Fiberglass Roof

[ducksquasher]

Hi,

Looking at Jayco Greyhawk, Winnebago Minnie Winnie and Forest River Forester... Jayco and Winnebago state 1 piece fiberglass roofs on their units. Forest River states fiberglass roof. Is there a difference between the 3 or is Forest River a fiberglass roof but not truly 1 piece?

I am reading that 1 piece fiberglass roof and fiberglass front cap are the only way to go. I like the Forester layout the best but I am more concerned with the overall construction and durability.

Thanks!

[Bumpyroad]

I had my winnie for 14 years with no issues. but I agree with Ron that this is not a fiberglass failure, it is a construction issue. patching it up with a layer of tape won't solve anything.
bumpy

[Bea_PA]

In the past 24 years we have had 3 Winnebago motorhomes with fiberglass roofs and no problems. Years past we had several trailers with rubber roofs and hated the streaks.

[Bumpyroad]

ron.dittmer wrote:


I am not an authority on this, but it appears something much worse is occurring, a structural failure could be in the early stages. The house appears to be twisting excessively, first showing up in the fiberglass sheathing buckling at the connection between roof and walls.

Please keep us updated.

it surely looks like things have been twisted.
bumpy

[ron_dittmer]

2manytoyz wrote:
Bought our current RV. Fiberglass roof has cracks where it meets the sidewalls. Too sharp of a radius. Contacted Lazy Days a week after purchase, they were no help. Their 30 day warranty means nothing.

Contacted the manufacturer, though it was only 3 years old at the time, they said they wouldn't cover it. But the year newer model, they have a TSB to fix it. Well, not really fix it. Cover the area with an extruded piece of aluminum, then seal it with a roll of Eternabond. Forest River dropped the ball on this one.

So don't get too excited about a 1 piece fiberglass roof. In theory, they should last longer than vinyl or EPDM... but poor engineering can directly affect that!



Video of the issue with ours: CLICK HERE

Already had some water damage to a cabinet. I've since sealed the area with RTV. When it cools off, I will fix the fiberglass area properly myself, building up and smoothing the affected areas. It's not complicated to repair, but it's also ridiculous that I have to on something so new. Even Ford still has a chassis warranty on this vehicle!

OH MY!!! I never seen that before.

I am not an authority on this, but it appears something much worse is occurring, a structural failure could be in the early stages. The house appears to be twisting excessively, first showing up in the fiberglass sheathing buckling at the connection between roof and walls.

I would remove the trim that finishes the edges of the fiberglass sheathing on the walls, lift the fiberglass, and check the wall-to-roof fasteners there, assumed to be screws. The line worker that day might have missed some screws between wall and roof, may have used the wrong length screws, or might not have torqued them properly. It surely appears that you have "early stage disconnect" between roof and walls. Inspect it right away before it gets worse.

If everything inspects well, I would still consider adding more screws. Also check the rear wall, another critical component in preventing the house from twisting.

When rolling the fiberglass around the curved edge to the side again, it might provide an opportunity to lay it flat without distortion. Also use the right adhesive to adhere it to the curved surface which might prevent it from wrinkling again. I don't know the ideal adhesive, but a "Flex Seal" product comes to-mind. A double-sided "Eternabond" type product everyone mentions also seems appropriate. Just make sure the fiberglass and mating surfaces are clean. If the mating surface is wood, I would first brush one "generous coating" of exterior-grade polyurethane sealer (to soak deep into the wood) for the adhesive to grab better. During reassembly, you might have to trim the edge of the fiberglass to follow the finished trim-line.

Excessive twisting of the house might also show up as stressed or deformed caulk in some of the seam work.

Forest River has had more complaints of poor workmanship than other companies, especially in hidden places, and you fell victim to one. They are not all bad rigs, but the company does seem to make more bad apples than most other brands. It could simply be because they make so many units so defect numbers would naturally be higher.

I feel for you. A young 2015 motor home should not have suspecting structural issues. I hope you find the true reason why the fiberglass deformed and resolve it quickly without too much pain and cost on your part.

Please keep us updated.

[T18skyguy]

So sorry for your issue.I watched your video, and here are just a couple ideas. You could cover that whole radius area with a long strip of eternabond tape. You can get it in 6 to 8 inch wide and run it down both side's of the rig. Another idea is how the dealer actually does a repair. I copied this from another forum and it is how the dealer fixed a fiberglass roof. This was a repair about a 1/2 foot long.
" The tech cleaned the area with non-petroleum based solvent then filled the 6 inch crack with fiberglass resin, then he cut a patch of fiberglass sheeting of the same color and used Marine 5200 vulcanizing adhesive to apply the patch. It bonded to the roof as good as new. He used a heat gun to make the patch soft enough to form to the radius of the roof"
Or tear the whole thing off and put a Flex Armor roof on it.

[2manytoyz]

Just sold our 2007 (received it late 2006) Rockwood TT with a vinyl roof. It lived in the FL sun the entire time. Roof was washed about once a year. I replaced the LAP sealant a couple of times. Roof still looked good.

