Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-29-2016, 03:39 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
RVnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
How concerned should I be

The sun was hitting the roof just right above driver side window to where I noticed this crease.. I guess I should report it to my factory rep?? It is not cracked thru just a crease for now.. I really dont want a big ugly patch on it and over here in Montana there is no one I would trust..
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_1726.jpg
Views:	387
Size:	304.7 KB
ID:	115743  
__________________
364 Georgetown 2016
in Montana
RVnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2016, 04:13 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
chrisbailey13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 514
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVnut View Post
The sun was hitting the roof just right above driver side window to where I noticed this crease.. I guess I should report it to my factory rep?? It is not cracked thru just a crease for now.. I really dont want a big ugly patch on it and over here in Montana there is no one I would trust..
I was very concerned about that when I first noticed it on my coach...Then the other day I was at the dealership where they had 6-8 Georgetowns.....they ALL had those creases in the roof. Now I wonder if it is just a manufacturing variance that causes it.
__________________
2014 Georgetown XL 352QS
2013-2019 Days Camped-502
chrisbailey13 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2016, 05:46 PM   #3
RJJ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 218
Had mine fixed under warranty. They put aluminum radius caps the length of both sides. Many have had the issue, some have repaired it and some are just monitoring it. Mine was pulling away from the front and rear caps and had to reseal the caps twice in about 8 months. Too much maintenance and worry, so I opted for the fix.



2015 Georgetown 329DS
2014 Chevy Equinox
RJJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 12:14 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 231
Mine is in the shop as we speak for this repair. About 2 weeks for them to ship the radius cap so be prepared to wait once they order. Had some cracking on one side due to warping.

Also having them fix king bed slide as they have instruction sets on how to fix that as well. My large slide on the driver side bottom corners were pulling off as well so check those.

Fixing my leaking middle shower door that wasn't caulked well and a crack in the fiberglass on that one and a couple more minor things.
JLud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 01:29 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Hotsprings, Ar
Posts: 210
My dealer has ordered the radius caps from FR and will install in September, this is covered under the one year warranty.
__________________
2016 Georgetown 328ts
2015 Fiat 500 Toad
db7512 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 02:07 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Marion, LA
Posts: 220
FYI. I went to buy a Georgetown last month. Didn't. That's another post. Did notice almost ALL the FR's on the site had similar, or more severe wrinkles at the engine nose cap. Had the dealer contact GT to have repair BEFORE PURCHASE. Turns out this is a KNOWN PROBLEM and they have a kit and instructions ready to go to the dealer whenever we protest. The fix is a radius piece, think of it as a 14" diameter black plastic pipe quarter round that caps the roof eave radius for the length of the coach (about 3 sections per side). Bottom lip tucks under the gutter and top screws to the roof with a seam cap strip. (Salesman gave me a copy of the FR installation instructions.)

Good part is that it probably works. Bad part is that you now have a full coach length roof top seam on each side of the roof to maintain, and if you do get a leak you will not be able to tell how far it runs from beneath the added radius piece. My decision was to select the least wrinkled roof coach, document the wrinkles to preserve warranty and wait until the fix is required, as the fix might give more problems than the wrinkles. Then a faulty blackwater tank killed the whole issue!
RubberNail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 07:32 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 160
Welcome to the "club". The crease club that is. Mine is in the shop for that and a few other issues right now. Dealer has given me the prognosis yet for the creasing but we need it back soon for our next trip. If they need to install the radius caps, I'll probably wait until the end of the season to let them have it for a while to take care of it. Overall we've had a great experience so far with our 364. Only Minor issues in first 6 months. Hopefully no major issues develop. My dealer (Alpin Haus) actually offers a free lifetime warranty covering many of the appliances and systems on the coach (but not the roof). It's within the 1 year FR warranty period so hopefully the roof issue will be squared away without any issues....
Melvinson404 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 08:36 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 231
Good news is with all these being a known problem it helps them to stand behind them even past the warranty. I know if I have problems with the fix you can bet I will fight as hard as I can even a few years down the road...heck one piece FG roof is a feature that was used for selection.

