Roof Diagram/Advice needed

[Charlie don't surf]

Hello, new here ( obviously:hihi: ) My wife and I picked up a very low mileage 1998 3230 Designer Class C with a V10 and some of the nicer options. Sadly the dealer that I took it from was as bad at holding a profit as they were on giving any info regarding the care and prep of the vehicle, so a major issue has risen due to poor dealer support and a new RV owner. When we purchased the truck the roof ( not the II version with the fiberglass roof ) was solid black, after a few outings I noticed that my roof was the only black roof in the entire grounds so I asked around and found out the the EDPM or whatever coating that was supposed to be on the rubber was 99% gone, so I contacted the dealer and asked what I needed to do fix it and was sold self leveling caulk and rubber roof coating in a 3 stage "kit" which I then applied at the start of last fall.

This spring as I was starting to prep the truck for the upcoming season there was a bunch of swelling of the ceiling material beginning around our shower skylight and traveling throughout most of the bathroom ceiling and into the bedroom ceiling and some brown water in the shower enclosure itself as well as in one of the interior light fixtures . I got on the roof to find that the process that I was told to use for the self leveling caulk ( just overlay it on the old caulk, do not remove the old caulk ) was incorrect and now the material has picked up almost everywhere allowing water inside my roof system and damaging the ceiling, and the boards under the rubber roof in the bathroom area are just a huge mess.

My ex insurance adjuster "just happened" to know a guy that fixed this sort of problem since it wasn't covered by their policy and I declined to have him contact me, but ended up calling him as a last resort for advice and an estimate.

I would rather fix it myself, but........

1) I have no idea how the roof is constructed, or how to pull the rubber back, or if it is even possible-

2) I have ordered a new skylight, and a few panels of the ceiling material from Jayco

3) The "guy" that came to give an estimate scared the crap out of my wife about the roof caving in, the sky falling and the end of the world and she is ready to have the entire roof system replaced and sell it-


Any advice/info would be great, and sorry for the long post-

Reggie

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Charlie don't surf

snip......I would rather fix it myself, but..........

1) I have no idea how the roof is constructed, or how to pull the rubber back, or if it is even possible-

2) I have ordered a new skylight, and a few panels of the ceiling material from Jayco

3) The "guy" that came to give an estimate scared the crap out of my wife about the roof caving in, the sky falling and the end of the world and she is ready to have the entire roof system replaced and sell it- ........snip

Reggie,

When it comes to dealing with roof leaks, no two are alike in "root cause" or the "cost to repair". I would first contact Jayco Customer Support (574-825-5861) and see if they have any roof assembly diagrams they can send you showing the construction. I don't know what your "C" roof construction looks like, but this is what my 2005 Eagle TT looks like when I was repairing a "nasty" leak.........,



All of my wood sheathing was replaced and many of the wood trusses.

As far as the EDPM rubber roofing material, yes it can be removed (not uncommon) and replaced. Basically all your roof vents, stink pipes, sky lights, etc., have to be removed along with the top front/rear cap molding, and top sidewall gutter rail assembly.

Once you have the entire EDPM removed you then can confirm the degree of any moisture damage to the wood. Of course if you remove the old EDPM, you must re-install new material.

If your plans are to keep the 1998 "C", IMO it may be time to replace the old EDPM material. It sounds like the "C" spent more time exposed to the elements without any preventative roof maintenance taking place.

Bob

[Murphie]

I've known several people who have replaced their roofs. My father-in-law fell halfway thru his sons roof when when he was helping him fix it. He was fine aside from the ribbing he took from us. They actually pulled him thru to the floor on the inside.

Bob, that was a nasty roof leak. Surprising for a trailer that is not that old. Did it leak through the gutter or awning and run down the length of the trailer? Did you have to replace some of the sidewall too. Was it noticeable from the inside? Just so many questions.

I had to jack up my old trailer off of the floor and replace what I thought was a two square foot piece of the floor in one corner. I ended up replacing about a third of the floor and the supports that the floor sat on. That was about the same time I decided to trade my trailer in.

Good luck with your roof project. Good for you for taking it on. Sometimes you just have to start in one corner and see where that leads to.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Murphie

snip........Did it leak through the gutter or awning and run down the length of the trailer? Did you have to replace some of the sidewall too. Was it noticeable from the inside?........snip

Moisture was getting trapped behind the gutter rail then finding it's way in through the screws/TPO. The fleece backing of the TPO roofing material then wicked it over the wood sheathing.

......Yes, the Filon entry wall, Filon rear wall, vinyl flooring, and of course the entire roofing structure had to be replaced (EPDM this time) were the major components replaced.

The outside Filon started showing signs of delamination and a soft spot on the roof, the inside of the TT was fine (visibly) except for a small amount of brown moisture below the kitchen window on the counter top (moisture coming in from "within" the wall structure). However, you should watch for moisture "dimples" on the inside wall and/or ceiling surface if you suspect a leak.

The moisture issue on the kitchen counter top was a documented issue along with a gutter rail joint when I purchased the TT new (TT was on lot for several months)..., the dealer just couldn't trace the source of the moisture after several attempts.

The extent of the damage wasn't known until it was "opened up". I was fortunate that Jayco covered the repair, and my Jayco dealer did a great job reconstructing the TT as well.

I religiously had my TT maintained (roof, caulking, seams, axles, etc.) meeting all manufacture maintenance requirements......, thus the root cause was not related to a lack of PM.

