Skylight for a slide out?

[larry2c]

I saw this mentioned in someone elses thread and I didn't want to hijack the thread but I am WAY interested in this. Has anyone done this as a modification? How'd it work out? Obviously leaks would be the biggest concern so has there been any issue with that?

I love having natural light and there is a pitiful amount in most RV's that I've been in. This might be a cure - who knows!

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by larry2c

I saw this mentioned in someone elses thread and I didn't want to hijack the thread but I am WAY interested in this. Has anyone done this as a modification? How'd it work out? Obviously leaks would be the biggest concern so has there been any issue with that?

I love having natural light and there is a pitiful amount in most RV's that I've been in. This might be a cure - who knows!

My parents have this feature in their trailer, but it came that way. I've honestly never heard of anyone adding it aftermarket.

[TheWolfPaq82]

The height of the skylight would be the issue. The factory skylights on our trailer would be too tall and would not clear the gap that the slide moves in and out of.

[Spikedog]

Wouldn't the skylight just be looking at the awning that slides out with the slide? That would limit the amount of light, no?

Just one more place to have a roof leak.

"If your RV roof doesn't leak now, you just haven't found it yet." Winston Churchill

[Iwannacamp]

"If your RV roof doesn't leak now, you just haven't found it yet." Winston Churchill[/QUOTE]

That's funny!!

[Cypressloser]

Carriage used to install 4 skylights, the so called Arizona room, in the living room slideout of their Royals Internatioal. They were notorious for leaking, the ext. part of the skylights caught on the wiper seals and put enormous stress on the slideout motors and turned the rv into an oven the same as the skylight over the shower but x4.

Thanks but no thanks, never again.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Spikedog

Wouldn't the skylight just be looking at the awning that slides out with the slide? That would limit the amount of light, no?

Just one more place to have a roof leak.

"If your RV roof doesn't leak now, you just haven't found it yet." Winston Churchill

Not all RVs have slide toppers.

[onetonford]

My dining area has the skylight in it which is in the slide. I have had a leak and repaired it myself by replacing the broken plastic window when they installed it they tightened the screws holding it too tight and it cracked. Never again will I buy a rv with the skylight in the slide.

[amblt]

Originally Posted by larry2c

I saw this mentioned in someone elses thread and I didn't want to hijack the thread but I am WAY interested in this. Has anyone done this as a modification? How'd it work out? Obviously leaks would be the biggest concern so has there been any issue with that?

I love having natural light and there is a pitiful amount in most RV's that I've been in. This might be a cure - who knows!

I'm not concerned with the slide, but it seems to me many RVs , including ours,could benefit form one in the living area. I'm aware of the potential heat problems, but a tinted one would certainly be an idea.

Cheers

[rlh1957]

All that "natural light" from skylights transfers into heat in the box. Unless you are always in the shade just our shower skylight heats the bathroom up unbearably. We made a reflective insulator cover for the shower just for that reason.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by larry2c

I saw this mentioned in someone elses thread and I didn't want to hijack the thread but I am WAY interested in this. Has anyone done this as a modification? How'd it work out? Obviously leaks would be the biggest concern so has there been any issue with that?

I love having natural light and there is a pitiful amount in most RV's that I've been in. This might be a cure - who knows!

Our 2007 Cherokee 38P has two skylights in the dining/living room slideout. From the top side, they are simply 1/16" polycarbonate plastic sheets, 25" x 25-1/2". (Lexan is one brand of polycarbonate.) They are held on to the EPDM roof by 4" wide Eternabond tape on all four sides.

There's a flange inside under each one, with a z-fold blind to close the skylight--would keep heat down on hot days.

When you get ready to install the skylights:

• Finding the inside shrouds may be difficult.
• I guess the reason for the size is to span rafters on 24" centers.
• Maybe tap on the inside ceiling to find the space between rafters. Cut a small hole, then experimentally widen it to both rafters. The hole will be about 22" x 22".
• Remove insulation
• Drill tiny holes in the roof from inside at each corner.
• From the roof, cut the EPDM membrane in an X, corner to corner. Pull the triangle flaps down and staple to rafters.
• Screw in the flange from the bottom. It will probably be too tall and you will need to trim it with a Dremel tool or fine hacksaw blade.
• Tape the skylights down with Eternabond tape. Be sure to use a roller to press it on well.