I don't understand why they don't fix....warrant has to be costing them 2k per unit to fix at least....why not get it right out of the factory. It's a known defect and a known issue....why spend more later on to fix at your customers inconvenience?
JLud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2016, 09:29 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Marion, LA
Posts: 220
I saw a LOT of units on the mid-Florida dealer's lot with this problem. Virtually ALL the FR Class A's. It seemed to get worse on the darker roofs, black being the worst, champagne not so bad. I've seen Challenger and Allegro fiberglass roofs with a year of southern sun and no such issues. As for cost, probably not all that much. As I read the procedure, maybe a half a day for 2 guys putting on some plastic radius pieces and caulking. Main problem I see with this is that you no longer have a seam free roof and a major selling point of the fiberglass roof is gone.
RubberNail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2016, 08:45 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
BillMFl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 498
My 2012 360 came with aluminum radius caps when new. Didn't know about this issue then, but now I assume that a problem was caught at the factory and the caps were added then. The only roof leak I have had was caused by a bad roof seal on the front ac. There are some small "wrinkles" near the rear corner of the flat roof that I consider only cosmetic and have not caused a problem as yet (this is my 5th camping season).I do inspect it now and then. A wrinkle on a radius will be under more stress than a flat area and more likely to crack. My personal opinion is the fiberglass layer used by FR is too thin because it needs to be flexible enough to make the radius bend. Having worked with fiberglass materials in boats, a sturdy fg product is too stiff to make a radius bend unless it is laid up dry before resin is applied. The thin fg sheets being used by FR are low in resin content to allow flexibility but at the expense of durability. Rubber RV roofs are durable and flexible but are easily punctured. A falling sharp ended tree branch punctured the rubber roof of my Montana 5th wheel RV I owned before buying my Georgetown. I do think the fg roof system offers advantages especially as the years go by, but I think FR should be using radius caps on every MH they manufacture. I did not climb up on the roof of my MH during purchase. I will if I ever buy another new coach. I have had good luck and very few problems with my GT. The worst issue is the "pleather" peeling and cracking.
BillMFl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2016, 09:59 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
RVnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
Now I noticed there is a wrinkle in the opposite back corner.. How can they put out stuff like this without fixing the problem
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_1734.jpg
Views:	207
Size:	212.2 KB
ID:	116088  
__________________
364 Georgetown 2016
in Montana
RVnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2016, 10:04 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 353
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVnut View Post
Now I noticed there is a wrinkle in the opposite back corner.. How can they put out stuff like this without fixing the problem
It's called "Piece work" an da fewer pieces u do in an hour, da less uz make.
ShermanD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2016, 12:44 PM   #13
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 59
So what are you going to do RVNut sounds like the fix is possibly going to cause problems? Can you have it documented an repaired beyond the warranty period if you do so or will FR make you take their fix now? Disappointing to say the least.
RVCrazy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2016, 02:11 PM   #14
RJJ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 218
Quote:
Originally Posted by BillMFl View Post
My 2012 360 came with aluminum radius caps when new. Didn't know about this issue then, but now I assume that a problem was caught at the factory and the caps were added then. The only roof leak I have had was caused by a bad roof seal on the front ac. There are some small "wrinkles" near the rear corner of the flat roof that I consider only cosmetic and have not caused a problem as yet (this is my 5th camping season).I do inspect it now and then. A wrinkle on a radius will be under more stress than a flat area and more likely to crack. My personal opinion is the fiberglass layer used by FR is too thin because it needs to be flexible enough to make the radius bend. Having worked with fiberglass materials in boats, a sturdy fg product is too stiff to make a radius bend unless it is laid up dry before resin is applied. The thin fg sheets being used by FR are low in resin content to allow flexibility but at the expense of durability. Rubber RV roofs are durable and flexible but are easily punctured. A falling sharp ended tree branch punctured the rubber roof of my Montana 5th wheel RV I owned before buying my Georgetown. I do think the fg roof system offers advantages especially as the years go by, but I think FR should be using radius caps on every MH they manufacture. I did not climb up on the roof of my MH during purchase. I will if I ever buy another new coach. I have had good luck and very few problems with my GT. The worst issue is the "pleather" peeling and cracking.

When I talked to Travis about my roof issue, he explained that the full fiberglass radius roof had only been out a couple years and they have been having this problem. The "fix" was to add the radius caps, this is how all the roofs on Georgetowns were done in the past. Sounds like your model year was just before the change.


2015 Georgetown 329DS
2014 Chevy Equinox
RJJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2016, 02:16 PM   #15
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 14
Fixing it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RVnut View Post
Now I noticed there is a wrinkle in the opposite back corner.. How can they put out stuff like this without fixing the problem
1...they don't care...NO QC

2...they hope you don't see it!
lars36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 04:30 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
RVnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
Quote:
Originally Posted by RJJ View Post
When I talked to Travis about my roof issue, he explained that the full fiberglass radius roof had only been out a couple years and they have been having this problem. The "fix" was to add the radius caps, this is how all the roofs on Georgetowns were done in the past. Sounds like your model year was just before the change.


2015 Georgetown 329DS
2014 Chevy Equinox
Our unit was made in October 2015 so I think that is a pretty new unit to me
__________________
364 Georgetown 2016
in Montana
RVnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 06:07 PM   #17
RJJ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 218
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVnut View Post
Our unit was made in October 2015 so I think that is a pretty new unit to me

Same as mine RVnut, but my post was to the fellow Georgetown owner I quoted in my response. Think his was a 2012. Sorry if there was any confusion.
RJJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 08:15 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Steeljag's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central, Fl.
Posts: 1,330
Wife and I have been looking at the GT 335DS. Did not like the inverter only supplies power to the fridge, and did not like the satellite "pre-wiring" starts on the roof and ends three feet away, in the front overhead cabinet, and no where near the TV.

And now these wrinkled roof issues ??

Hard to get excited about a new vehicle purchase with these type issues !
__________________
2018 Forester 3011DS (Purchased 04/26/17)
2010 Flagstaff 26 RLSS (Sold 05/16)
2012 Ford F-150 Ecoboost, Screw, H/D, 3.73
1930 lbs CCC
2014 Jeep Rubicon JK
Going where the weather suits my clothes.
Steeljag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 08:57 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Krazymace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sunriver, Oregon
Posts: 502
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisbailey13 View Post
I was very concerned about that when I first noticed it on my coach...Then the other day I was at the dealership where they had 6-8 Georgetowns.....they ALL had those creases in the roof. Now I wonder if it is just a manufacturing variance that causes it.

I think that's exactly what it is. Mine has one.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
Krazymace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 08:59 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Krazymace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sunriver, Oregon
Posts: 502
Quote:
Originally Posted by steeljag View Post
Wife and

Hard to get excited about a new vehicle purchase with these type issues !

I'm on my 6th RV. Trust me, they all have had issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
Krazymace is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:28 PM.