Fiberglass roof replacement with rubber on a Sightseer 35J

RamblinFam · 01-26-2021, 08:31 PM

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and hopefully a soon-to-be Winnebago owner. I've narrowed my search to one model - '08 Sightseer 35j and two coaches. The one I like the most is low mileage and very clean. The listing had some inconsistencies and when pressed I found that the roof was replaced and the fiberglass original was traded for a rubber roof. I'm not sure which type, I know there are some differences, but it's not the original fiberglass roof which I hear are easier to maintain and are, overall better.

Would this be a deal breaker for you? Also, on the interior I noticed the following which I had the dealer take pictures of. This coach is far from me and my plan is to check it out on Friday. I am concerned about the now rubber roof and whatever previous water or other damage that may be depicted in these pictures.

Thoughts? (hopefully the pics post). Thanks for the help!

Blastvalve · 01-27-2021, 10:56 AM

Welcome to the forum! My prior coach was a 08 Sunova 35J, essentially the same coach just under Winnies Itasca Brand. (Different color schemes/options but structurally the exact same coach)

Relatively speaking, the fiberglass roof is pretty solid when maintained properly, it doesn’t “wear out”. I know some folks have had issues with wind damage over the years, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that roof wouldn’t have just been replaced, there had to be a reason. With the pics you included showing possible water damage, I would REALLY dig into that one, if there is water leakage/damage or something else going on up there, you are looking at some real $$$$ in repairs.

A couple other areas I would look very closely:

1. Check undersides and all storage areas for rust, it can get ugly if left untreated. It can be repaired, but ain’t fun!
2. Check the windshield area for leaks. The windshields in that era are glued in and the design makes it easy for water to sit against the metal frame causing rust and eventual leaks. (Google Winnebago leak windshield for LOTS of reading). Giveaways will be water spots on dash or A pillars, but you might need to dig harder to verify ok.
3. Check the jacks for leaks, especially when down. If leaky, can possibly be repaired by lubricating seals using the zerks on the jacks, but if too dry you are looking at a rebuild, new jacks, or constantly watching your fluid levels.
4. Check tires for age, not mileage/tread. General rule is if 7 years or older, plan on new ones. Let us know if you need to learn how to read date codes on tires. (Include the spare which should be under the bed)
5. Check batteries, if over 5 years I’d want a discount/new ones.
6. Check the plumbing for leaks, especially around the hot water heater. When winterizing the bypass will skip a small section of plumbing if not careful, leaving water in to freeze and crack the pipes. The repair isn’t that painful, but it’s really hard to get your hands to the right spot.
7. If the hot water heater “sings” when you run, it, one or more of the check valves have gone bad. Cheap repair, but annoying again due to lack of space.
8. If it has full body paint, check the paint (especially around the roof area where the body “curves” to the roof for the clear coat failing. Darker units of that era (across many brands) are known to have this issue for to EPA changes to paint formulas.

I think that’s it off the top of my head, let us know how you make out.

neub · 01-27-2021, 11:11 AM

The original fiberglass roof should still be there if it had been maintained properly.....makes me wonder what else th PO neglected. Having previously purchased a coach with hidden water damage I wouldnt touch one with visable leaks let alone where the PO cheaped out and replaced the fiberglass roof with a membrane roof.

Wyatt · 01-27-2021, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RamblinFam

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and hopefully a soon-to-be Winnebago owner. I've narrowed my search to one model - '08 Sightseer 35j and two coaches. The one I like the most is low mileage and very clean. The listing had some inconsistencies and when pressed I found that the roof was replaced and the fiberglass original was traded for a rubber roof. I'm not sure which type, I know there are some differences, but it's not the original fiberglass roof which I hear are easier to maintain and are, overall better.

Would this be a deal breaker for you? Also, on the interior I noticed the following which I had the dealer take pictures of. This coach is far from me and my plan is to check it out on Friday. I am concerned about the now rubber roof and whatever previous water or other damage that may be depicted in these pictures.

Thoughts? (hopefully the pics post). Thanks for the help!

Since the owner swapped out the roof, and didn’t bother with the headliner, one might wonder what else he didn’t fix while at it...

al1florida · 01-28-2021, 04:44 PM

Fiberglass roof replaced by a rubber roof??

Does that mean the removed the entire fiberglass roof and installed a new rubber roof????

Or does that mean they painted the fiberglass roof with a rubber sealant??

Either way that probably would be deal breaker for me.

There was mention of wind damage on Winnebago roofs. This is caused by lack of maintenance on the roof where it bend over and attaches to the side wall. There is seam just above what looks like a gutter than the sealant cracks and deteriorates. If the sealant is not replaced high cross winds combined with highway speeds will rip the roof off. This is not a fault of a fiberglass roof, but the design Winnebago uses and lack of maintenance.

