Fiberglass roof edge pulled away from gutter

[FIRE UP]

Well,
The problem is, we read on here, of what, how many, people/RV'ers with Winne/Itasca fiberglass roofs that have had some from of issues with the roof-to-cove joint. But, what we don't see is, the thousands and thousands of folks that haven't had any issues with that joint. A few have had issues or, a single issue due to age, sun/element exposure, or lack of maintenance which, Winne/Itasca lines out in a maintenance schedule.

Winnebago has built thousands of RV's with the same style roof and attaching system. And they've been doing it for years and years. I would have assumed, that if they felt there was a major problem, they'd have changed their methods of operation quite some time ago. Motorhomes are rolling Kleenex boxes but, they still FLEX. So, in their method and way of attaching, they realize the need for flex so, I'd bet that's why they don't use any form of mechanical attachment. Just a guess.
Scott

[BobC]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
The problem is, we read on here, of what, how many, people/RV'ers with Winne/Itasca fiberglass roofs that have had some from of issues with the roof-to-cove joint. But, what we don't see is, the thousands and thousands of folks that haven't had any issues with that joint. A few have had issues or, a single issue due to age, sun/element exposure, or lack of maintenance which, Winne/Itasca lines out in a maintenance schedule.

Winnebago has built thousands of RV's with the same style roof and attaching system. And they've been doing it for years and years. I would have assumed, that if they felt there was a major problem, they'd have changed their methods of operation quite some time ago. Motorhomes are rolling Kleenex boxes but, they still FLEX. So, in their method and way of attaching, they realize the need for flex so, I'd bet that's why they don't use any form of mechanical attachment. Just a guess.
Scott

Good points. Mine is a 2002, stored outside and I haven't had any roof-to-cove joint issues.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by BobC

Good points. Mine is a 2002, stored outside and I haven't had any roof-to-cove joint issues.

Mine is a 2011, stored outdoors and this year when I inspected it there were the beginnings of sealant failure. Cleaned thoroughly, repainted radius and applied the clear Geocel product using much more product than the initial thin layer applied by Winnebago. I now store indoors and optimistic that I won't have to worry about it ever again but will check regularly.

[jspringator]

OP here. Got it home today and sealed the rest of the side that had the failure. I had to use a heat gun to get the Eternabond off.

All told I used almost 2 tubes of 4200 on 1 side. The other side is going to have to wait until next summer. My "assistant" has had enough roof sealing for the year.

To do the entire coach, you need 4 tubes of sealant, a caulking gun, 2 pairs of gloves, lacquer thinner, several microfiver towels, a painters tool, and a roll of blue paper towels. I used the pointed end of the painters tool to scrape the sealant out of the channel, and then used a microfiber towel soaked in lacquer thinner to clean out the channel, again by putting the towel over the pointy end of the painters tool.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by jspringator

OP here. Got it home today and sealed the rest of the side that had the failure. I had to use a heat gun to get the Eternabond off.

All told I used almost 2 tubes of 4200 on 1 side. The other side is going to have to wait until next summer. My "assistant" has had enough roof sealing for the year.

To do the entire coach, you need 4 tubes of sealant, a caulking gun, 2 pairs of gloves, lacquer thinner, several microfiver towels, a painters tool, and a roll of blue paper towels. I used the pointed end of the painters tool to scrape the sealant out of the channel, and then used a microfiber towel soaked in lacquer thinner to clean out the channel, again by putting the towel over the pointy end of the painters tool.

Don't forget blue painters tape. It's a little more work up front but less work overall.

[Americanrascal]

I have owned 2 Winnebago motorhomes since 2013. a 2013 31KE and a 2016 38Q. While we generally have like both of them, the roofs have been quite a challenge and a bit of a disappointment in the amount of maintenance required on them. I have been somewhat of a fanatic about regular inspection and repair of the roof to side channel system.

Within a year the roof on the 2013 rig had begun to sperate and pull out of the channel. I worked and worked on it fighting to keep it adhered properly and stabilized inside the channel.

I'd hoped the 2016 38 Q would be easier but it has not been. The rate of deterioration on the sealant and potential for failure has been quite disturbing. I am usually on the roof about every 6 weeks inspecting and finding a foot or 2 along the almost 75 feet of channel that has sealant that has deteriorated to the point it must be removed and new Pro Flex applied-- and this has gone on since it came out of the factory. I am very tired of crawling on my belly at my age every 6-8 weeks to check and have piece of mind that the roof has not begun to fail. Had I been aware of the level of intensity required to maintain the roof on the rig I would have definitely spent more time researching other rigs with other roof systems. The roof has been a disappointment. But I guess I should have adhered to the "caveat emptor" discipline better when buying both rigs.

[jspringator]

I found this with a google search. Please note the Loctite product they recommend takes 7 DAYS to cure. Apparently it isn't noted on the package. Practical Sailor is Consumer Reports for boats.

"I’m finishing up a bunch of testing for Practical Sailor as we speak. A few thoughts:

I’m a butyl fan, where it works. I love it for hatches, because of the ease of removal. I use it anywhere I don’t feel I need an adhesive.

3M 5200. Very strong… BUT the adhesion to aluminum and all plastic is hit or miss. It can be strong, or it can peel at very low force. I’ve seen this on my boat over the years, and it was clear in testing. The ONLY thing I would use it for is permanent FRP-to-FRP bonding, like a deck/hull joint. It is also much less flexible than sealants. Also, 3M 4200 suffered from the same hit-or-miss adhesion.

Sika and Locktite. Lots of great products with a wider range of adhesion. I like Sika 291 and Locktite Marine.

I’ve not been impressed with Boatlife Caulk. I find it peels off too easily and leaks. Boatlife Seal does better.

The bargain, without peer, is Locktite PL S40. A polyurethane much like Sika 291 or 3M 4200 (with better properties) but for only $5.85/10 oz. Try it. I’ve been using it for years and find it delivers top performance of 30% of the price. Flexible, with much better multi-surface adhesion than 3M 5200 or 4200."