Roof repair

[kinzoo]

2011 36 RE, Roof torn front left side.
Does anyone know if the factory does out of warranty repairs???

I believe some wood has to be replaced and possibly a new rubber roof.
Also some possible damage under the front cap where water has gotten in.

A current factory name & phone number would be helpful also...

Thank you

[birdman77]

Sorry I have no clue where you should turn but would be interested in the story of how it came to look like that.

[keith52]

I don't believe the factory does any non-warranty work. You might check with your local rv dealership for repairs.

[kenh]

I looked into paying to have a TPE roof replaced and some wood repaired some years ago. I got numbers like $2600, $3300. I was at one dealer where they were replacing a roof and a lot of rotted wood behind the cap. I asked the guy how much that was going to cost and he said they had blown past $5000 and it wasn't finished. So, I went back to the DIY method.

If the wood is sound enough to keep the seams together and glue the rubber back down on the wood, you might be able to fix this with Eternabond tape.

I fixed some pretty bad leaks with this product. I once repaired a serious tear caused by a low hanging limb. It was a lot more ragged than your tear. Then and now I keep an Eternabond 'repair kit' in my trailer. I like the 6" white TPE and I use a lot of the 'double-stick' which does not have the TPE backer.

I now use Eternabond proactively at the seams at the roof rubber and the fiberglass cap. With good surface preparation it is about as good as the original roof.

it's not cheap and it takes a bit of practice to learn to work with this sticky stuff but I've found nothing better for roof repair and prevention. You need the Teflon scissors and a roller to activate the adhesive, maybe $40 in tooling.

They all leak at the seam between the cap and roof rubber. That's why I proactively lay down a 6" strip of Eternabond at those seams before it leaks.

Without knowing the condition of your wood it would be impossible to say for certain you might get away with a little new wood decking and Eternabond tape. But it's possible. If the wood will hold the screws it might work.

I had one trailer that had some soft spots but I was able to Eternabond tape over the area where it leaked under a luggage rack and never had another problem. It was just a little bit of a soft spot but as I said it never leaked.

I have also cutover from Dicor to the Eternacaulk. Stays cleaner and is more flexible. Price is about the same.

When I first began using the product I had some questions. These folks were helpful and know a lot about the materials we are dealing with on these trailers.
EternaBond


I know from personal experience how it feels to have serious roof leak or decaying wood. If you can get by without removing the cap, it might not be too difficult to fix. I hope you get it worked out.

Good luck.

Ken

[Joe_GA]

Hey Ken, I too use Eternabond tape for preventative measures. It is great stuff! I went to their WEB site to see about Eternacaulk. They don't say if it is self leveling or not. How is it to work?

[wls]

Originally Posted by Joe_GA

Hey Ken, I too use Eternabond tape for preventative measures. It is great stuff! I went to their WEB site to see about Eternacaulk. They don't say if it is self leveling or not. How is it to work?

where are you talking about preventative maintenace, like where the cap and roof material meet? Thanks

[Joe_GA]

Originally Posted by wls

where are you talking about preventative maintenace, like where the cap and roof material meet? Thanks

Yup. Also along the side where self leveling sealant is used. In a couple of years the sealant will fail. The tape is going to last 10 to 15 years.

[wls]

Originally Posted by Joe_GA

Yup. Also along the side where self leveling sealant is used. In a couple of years the sealant will fail. The tape is going to last 10 to 15 years.

good to know, thanks

[Witch Doctor]

Yes the Factory will do repair work, I just had my whole roof replaced for 5400.00 at the factory took 4 days. These roofs are bonded together in layers they measure the roof and cut outs, then they unbolt the whole roof and remove in one section, then the new one is bolted back in place, they include all vents and skylights, antenna and a new seal for the A/C. Just call the maintenance number in the library for your division. Either you delv. the unit or they will pick it up and bring it back, the transportation cost was 1950.00 for mine, I dove it there instead. A dealer can not make that repair if the plywood was damaged as mine. Its all laminated together.
1) rubber roof
2) plywood 3/8"
3) insulation and duct cut outs
4) inside ceiling
after installed they reinstall all your lights and speakers in the sealing and reinstall the cap (on a 5th wheel) and the back wall. They also installed all new gutter around both sides. The only place that can do it right when the deck is a problem is the factory...here are the contact #'s for you

[Joe_GA]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

Yes the Factory will do repair work, I just had my whole roof replaced for 5400.00 at the factory took 4 days.

I see that your unit is the same year as mine. What happened to damage your roof at such a young age?

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Joe_GA

I see that your unit is the same year as mine. What happened to damage your roof at such a young age?

