Rotten roof... 23exp

Aseig · 05-30-2018, 08:45 AM

Hi all

So we purchased our first trip ((we've always borrowed our parents )) .... And got HAD big time.

Told by a couple we recently ((as in Saturday 3 days ago)) purchased the TT from that it was meticulously cared for and maintained...

Well.... That's not just not quite the case.. as I got on the roof yesterday and removed the little winter cap that they had over the AC unit only to find walking on the roof I felt like I was going to fall through ...

Went back inside and started pulling the ceiling liner down and the wood is rotten ...

So long story short. I've watched a thousand videos read a million post and called a handful of rv centers ...and 7k for a new roof just isn't in the budget....

Can anyone point us in a good direction to start this project on our own.... And does anyone know what the roof structure is on these.??

Is it foam, Luan??? Someone said they have have metal framing. Is this the case or is it 1x2 & 2x2 framed....

I'm just not real sure what I'm getting into ...

The tpo on the roof looks great.... I believe all the water came from the AC unit as it is really sagging there . All the seams around the edges look fairly decent and maintained. Can tell they resealed joints and around the vents and exhaust ...

Please any help would fabulous...

Lolead · 05-30-2018, 09:28 AM

I believe I would call the sellers over for an inspection and a little discussion. Scammers, er, I mean sellers, should not be allowed to walk without notification.

Aseig · 05-30-2018, 09:36 AM

They won't respond anymore.... I'll deal with them...

At this point I just want to get the problem fixed. So we can used the camper... As we have a family trip planned ...

I'm going to start tearing the inside out tonight I think.. and see what we find ...

Murff · 05-30-2018, 09:56 AM

You won't be happy with what you find.

A letter from an attorney may get their attention.

You might consider doing what we did.

Like you, our last trailer's roof was bad. The $7000.00 you mention is in the ballpark. Our roof damage extended into a sidewall. We loved that trailer but investing $7000 in a $10,000 trailer didn't make it worth more.

We traded it in on the White Hawk we now own and we were honest with the dealer and they gave us a fair trade in value, considering.

Best of luck on however you pursue the situation.

Murff

ALJO · 05-30-2018, 10:01 AM

First of all state the full model of your RV. If it has aluminum construction it will state of a decal by the door. Check the cause of the leak before you start to repair. Post pictures if possible.

Lolead · 05-30-2018, 10:03 AM

I am NOT a " my soda wasn't cold enough, let's us sue somebody" kind of guy. That being said, I would write a letter to my lawyer explaining the situation and send it and a copy to the sellers, by registered mail. I would take LOTS of photos and keep detailed receipts of every penny spent on the restoration. Might not be a bad idea to obtain a written estimate from a reputable rv repair dealership before you begin repair and include that in your correspondense. Sometimes a gentle hint may bring good results. Best of luck, you are not tne first to buy a surprise.

bankr63 · 05-30-2018, 11:31 AM

There is a really good photo essay in this forum from a member who replaced the roof on his X19H. Should give you a good idea of what you are in for. It is not a job for the faint of heart, but if you have good skills, and preferably a dry place to work, it is totally doable.

If you do rebuild it, pay particular attention to the roof structure around the AC unit. On some of these units, the sag may have started before the leak. Once the roof sags around the AC, the condensate starts to pool around the unit and find its way back in. A couple of other posts here about how folks have beefed up the framing there and increased the drainage slope slightly.

Found the link, but unfortunately the photos have been dropped by the photobucket change of terms. https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ent-39639.html If you contact the original poster via PM, maybe he can repost the photos here on JOF.

Jagiven · 05-30-2018, 12:01 PM

What year is your 23EXP? Jayco has changed the roof design over the years. You can contact Jayco with your vin number and ask for the roof construction schematics.

Our 2012 23B roof is built light weight. The trusses are every 2' on center, and has thin plywood, when I walk on it, the roof flexes a lot, I'm a it north of 200 lbs.

Personally, I would not have touched the ceiling inside the unit, as you will now have to fix it too.

If you have one of the older flat roof units, they are known to sag around the AC unit and often leak in that area.

If it is a flat roof unit, I would consider two options, first removing the roofing material, and replace the thin plywood and apply a new spray-on roof. The other option I would strongly consider is installing a new roof over the existing plywood roof. I would cut new arched stringers and lay them over the existing stingers, with the center maybe 1.5 high in the center and 0 thickness at the edge. Deck it with new plywood. The arch will shed water like the newer TTs.

As for a new roof material, I would seriously look at a spray on roof. I have never done it, a co-work (retiring tomorrow, luck guy) did it to his last TT. The rubber roofing on these TTs are extremely thin, and tear really easily. The overall design is to keep the weight down.

Let us know how you proceed, and post updates with pictures.

Scott91370 · 05-30-2018, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bankr63

There is a really good photo essay in this forum from a member who replaced the roof on his X19H. Should give you a good idea of what you are in for. It is not a job for the faint of heart, but if you have good skills, and preferably a dry place to work, it is totally doable.

Found the link, but unfortunately the photos have been dropped by the photobucket change of terms. https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ent-39639.html If you contact the original poster via PM, maybe he can repost the photos here on JOF.

This is my rebuild. I have all the pictures still and would be glad to send the entire write up, from the above mentioned thread, to anybody that would like to have it. I copied and pasted everything so it looks just like the thread only with pictures.
It is definitely A LOT OF WORK and I'm not sure I would ever tackle it again. But as the OP mentioned $7,000 for a roof wasn't happening. I would have sold mine for what I could and put that money plus the $7k towards a new one.

Not sure if it works for everybody but starting on page 2 the pictures show up for me (could be since it is my account it works). Try and let me know.

ALJO · 05-30-2018, 03:14 PM

If the roof membrane is in good condition myself I would careful lift it and repair only what is necessary. With an inspection camera you can look into the ceiling for damage.

bdreinv · 05-30-2018, 03:16 PM

Unfortunately its like buying something on Craigs list not much of that stuff comes with a warranty!What you see may not be what you get.Hope it all works out for you. Thanks

Scott91370 · 05-31-2018, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALJO

If the roof membrane is in good condition myself I would careful lift it and repair only what is necessary. With an inspection camera you can look into the ceiling for damage.

If it is the aluminum frame I can't see this working because it is a sandwich/laminated style. Once they get wet the glue delaminates and nothing will stick together (and takes forever to dry). And eventually the paper on the ceiling is going to change colors.

ALJO · 05-31-2018, 09:44 AM

The roof assembly is an aluminum frame then they install the Styrofoam then on one side the interior material and on the outside the luan ply. This get vacuum bonded together and from there installed on the sides of the RV. Then they roll on the glue and install the membrane.
If a small part of the roof is damaged it can be repaired by careful lifting the membrane (is time consuming), but if damage is extended over a large part of the roof, remove all material and discard.

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