Bought our current RV. Fiberglass roof has cracks where it meets the sidewalls. Too sharp of a radius. Contacted Lazy Days a week after purchase, they were no help. Their 30 day warranty means nothing.

Contacted the manufacturer, though it was only 3 years old at the time, they said they wouldn't cover it. But the year newer model, they have a TSB to fix it. Well, not really fix it. Cover the area with an extruded piece of aluminum, then seal it with a roll of Eternabond. Forest River dropped the ball on this one.

So don't get too excited about a 1 piece fiberglass roof. In theory, they should last longer than vinyl or EPDM... but poor engineering can directly affect that!



Video of the issue with ours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5ibP-7t6-o

Already had some water damage to a cabinet. I've since sealed the area with RTV. When it cools off, I will fix the fiberglass area properly myself, building up and smoothing the affected areas. It's not complicated to repair, but it's also ridiculous that I have to on something so new. Even Ford still has a chassis warranty on this vehicle!

[Powertour]

Over the last 20yrs or so I’ve owned 4 trailers of differing types that had rubber roofs. None leaked, none experienced tears, all ran black streaks down the units at times, all we’re out in full desert sun 365 days a year. Oh, I never treated any of them with anything either.

With the above said, I had a hard requirement for my current coach to be one with a non-rubber/EDPM roof. I always hated the thought of that thin stuff up there, it just seems cheap & fragile. Having a solid rooftop makes me feel better & that’s a good thing regardless of the fact I never experienced a rubber roof issue.

[ron_dittmer]

Not just a single sheet of fiberglass, but you want a "fiberglass domed" roof. The "dome" allows water and snow melt to run off instead of puddling around the heavy a/c unit.

For reference, here is our 2007 Phoenix Cruiser 2350 with it's "single-sheet fiberglass domed roof".

[theoldwizard1]

whizbang wrote:
I think the majority of RV's have rubber roofs any more. Personally, I'm done with them. Blacks streaks alone are enough reason to avoid rubber roofs. When you finally wear out, they are expensive to replace (possibly more expensive than the value of the RV).

I won't be able to find it, but another member recently posted that the way he kept his "rubber" roof in good condition was washing it and treating it with UV inhibitor multiple times a year.

[whizbang]

I think the majority of RV's have rubber roofs any more. Personally, I'm done with them. Blacks streaks alone are enough reason to avoid rubber roofs. When you finally wear out, they are expensive to replace (possibly more expensive than the value of the RV).

Our current roof is fiberglass. The last one was aluminum. The two before were rubber. Never again.

[theoldwizard1]

Bumpyroad wrote:
...and if fiberglass falls apart if not painted, there are about 2.3 million unpainted fiberglass boats floating at marinas that will quickly be sinking.

Boats are made in a mold from the outside in. The first layer (therefore the outer most) is gelcoat. As Wikipedia says

Gelcoats are designed to be durable, providing resistance to ultraviolet degradation and hydrolysis

I happen to watch a YouTube channel called Sail Life. The guy just replace the entire deck on his 32+' sailboat. He used MULTIPLE layers of 'glass and cross oriented it over all new core material. Then he applied a couple of primer coats of paint and a couple more finish coats making specific comments that the finish coats are UV resistant.

Clearly an RV roof would not need that many layers of 'glass because the roof is not going to support multiple people walking on it AND it probably has more trusses than this guys sailboat.

[Winnebago_Bob]

One way a fiberglass roof is superior is in the effort required to clean it. My Aspect roof took about 15 minutes to wash (soft brush and dawn) and looks like brand new.

Also, black streaking is minimal. Nothing like either of my rubber-roofed RVs.

[ScottG]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Over the life of the RV I dont think you will see two cents difference. All RVs need routine maintenance. One piece roofs still have openings for vents, ACs, skykights etc that need checked and cauked twice a year. Pick what you think will give you what you want and go camping happy.

I would certainly hope that a fiberglass roof would take much less maintenance, although inspection is always good.

OP - I think I would inquire what cloth and how many layers were applied.

Most resins will break down from long term exposure to the sun, so it must be painted.

A fiberglas or all aluminum roof will still have all the goop at the seams so the maint. will be about the same.

[Bumpyroad]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Over the life of the RV I dont think you will see two cents difference. All RVs need routine maintenance. One piece roofs still have openings for vents, ACs, skykights etc that need checked and cauked twice a year. Pick what you think will give you what you want and go camping happy.

I would certainly hope that a fiberglass roof would take much less maintenance, although inspection is always good.

OP - I think I would inquire what cloth and how many layers were applied.

Most resins will break down from long term exposure to the sun, so it must be painted.

I am assuming that the 2 cents comment was aimed at one piece vs two piece, etc.
and if fiberglass falls apart if not painted, there are about 2.3 million unpainted fiberglass boats floating at marinas that will quickly be sinking.

bumpy