Roof cracks

[4Gcampers]

Well, I was washing the roof on my 2014 2900 and discovered a void in the caulking where the front cap meets the roof. I was able to squeeze some water out. More alarming, I noticed little micro Cracks in the fiberglass roof all the way down along the seam to back of the coach. They are small, spider web cracks about 2-4 inches from the sidewall. I contacted dealer today and they will take pictures and recaulk the end cap Fri. Anyone else with same issue? Hoping that a roof replacement is not needed on a brand new coach.

[Geri]

No cracks that we've noticed, but crummy sealing around roof and other spots on RV big time. Good luck

[BigJohnD]

I really hate hearing this. I'm just about sick and tired of hearing about the almighty fiberglass roof. Its one of several manufacturers selling points, yet I think I'd rather deal with black streaks and epdm. Granted, I haven't had my fiberglass roof crack, yet, but its possible. Been reading the same thing over on the Georgetown threads. Some of those or horrible. I'd be interested to see what the outcome is.

[4Gcampers]

Yes, it's disturbing to happen on a brand new home. You may want to take a close look along the perimeter of your roof. It's the only place I've noticed it, but the more I look, the more I find. At least I keep mine under a carport, out of rain and sun. If the fix is similar to my many other repairs on this coach, the fix will be LOTS of caulk. Seems that how my dealer fixes everything. They say "this is what is authorized by FR".

My wife and I are strongly considering trading it in and taking a huge loss when we return from a trip out west to the Grand Canyon next week. We have just had too many problems, mostly minor, some not. We have made two payments on our coach, and have been really looking forward to this upcoming trip. After that, we won't have any reason to keep paying on a coach that's got way too many issues. I've enjoyed reading posts on this forum, but have spent more hours trying to find resolve to fixes rather than camping

[4Gcampers]

And as a follow up to anyone out there: does anyone have any contact information for customer relations or warranty service at Forest River? I would prefer to contact FR directly rather than going through the dealer. Thank you!

[bclemens]

PM sent.

[colestat]

Originally Posted by bclemens

PM sent.

Thank you bclemens - I hope FR can help 4GCampers!!!

[4Gcampers]

Well, dealer saw the cracks in the roof today. They were very helpful. I'll try to post pics. They sent FR warranty dept. all the details. They reviewed and the fix is....eternabond strips along the sidewalls. Con- dealer says once I do that my resale value goes down the toilet. For now, we'll live with the cracked roof for our long trip and start shopping around before we get any more visible damage. Maybe our salesperson was right, she said we would trade in within 6 months to get something bigger! Ha! Not what I had in mind...

[BigJohnD]

Kind of ticks me off FR said eternabond. Does nothing but put a bandaid on it. I hate it for the next owner. Nothing against the dealer, but if you get the right people and push the right buttons at FR, you'd have a brand new roof.

[BigJohnD]

Hit the submit button to quick. There were a few being replaced on georgetowns while I was up there. Similar reasons, brand new roofs installed, under warranty. I like FR, but shame on them for even going there on a brand new motorhome. That decision by them just put a dent in my decent opinion of them.

[4Gcampers]

I was disappointed too. Although, the thought of parting with our unit for weeks to get a roof isn't appealing either.. There isn't really a good outcome to be had. I'm trying to put things in perspective, and not fight over a motorhome. We chose FR, nobody forced us. We'll do some searching for a replacement, but as for us, Forest River products will not be a choice.

