Roof Trying to Fly Off!

[covered.wago]

I took a short trip this week in my 2005 Winnebago Sightseer 29R, driving in high wind and rain. When I stopped for a few days, I opened my awning. The next morning, I noticed that the roof, above the awning, was trying to come off! The edge had come loose for about 2/3 the length of the RV.


I was able to tuck the roof edge back behind the drip edge, and drove 200 miles to get home. Although the roof edge is still tucked in, I know it won't last!


How can I fix this? Is there a special adhesive under the fiberglass? What sealant should I use for the drip edge?


I have a few months before travelling again, but I would like to repair this ASAP!

[Stevegd007]

OH...had the same issue. It was directly caused by my RV chassis twisting on tight turns on very crooked roads. Stay off twisty roads if you can. Heard a "pop" and saw that my roof was lifting and separating. So I took my RV into an RV repair shop. The way Winnebago had attached the roof to the sidewall of the RV is kinda of odd. It appears to be "hooked" with the side wall somehow in the little gutter area. If this starts to separate..well you see the result. The shop rehooked the roof AND applied screws to hold the roof on better...lots of screws...more than the RV came with. Can not see these screws...but their there. Then sealed it area again with sealant. So the after story...this happened years ago...still holding tight.

[RTegarini]

Is this the type of repair where Eternabond tape would work well? -RT

[Clay L]

The Winnebago site has the proper adhesive caulk for your model and year. It is a good idea to use what they recommend. See HERE for picture and instructions on how to do repair the caulking.
Customer service told me to use a flexible blade knife like a utility knife pushed out fully to remove the caulk.

[znt1186]

Clay L has it right. The edge of the roofing where it turns down into the J track has to be cleaned and sealed on a regular basis. See your Winnebago maintenance schedule. No screws are needed, and will probably lead to leaks.

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by znt1186

Clay L has it right. The edge of the roofing where it turns down into the J track has to be cleaned and sealed on a regular basis. See your Winnebago maintenance schedule. No screws are needed, and will probably lead to leaks.

Read the owners manual. The roof and other areas need to be checked and caulked at least once a year.

[litewave]

I inspected my roof and side rail seam and found the sealant dried and cracked and separated in several areas. I removed all the old sealant from the side seams on both sides, cleaned it good with isopropyl alcohol and resealed with a urethane sealant that Winnebago recommended. You can go to Winnebago.com/resources/manuals&diagrams and click on the Sealants Callout Sheets tab from the list on the left and then click on the diagram for your model and year. I would imagine you will use part number 072889-10-000 (Manus 75AM). This is a Urethane sealant with UV protection built in. It comes in large tubes that can be applied with a mechanical caulking gun. I bought mine from my local RV dealer for about $8 a tube. The key to this project is to get the seam as clean and as free from old sealant as possible. Also, you'll want to inspect the side rail seams and the end caps sealant once or twice a year.

[JMynes]

Take it from me. Your roof WILL fly off. And it makes a heck of a racket just before the big gust peels it off and blows it into the lake as you're crossing the causeway. Thankfully nobody was hurt.
This happened 12 miles from home. Turned around and went home. Then to the hardware store to buy the biggest blue tarp they had.
Of course, the camping weekend was over almost before it got started.