I branch from a tree put a whole in the rubber about the size of a dime, I never knew it, the rain got into it and delaminated about 1 square foot of plywood, it was soft and separating it, as plywood will when it gets wet, never came through the ceiling I found it and put esterbond tape over the whole. that only stopped it from getting worst. I could have lived with it but claimed it on my comp. ins. they took care of it. The factory said they couldn't just repair that area because the way it is made and I needed a to replace the whole roof. The dealer said they could just cover it with new wood screwed to it and put a seem in it covering it. Mickey Mouse repair, so I had the Factory do it. The factory told me and my insurance company that it would not last and being the way they build them they had to do it because no dealer could make that repair correctly...

[Kstedman]

Contact RV Armor, this product is amazing. No maintenance, lifetime warranty!

[Joe_GA]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

I branch from a tree put a whole in the rubber about the size of a dime, I never knew it, the rain got into it and delaminated about 1 square foot of plywood, it was soft and separating it, as plywood will when it gets wet, never came through the ceiling I found it and put esterbond tape over the whole. that only stopped it from getting worst.

I had a tree branch do that also, but I knew it. Next day, got it patched. Hoping it dried out and will not rot. My camper does have an attic vent, so hoping that also helps with the drying out issue.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Kstedman

Contact RV Armor, this product is amazing. No maintenance, lifetime warranty!

Life time warranty will not cover a whole from a branch...

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Joe_GA

I had a tree branch do that also, but I knew it. Next day, got it patched. Hoping it dried out and will not rot. My camper does have an attic vent, so hoping that also helps with the drying out issue.

I also have a vent, but once it delams, it will never be the same. My plywood was dry, but separated like leaving a piece of plywood out in the rain the drying out. That's why I repaired it. If I would trade it in they would ding me for it, but I'm not buying any new trailers anymore, this is my last, so I'm trying to keep it in the best condition I can. It seems to me that they built better trailers 4 years ago from the horror stories I read on here now, and I got all them bugs worked out, don't want to do that again at my age...

[kenh]

Originally Posted by Joe_GA

Hey Ken, I too use Eternabond tape for preventative measures. It is great stuff! I went to their WEB site to see about Eternacaulk. They don't say if it is self leveling or not. How is it to work?

Joe, It does not flow or self-level like Dicor. But it drys with a less porous surface, looks smoother and stays cleaner. I use it everywhere I once used Dicor. But you will get your fingers sticky smoothing it out. I had a joint that moved about 1/16" at the channels at the base of the front where that channel meets the cap. The other product would fail but the Eternacaulk has continued to hold that seal.

I also prefer the Eternacaulk for going along the edges of the Eternabond tape. It seems to hang on to the TPE backing on the tape better than the competitor.

Ken

[kenh]

Originally Posted by wls

where are you talking about preventative maintenace, like where the cap and roof material meet? Thanks

Exactly. After having the cap to roof seams leak on multiple trailers, I decided this time I would clean off as much of the factory sealant as possible, then lay down a 6" Eternabond over-seam that seal the roof to the fiberglass cap. I use the 'double-stick' to smooth out the transition on either side of the channel. I also use the Eternabond primer.

From this point forward I won't have to lay down sealant every couple of years along an 8' seam. I just inspect the ends and edges to make sure they are holding up. This limits the amount of sealant (Dicor or Eternacaulk) required to keep that 8' seam sealed. I've reduced the potential leaking seam area.

After 2 years I've only touched a couple of places (2-3") with Eternacaulk just above the front gutter at that point where the cap meets the side channels.

Re-seaming the joints where the fiberglass cap meets the roof rubber saves you a lot of Dicor or Eternacaulk in future. I've re-seamed two trailers like this and never had another leak using this technique.

It is a lot easier to do this before the factory sealant gets old, black and cracked. The surface must be clean and it works best if you remove as much of the old sealant as possible. But the primer is designed to improve the Eternabond 'bond' to those old materials if you can't get them off.

I also use Eternabond around sun lights. It's good stuff.

Ken

[Skyliner]

If you can't afford a new plywood substrate for your roof consider this DIY option.

1. Dry out roof completely as possible after removing all trim.

2. Drill multiple small holes thru damaged plywood. Try not to drill thru the entire plywood sheet just enough to get to the final layer but not thru it.

3. Inject low viscosity epoxy into holes. Use a marine grade epoxy that is compatible (as much as it can be) with wet wood.

4. Put heavy object on damaged area to compress playwood back together as much as possible.

5. Apply appropriate glue to plywood and glue roof to it.

6. Apply widest available eternabond tape over seam between roof and cap.

EDIT: LOOKING AT YOUR ROOF WOOD, IT LOOKS LIKE OSB AND NOT PLYWOOD.

It doesn't look like the OSB is bulging but I'm sure it is a little soft.

In lieu of epoxy, I'd use thin Cyanoacrylate glue which is activated by moisture in the wood. Be careful, the heat of activating when curing especially in face of mositure can cause skin burns.

Another option:

Cut the rotted wood out install new wood sexction: Not that difficult: See video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx6p8u8HuKY