[BigJohnD]

I understand. We were in a similar boat with the tiffin. Although the biggest reason for getting rid of it after 7 months was to get in a class c, the problems we had did push our buttons. Had a warped floor that couldn't be fixed without a complete MH replacement, slide roof changed, slide seals, dinette, and was scheduled for a new door when we sold. All that and to top it off, the 2012 fiberglass roofs were "new and improved" due to lots of cracks from 2007 to 2011. just read the other day where the 2012's were cracking too. Glad its gone. Having come from 4 relatively problem free units prior to that one, it just about put me over the edge. We've had a shade better luck with this one, however the one problem that can't be fixed on this one, is the wall cut out for the slide isn't square and the side walls are literally leaning a shade to the passenger side. Both these issues were part of the leaks we had. Things have been adjusted and nothing leaks now, but it is aggravating looking at the MH from the rear and seeing something just doesn't look right. FR did well considering what they were working with, but service center agreed walls were out of whack. In a nutshell, I feel your pain. I'll never own another RV with a fiberglass roof. Just my choice. It's gotta flex a lot, and few manf. have succeeded in making a problem free fiberglass roof. Rubber is proven, cheap to fix, cheap to replace etc. compared to the glass. I'll take the black streaks any day.

[bodzcampers]

Geez oh Petes...all I can say is Scarey!!!

[mwebber78]

Eternabond as a fix will work, but would NOT be acceptable given the material installed is defective. Contact the warranty folks (who I've always had good luck with) and suggest an off-season trip to the factory for repair. Why allow your resale to be affected?

[Garrette]

You guys are scaring the begeebees out of me. I love the coach and the best part was the roof. I hope Bclemons commits in this one. I have not checked my roof but I will.

[bclemens]

I've been reading but not commenting until I can ask a few questions and ive been traveling to shows. I would not panic. I've had fiberglass roofs in the field for about 6 years. This is the first time I've heard of something like this. 300 in a rental fleet that are always parked outside. Not a single issue. Before we let the sky crush our heads, let me do a little digging.

[Garrette]

Thank you. BClemons. I await your digging. Hey guys, on the current trip to Charleston, Sc, got 9.8mpg. Been trying to figure what the DW offloaded.

[4Gcampers]

Bclemens, I was going to say the same thing. Garrette, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I imagine that 99.5 percent if the units have no issue with the roofs, other than the Georgetown units that were identified. I was also impressed with the fiberglass roofs the Sunseekers had until my issue. The laminate seems really thin, so it doesn't seem to take much to crack it. I heard it crunching when the techs were up looking at it. Bclemens is always on here to help others, but we can't expect him to handle all of our issues. He's helped me with issues in the past.

I'm certainly aware that all mfg. have certain issues that come up. What really sets a company apart from others is how they handle an isolated issue like mine. The FR warranty mgt. is aware of the problem, identified it was an issue and our dealership is awaiting written confirmation of the decision to not make any major repairs. Unfortuneately, in my case the fix costs the consumer either way. I could write letters, file a complaint with the bbb, or kick and scream until they offered to replace the roof, or throw some Eternabond on it and pay for it when we sell. I guess I was looking for someone from the company to reach out to me and explain the issue, and how they would take care it since it is BRAND NEW. Years ago, I bought a Chevy truck. somehow a glitch occurred in the mfg. process with how the weld on door was done. You know how they fixed it? I didnt even ask and they called me to inform me they ordered a brand new truck for me to switch out with. Impressive huh? The issue to me, Even a roof replacement would cost me over $1500 in fuel and hotels. In addition, I still have so many other issues that have not been covered under warranty such as holes and cracks in the exterior gelcoat that I have just filled in with caulk. My unit just seemed to be the one that had more issues, and I'm frankly tired of dealing with it, and joy of ownership is long gone. At this point, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our new coach will take in on our long awaited journey to the Grand Canyon, then I can try to talk my wife into thy airstream trailer I always wanted! She's not as keen on the idea as I am! Lol.

[Garrette]

I am not really worried. Our Sunseeker is all we could ask for . The issues have been extremely minor compared to some.
After reading this blog, I went a lookin. Rvroof.com looks like a probable solution if ever needed, or go to my local spray in bedliner folks.
Wish you the best with your problem and hope you have a favorable outcome.

[4Gcampers]

It's funny you mention the spray in bedliner. Coulda you imagine how rock solid these roofs would be with line X? I wonder if that comes in polar white? Lol. I'm glad you're having fun with yours and problem free.