Anyways, take a close look at the sealant along the top of the gutter for cracks. Deal breaker if it is not fixed before purchase.

Video of the roof issue with Winnebago's. Skip forward to about minute 9 to see how the roof attaches to the wall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJz7...ature=youtu.be

Another video about the roof:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPoGxxNEtnk&app=desktop

BobC · 01-28-2021, 05:16 PM

I advise passing on it unless you're getting it for a song, are an expert DIYer and understand what you're getting yourself into. There are other MHs out there and even one that seems to be in tip top shape is going to have something wrong with it.

The fact that you're asking the question tells me that you shouldn't be buying it.

RamblinFam · 01-28-2021, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

I advise passing on it unless you're getting it for a song, are an expert DIYer and understand what you're getting yourself into. There are other MHs out there and even one that seems to be in tip top shape is going to have something wrong with it.

The fact that you're asking the question tells me that you shouldn't be buying it.

I'd like to understand what you mean when you say "the fact that you are asking the question tells me you shouldn't be buying it?"

I need 5 years out of the coach. Is a 1 year old non-fiberglass roof going to get me there as well as a 13 year old fiberglass roof? Maybe? I'm grateful for all the responses. I'm just trying to get educated. I'm plenty handy and not afraid to get my hands dirty, but I don't know what I don't know ...which is why I'm here. There are some problems I would much rather have.

5 years, 30k miles - that's the use case. Here are my options at this moment.

option 1 - clean sightseer (minus the mystery roof replacement for non OEM material, water stain in the headliner and any other accompanying issues behind the curtain. Keep in mind if this happened outside of the 10year warranty, the person may have wanted to save money with the roof replacement). It's low mileage and now with a rubber roof and a Ford chasis. 5 years from now, it's got 42k miles and still has a rubber roof. Maybe what's behind that headliner is OK, maybe it's not.

option 2 - a more used sightseer, well loved and cared for and being sold by a private seller. A crack in the shower (which I'm told doesn't leak hehe) and a dash blower motor that 'needs a fuse'. Currently at 70,000 miles and has some owner upgrades like Corian counters. Negotiable with a Workhorse chases. At the end of 5 years it'll have 100,000 miles if we get there.

I'm just trying to walk into this with my eyes wide open. Really, I was looking to understand too if anyone's done this before - replaced their fiberglass roof with another material, particularly on an older coach where the repair wasn't covered under warranty and price was a factor.

I passed on option 1 (for now). I'm going to check out and drive option 2 next week because it's a heck of a lot closer. From there I'll have a baseline for drivability for the model and what to expect for wear.

I really liked the suggestion about getting an inspector whichever way I go. I'm not in a rush, but I would like to have this in Winter as I have flexibility to use it in the Spring, and in the Spring things will be more competitive I'm guessing (but there will likely be more inventory too).

Thanks all.

BobC · 01-29-2021, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RamblinFam

I'd like to understand what you mean when you say "the fact that you are asking the question tells me you shouldn't be buying it?"

I apologize for being a bit flippant. My thought was that buying a coach that could have a myriad of problems under the rubber roof wasn't a good idea for an inexperienced buyer who didn't have the knowledge to assess it on their own.

I did have another thought, does the seller have any info on who might have done the roof replacement. If it was done professionally, the shop should have some insight into why, what else was done, etc. From your comments, it sounds like this may be coming from a dealer so info may be scarce.

There's no inherent problem with a rubber roof over a fiberglass in itself, other than a fiberglass roof is generally preferable to a rubber one (longer life, more durable, etc.). The fiberglass isn't structural, but is a thin sheet of Filon over a 1/8" layer of luan plywood over a couple inches of foam with another layer of luan on the bottom. It's the foam sandwich that gives it strength. The concern has to do with what damage it might be hiding.

One respondent asked if it was sheet rubber or rubber coating but I didn't see an answer. On one hand, a rubber sheet roof's integrity is easy to assess, but it may be hiding a big problem. A rubber coating, on the other hand, will still allow inspection of the integrity of the underlying roof but is a band-aid, not a long-term fix.

AZ Expert has a series of videos of a 2014 Minnie Winnie with catastrophic roof damage to the foam/luan sandwich, necessitating a complete rebuild. If the rubber roof on the rig you're considering is masking damage to the foam/luan sandwich, you could be in for big trouble. I'm less concerned about water stains than I am about the long "lines" in your photo of the ceiling. Here's the first in the series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI5RUMlDoT4

As I stated in my first post, a lot depends on the price. Even though you're looking at only getting five years out of it, if you're planning on selling it, future buyers will be wary, thereby affecting your resale price. Your purchase price should be significantly below market.