Bob

[bereta1]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Moisture was getting trapped behind the gutter rail then finding it's way in through the screws/TPO. The fleece backing of the TPO roofing material then wicked it over the wood sheathing.

......Yes, the Filon entry wall, Filon rear wall, vinyl flooring, and of course the entire roofing structure had to be replaced (EPDM this time) were the major components replaced.

The outside Filon started showing signs of delamination and a soft spot on the roof, the inside of the TT was fine (visibly) except for a small amount of brown moisture below the kitchen window on the counter top (moisture coming in from "within" the wall structure). However, you should watch for moisture "dimples" on the inside wall and/or ceiling surface if you suspect a leak.

The moisture issue on the kitchen counter top was a documented issue along with a gutter rail joint when I purchased the TT new (TT was on lot for several months)..., the dealer just couldn't trace the source of the moisture after several attempts.

The extent of the damage wasn't known until it was "opened up". I was fortunate that Jayco covered the repair, and my Jayco dealer did a great job reconstructing the TT as well.

I religiously had my TT maintained (roof, caulking, seams, axles, etc.) meeting all manufacture maintenance requirements......, thus the root cause was not related to a lack of PM.

Bob

Bob, I noticed a bulge in the front of the front vent on my '06 29Y, and, the TPO material is pushed up. I can push it down, but it won't stay. It's not mushy, and, doesn't appear to be a soft spot. It's 4-6" in length. The ironic thing is, I just returned from the dealer for PM, and, an AC gasket. He walked all over the top, and, didn't say anything about it. Is the material below the TPO louan or plywood? Also, is it gluded, nailed, or stapeled? It feels like it tries to stick to something, but, comes back up. Thanks, Garry

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by bereta1

snip.........The ironic thing is, I just returned from the dealer for PM, and, an AC gasket. He walked all over the top, and, didn't say anything about it.......snip

Garry,

He may have not noticed it, I would call them back and ask them about the general condition of the roof since they were up there (but don't give away the location in question, see if they recall).

It's not uncommon to have small areas where there may appear to be a bubble under the TPO or EPDM roofing material, but a 4'-6" area seems a little large (doesn't mean there is a leak, as long as there isn't signs of any moisture staining, etc., from inside the vent area). I would check and see if the caulking around the vent is good, possible a small crack in the caulking is allowing air to get under the TPO. Also, since the air pocket seems to be to the front of the TT, check the caulking along the front cap/roof seam as well.

The TPO (fleece side down) is glued to the plywood sheathing, trimmed/folded inside where vents, skylights, A/C. etc., are installed. At the roof sidewall joints the TPO is pulled over the top of the sidewalls and held by trim or gutter rails that are screwed into the wood framing.

It might be good to check all your seams, windows, doors, vents, stink pipe, etc., caulking (should do this twice a year).

Hope this helps.

Bob

[bereta1]

I removed the vent cover on the inside, and, saw no evidence of a leak. I saw recaulking around the front cap, and the front vent, as well as, the rest of the fixtures on top. No mention of the bubble or bulge. When I press down it tries to stick , but, pops back up. It feels solid, with no soft spots. Jayco said it wasn't uncommon to see a bubble(s). TKU, Garry

Just rechecked the spot, and, found that the bulge is out about 3" from where the mounting screws are located. Could be that when the screws were tightened, it was so close to the rafter that it popped it up. Also, called the dealer, and was told he didn't notice anything like that.

[Murphie]

Bob, I couldn't have asked for a better reply. Thank-you. From the few posts I've read that you wrote about towing weights I knew you were on top of things. You would not wait for things to go wrong and pm was part of your regimen. So I'm thinking it would be interesting to see how this leak was noticed and how it progressed. What it tells me is despite some of our best efforts leaks can happen and progress even following the prescribed pm, albeit you were aware there was something going on with a roof joint and a window leak or something like that and wisely had it documented. Preventative maintenance is the time to be keenly aware of all possible leak entry points, not just the areas you've gone to caulk. Do things look the same the last time I was up here looking around?

Re the small air bubble in the roof. I had one on my previous trailer that would show up every time I washed it. It was always in the same area and about 20 minutes after I finished the air pocket would disappear and to my knowledge I never had a roof leak. It concerned me but never turned into a problem.

[Murphie]

I just recently noticed that You Tube has some good video guides on installing a rubber roof. There is one series on RV repair and the section on doing the roof is really good. Check it out.

[dfuquay]

we bought a 2007 Jay feather 19H from a private seller. he told us the roof was damaged at one point but it was repaired. and of course, cause we're honest people, we believed him. Our first trip was fine until we had a nasty storm, and guess what, it leaked. Needless to say, we now have to replace the entire roof. my husband is pretty handy but we're looking for blue prints for the roof. do you know where we can locate one or offer any advise would be appreciated. diane

[Jhowemca]

You may be interested in Eternabond tape. It's safe to use on your RV roof. Some dealers will even install it for you for extra $.

I don't personally have it on my trailer. Yet. I'm still covered under warranty for another year.

I plan to strip the dicor calk (as much as possable) but you don't have to remove any of it if you don't want too. It will bond right too the calk as long as it's clean first.
Eternabond is a 20-30 year product so no more stacking more and more dicor every year.
It must be cheaper for the factory's to use dicor. And knowing it needs constant maintenance they can count on selling lots of new RVs because it will leak eventually.