Cracking roof

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

Well, this was an ugly eye-opener!
Our roof is not failing yet, and silly me, I thought it was aluminum. We added a thicker mattress, and I often have to sit on the edge of the roof to compress the mattress and blankets enough to close the camper for travel.

I learned a lot from this thread, and I plan to keep a close eye on my roof. I'm not sure what to do about closing it without sitting on the roof.

Someone mentioned a cover contributing to problems. We have no garage, so I've been using an "Elements" brand RV cover. It seems to be breathable fabric. Here in CO, the sun is brutal, so keeping the camper (and tires) covered is essential. The Elements cover has at least 4 shrouded ventilation ports at the roof line. Any thoughts on whether this is a net positive or negative for long-term durability?

Rather that allow the cover to lay on the roof when it's on, I would suggest standing the cover off the roof with some 2 x 4's or 2x 6's laid crossways on the roof every couple feet. That allows the 'breatheable cover to breathe

[Kevin & Judy]

X 10 letting the factory do the repair. I cant see a complete roof section making it to a dealer in one piece. And do they have people trained to do that extensive of a repair. ?

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

Why not re-roof it with a single sheet of 16 or 18 gauge aluminum and be done with it?... if out of warranty...

Many people have discussed just that in some of the popup forums over the years. The problem always was sourcing out a sheet large enough that did not cost a small fortune to buy and ship. You would need an 8'x14'+ sheet for a 12' box like the OP's.

For a few years Coleman/Fleetwood popups had one piece aluminum roofs after their ABS roof debacle. Lots of other brands used aluminum in the past but were 2 piece with a mill seam down the center. Everyone then went to Filon most likely because it's cheaper.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by Kevin & Judy

X 10 letting the factory do the repair. I cant see a complete roof section making it to a dealer in one piece. And do they have people trained to do that extensive of a repair. ?

They do get to the dealer in one piece in a huge crate, and it's not that extensive of a repair. Two people can change one in less than two hours. It takes longer to take the canvas and valance curtains loose and reattach afterwards than the actual roof swap.

[410Trailrunner]

Is this an ongoing issue for new Rockwoods? Thinking of purchasing a new 1970/1640 ESP.

[Amartin453]

Update:

Forrest River sent the new roof (without any shipping damage) to a reputable authorized dealer not to far from where I lived in lieu of traveling 4 hours to the dealer I purchased it from (Lazy Days). They had the job done in 5 days, and to my surprise they did an excellent job re-installing the a/c, vent, awning and even replaced some additional electrical components.

Very happy so far, if it happens again Im doing Line-X or Rhino Lining.