RamblinFam · 01-29-2021, 09:16 AM

Thanks for the response Bob C. I watched two of those videos of the roof replacement and have a much clearer understanding of how the roof is constructed, at least on the top-side. I'm less clear on the interior construction. Seems like, as previously mentioned in this thread it's a sandwich which top-to-bottom includes - fiberglass, thin plywood, foam, and then on the inside, thin plywood? and then headliner.

So there is a portion, in the pics behind the headliner that is dimpled for lack of a better word. Not sure how that could happen or if the headliner is on the block foam which degraded in that area.

I got some pics of the current roof. The dealer has been very forthcoming and says he knows the guy who did the roof work, so it may be worth trying to revisit it and now that I've seen the videos, ask how the roof work was done speaking directly, if possible, with the person who did it, and why.

I'm really grateful to everyone who's participated in this thread and provided resources. It's really helpful.

BobC · 01-29-2021, 11:13 AM

You are correct in your description of the roof construction. I can't tell for sure from the photos if it's a sheet rubber roof or coating. In the third photo I see what looks like some rough spots, which makes me think it's a rolled-on coating. A sheet rubber roof would be uniformly smooth or, if it has a texture should be perfectly uniform as well.

If it is a coating, it's probably good news since it would be hard for it to mask any significant damage. If it's been raining in your area, any current leaks should be apparent. Keep in mind that water often travels from the point of entry so the location of the leak isn't necessarily obvious.

The fabric headliner (at least on my 2002) is glued to the luan plywood with water soluble glue so if it got wet, it could dimple. You can probe with an icepick or awl to see if the luan is rotted. You want to make sure that the none of the metal cross-beams are "telegraphing" through, which would be indicative of roof failure. That's why the apparently straight lines concerned me. Water stains are easily removed by spraying them with Clorox All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach (no rinsing necessary):

https://www.target.com/p/clorox-clea...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

As you probably know, the roof is crowned side-to-side, so you should check carefully for flat and low spots which also could be indicative of underlying damage. The crowning isn't too dramatic so you'll need a fairly long straight edge. You'll also need to check the edges to ensure they're properly secured.

Good luck and we'll cross our fingers that the dealer comes through with info about whoever did the work. You should demand that you be able to talk to them rather than have all the info go through the dealer.

Blastvalve · 01-30-2021, 06:40 AM

My 2 cents. That original roof should have lasted the life of the unit. If it’s been replaced, especially the whole thing, something had to have happened. I’d really want to know exactly what happened, what the damage was and how the repair was done. With those pics of the headliner, I really wonder what’s going on up there. You say you are handy so any subsequent repairs might very well be in your skill set, admittedly this would be over my head. (Pun intended)

Also as noted, I’d keep in mind that whomever you go to sell it to in 5 years is likely to be asking us the exact same questions and may look to adjust their offers accordingly.

Let us know where you land on this one!

NeilV · 01-31-2021, 09:39 PM

The fiberglass roof is part of the Stress Skin Panel and therefore a Structural Member of the coaches roof which is part of the reason why a Winnebago can withstand being turned upside down and dropped on its roof without collapsing. Remove the fiberglass and you have a less structurally sound roof however leave the fiberglass and cover it with hundreds of pounds of rubber and you now have a top heavy coach. Either way its a bad deal especially with the signs of long term water damage inside the coach.

The correct way to repair a Winnebago Fiberglass Roof that has not been maintained properly so as to restore structural integrity to where its designed to be is to order a new stress skin roof panel and replace it all in one piece.

I understand those that make their money adding rubber roll roofing to a fiberglass coach will beg to differ however they have a vested interest in this and are of course going to insist that its a great idea.

puttin · 02-01-2021, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RamblinFam

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and hopefully a soon-to-be Winnebago owner. I've narrowed my search to one model - '08 Sightseer 35j and two coaches. The one I like the most is low mileage and very clean. The listing had some inconsistencies and when pressed I found that the roof was replaced and the fiberglass original was traded for a rubber roof. I'm not sure which type, I know there are some differences, but it's not the original fiberglass roof which I hear are easier to maintain and are, overall better.

Would this be a deal breaker for you? Also, on the interior I noticed the following which I had the dealer take pictures of. This coach is far from me and my plan is to check it out on Friday. I am concerned about the now rubber roof and whatever previous water or other damage that may be depicted in these pictures.

Thoughts? (hopefully the pics post). Thanks for the help!

I own the same year coach as that one. The fg roof has held up fine (although it's been in covered storage since new). In the 2nd picture there's clearly a water stain around the a/c return grill. Water intrusion can be the most expensive of all repairs and sometimes nearly impossible to completely fix. I'd walk away from that rv if you haven't already. Aside from potential windshield leaks there's nothing more in my opinion to watch out for that you wouldn't in any other coach. Our Sightseer has been nearly flawless in the 13 years we've owned it.