the end and put a call into DW when I need something. I would trust few with this task, and most RV centers would not qualify in my book...
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Old 07-18-2018, 08:05 PM   #18
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Lots of info andd help here

We have owned two previous Forest River products. Class C Sunseeker and a Palomino TT. Purchased brand knew 2018 Crusader RV. Took Hoglou advice and Eternabond the seams. We have had no issues prior, however, we don't want any issues. The women and men on this forum are awesome. They are willing to share their info and offer advice. We have turned to this group more than once and have found them to be helpful. Good luck and get it repaired.
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Old 07-30-2018, 05:41 PM   #19
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Update on Roof Leak

Well, here is an update on my previous post. The dealer gave an outrageous quote for labor, not including parts. So we picked it up from them (which, by the way; they had it out in the open and of course it had rained since we took it to them several weeks before!!!) The second quote was a LOT less than their quote. Our insurance company was contacted again as the new repair person said it looked like something had hit the roof. Their first adjuster had not gone on the roof; only looked at pics that the dealer had given him. So I called the insurance company and asked them to send someone else out to the new repair place. They were in contact and the insurance company reversed and will honor the claim. Of course, we have a deductible, but at least we are not out big bucks. I would still like the manufacturer to pay, but probably a no go. Happier now than before. Will definitely check on the roof several times a year from now on. Thanks for all your information on this issue!!!
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Old 07-30-2018, 05:47 PM   #20
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Well that sure is good news. Thanks for the update.
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