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Old 10-14-2018, 05:46 PM   #1
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Bye Bye Roof

Well, all the problems I've been having with my Itasca came to a head so to speak. The fiberglass roof is blowing across some field in Texas off of I 40. "If it wasn't for bad luck..."
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Old 10-14-2018, 06:50 PM   #2
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oh no, so sorry to hear
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:48 AM   #3
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Year of RV?

Did you call Winnie...they have a 10 year warranty on their roof and if you have evidence of proper maintenance, maybe they'd do something about it? And you could make an appointment for a replacement while you're at it.

Insurance sometimes will cover it. Sometimes not. You have to prove it was caused by weather. Also, some insurance companies are aware of the Winnie roof issue and deny claims...telling policy holders to contact Winnie. Not that that would do any good. Unlikely a service contract would cover it.

For lurkers, sometimes a fiberglass roof can be lifted by wind and since it's so thin, can rip right off. It's not glued to the roof surface but rather the equipment up there holds it down and then the sides are held in an extruded aluminum piece by a small bead of caulking that runs from front to back on each side. The edge of the roof needs to be inspected every 6 months and the caulking repaired/replaced. If that's not done, warranty and insurance claims are denied.

In my case, my '02 was out of warranty when I bought it and not wanting to bother with re-caulking all the time, I just used Eternabond 2" tape to run the entire length of the RV to hold the roof. I was lucky that the PO hadn't repeatedly re-caulked and the edges didn't need much cleanup, plus the roof was in good shape. Applied the tape and it looks great, and no maintenance needed. So far so good: Roof and Roof Items...

PS: Sorry your roof blew off! Any chance you could post some pictures and maybe give an account of how it all happened? Weather situation and what not?
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Old 10-16-2018, 11:25 AM   #4
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'Something else for us vintage MH owners to be concerned about ...thanks for the heads-up. J-H - another post of his said it was a 2000.

Jim
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Old 10-16-2018, 11:44 AM   #5
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2000 Winnie Itasca. I was driving E on I 40 out of Amarillo during a very strong crosswind. A large semi with a very large trailer passed me going a lot faster than my 60-65 mph and I heard a huge bang and thought he had blown a tire or ?? I'd never heard a noise that loud in the RV before. I pulled over and checked tires and MC trailer before I noticed part of the roof flapping in the wind, the rest is probably near Mexico by now. I'd post some pics but they don't want to drag and drop from my desktop. Progressive's adjuster just left and wasn't very encouraging. I've got it somewhat sheltered under a partial roof connecting 2 buildings of a run-down motel in Shamrock trying to figure out what to do.
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Old 10-16-2018, 12:37 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idiotasca View Post
I'd post some pics but they don't want to drag and drop from my desktop. Progressive's adjuster just left and wasn't very encouraging. I've got it somewhat sheltered under a partial roof connecting 2 buildings of a run-down motel in Shamrock trying to figure out what to do.
Drag and drop isn't a thing on this forum, it's a more traditional process:

Give THIS a try.

Sorry about your roof, guess I'd better double check mine.
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Old 10-16-2018, 01:08 PM   #7
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OP: You can do a simple waterproofing of the underlayment using Elmer's Liquid Wood Sealer (it's like Elmer's Carpenter's glue only thinner - I've used it on the wood underlayment before laying vinyl floors in kitchens to give the floor a bit of waterproofing) available at Home Depot by the gallon I believe. It's thin, and you roller it on wood so it has some waterproof ability once it dries. That way you won't have to drive with some kind of fabric cover up there flapping in the wind. Rain in moderation wouldn't do much damage. Then you can use 2" or 4" Gorilla Tape on the leading edges of any torn portions of your roof to hold it down. I've read about a guy who did that and was able to make it home with the rest of his roof intact. I suppose staples would work fine too. But I'd still want to use the tape.

Then call Winnebago factory service in Forest City, IA and make an appointment for a new roof installation. It's only a 6 hour drive per day over 2 days to drive up there from where you are now.

Get that roof taken care of while you work out whether insurance will pay for it or not.

Just a suggestion. And best of luck.
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Old 10-16-2018, 01:31 PM   #8
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By-bye roof

The ins. adj. didn't sound hopeful, so I'm waiting to hear from Dave at RV Armor as to how to temporarily water and windproof it to get home and cover it till I can fix it right.
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Old 10-16-2018, 03:20 PM   #9
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Any thoughts on replacing the missing wood and overlaying the vent holes with some more veneer fastened with eternabond tape, and using the tape down the sides of the roof, then rolling the roof with RV rubber roof sealant? This would be a temp repair to get me home. Anyone with any experience with the rubber sealant? I had good luck with the tape, it's still holding on the part of the remaining roof.
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Old 10-16-2018, 06:41 PM   #10
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In the meantime, you can watch these videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:16 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Idiotasca View Post
Any thoughts on replacing the missing wood and overlaying the vent holes with some more veneer fastened with eternabond tape, and using the tape down the sides of the roof, then rolling the roof with RV rubber roof sealant? This would be a temp repair to get me home. Anyone with any experience with the rubber sealant? I had good luck with the tape, it's still holding on the part of the remaining roof.

Whoa, dude! That is sooooo much damage. I can't think of any product that would repair a damaged plywood roof of that extent. Smaller sections, sure, but not huge swaths of a plywood layer like that. You'd probably want to remove the entire layer that's damaged and then replace it with a new thin layer.



Amazing photos, I've never seen a Winnie roof blown off so completely. (Perhaps the OP has already removed what was left of the roof?)
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:27 PM   #12
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I just want a repair to get me N central Fl. where I start on a more permanent solution.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:40 PM   #13
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Just a thought, maybe MFM Peel & Seal Self Stick Roll Roofing. A friend of mine covered his trailer roof with it and it seems to have sealed it pretty well.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:42 PM   #14
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Maybe some plastic panels strapped down with trim every 4' or so.
Tape the perimeter and joints...?
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:26 AM   #15
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I'm thinking sheathe the full roof with a thin plywood layer and screw it to the internal framing. Paint it with an oil based paint and seal the edges with a water proof tape of some type. I would also dab some caulk over the screws. This should get you home and be easily removed when you get to the formal repair.
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Old 10-20-2018, 02:17 PM   #16
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I guess if it were me, I would buy an RV cover and then watch the weather and try to pick some dry days to get it to Forest City and cover it again?
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Old 10-20-2018, 02:38 PM   #17
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Just a thought, maybe MFM Peel & Seal Self Stick Roll Roofing. A friend of mine covered his trailer roof with it and it seems to have sealed it pretty well.
Not the least expensive option ($115 for a 3' x 36' roll) but the website lists RVs as an application. A few extra dollars might be worth the added security. The only downside would be removing it but I would think the old plywood underlayment will be removed for the new roof anyway, in which case removal won't be an issue.
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Old 10-21-2018, 06:15 PM   #18
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What year ??
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Old 10-21-2018, 07:26 PM   #19
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2000 Itasca
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Old 10-21-2018, 07:30 PM   #20
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I'm curious about the pictures you posted. Is that how you found the roof after that big 'bang'?
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