Found some of the shrouds. The right search was
24"x 24" garnish trim for flat rv skylight
and select "images."
https://www.icondirect.com/skylight-garnish-sl2222/
Icon- Skylight Trim Ring

I am about to replace mine before winter comes.

• Polycarbonate yellows with time. These are exposed full time and got pretty yellow. (Acrylic doesn't yellow but is much more brittle.)
• The Eternabond is wearing out. It needs to be replaced. It is cracking and weak.
• The week before last a flying pine cone hit one of the skylights and made a hole about the size of a tennis ball.

[dnicoll]

When we had our house reshingled, we wanted to put in a skylight. The roofer told us if it doesn’t HAVE to be in the roof, don’t put it there! Anything in the roof is tough to seal and maintain that seal over time...... FWIW

[larry2c]

Thanks to all for the replies. I guess in my excitement to get more light in the TT, I didn't consider how that would equate to heat as well. Most of our camping is in pretty warm locations so that would be a significant concern - especially where we don't have hookups - so no AC.

Larry NC - thanks for all the detail on the products!

As was mentioned, we don't have a slide topper/awning so it wouldn't be an issue.

[Larry-NC]

I've written earlier in this thread about the flat skylights on our slideouts, and stated that one had fractured. I ordered some replacement polycarbonate sheet and replaced the broken panel last weekend. The original material was 1/16" thick. The replacement material is 1/8" thick.

Pine trees are known for dropping their branches--that results in only small knots which is why pine is favored for construction. When the branches drop, the aerodynamic drag of the needles cause the light, branched end to follow, and the heavy main branch to impact first, straight down, wreaking the most damage.

The first picture shows the damage that greeted us when we arrived a couple of weeks ago. It appears that the plastic sheet is simply laid on the EPDM roof and held down by Eternabond. The Eternabond is splitting at the edge of plastic sheet, and also at the "lumps." We covered the skylight with some borrowed construction vinyl and bricks laid around the periphery (some removed in the second picture).

I guess the "Eterna" in Eternabond isn't meant to stand for "eternal." The trailer is a 2007, so it's eleven years or so old, and it's probably been in the weather with the slideout extended for most/all of that time. The next picture shows the aged Eternabond in detail. The splits in the backing along the edge of the plastic aren't a huge problem, as there is still thick adhesive present. But I learned that the "lumps" were round-head Robertson screws. The adhesive and backing had settled around the screw-heads and many were exposed. The builders had placed butyl tape around the periphery of the polycarbonate sheet, then put screws through the polycarbonate sheet and tape about every 3" on all four sides, then covered the edges with 4" Eternabond! Many of the screws weren't even put in straight. The pictures show the strange angles at which they were installed.

They say that 80% of painting is preparation, and this was no different. Using a very dull putty knife and heat gun I began to remove the Eternabond and mostly got only the backing on the first go-round. I was able to remove all of the screws; some were quite rusty where the Eternabond had opened and the heads of others were filled with Eternabond adhesive. Fortunately by cleaning each screw-head recess with a pointed pick, I was able to remove every one without additional measures. It took a lot of scrubbing with mineral spirits to remove the rest of the Eternabond adhesive and butyl caulk. This was followed by a wash with 70% isopropyl alcohol which removed the tackiness, roughing up with the pad that came with the Eternabond, and dusting.

I had not anticipated the screw-and-tape construction and had not brought screws, butyl tape, drill, or bits. But I concluded that this technique was overkill. It might be suitable for a skylight exposed at 60 mph through a driving rainstorm, but these skylights are on the slideout. They would be retracted while traveling. Eternabond alone would be sufficient. It turned out to be quite easy to apply the tape, and use the squeegee that came with it, and a roller, to press it on. Net is maybe 6-7 hours cleaning and preparation and 20 minutes to place the new plastic sheet and tape it into place.

Larry

[larry2c]

Just like a Lawn Dart (the now forbidden toy of my youth!). Nice looking repair Larry - and I agree, no reason tape alone wouldn't do the job.