Sinking roof in front cap

[Wally n Janet]

We have a 2018 Jayco Seneca 37TS. Has anyone experienced the roof on the front cap of your Seneca or other RV sinking in? We first noticed it near the running light on the passenger side. A few days later, it had spread to the middle running light. We reported it to Jayco and it is in the shop under warranty, but 3 weeks in, they have not told me if or how they will fix it. I believe it is a manufacturing defect as we never hit anything, and nothing hit us. When we dropped it off, the service adviser stated she'd seen it before on various models, even trailers. If you've experienced, please share how or if it was fixed, and if Jayco covered it. Thank you.

[Grumpy]

Pics?

[Wally n Janet]

I've tried to attach a picture of the issue. Hope it works.

[memphis02]

Wow! Definitely more noticeable than I imagined.

[Bruceter]

I know I’m opening up an old post but, has anyone else run into this problem? Over the summer we had this same issue appear. Of course we are out of warranty now. Wondering what the fix is?

Bruce

[Scoutmaster253]

Originally Posted by Bruceter

I know I’m opening up an old post but, has anyone else run into this problem? Over the summer we had this same issue appear. Of course we are out of warranty now. Wondering what the fix is?

Bruce

I have not needed to do this myself, but I would check that this isn't the result of a water leak from the marker lights. This could be causing the structure inside to weaken. Do you have any evidence of leakage inside?
Then I would look at the inside of the bunk ceiling, to see how I might open the ceiling to look at the structure inside of the fiberglass cap. It might be that some of the wood structure is coming loose, allowing the sinking.
Good luck!

[Bruceter]

Originally Posted by Scoutmaster253

I have not needed to do this myself, but I would check that this isn't the result of a water leak from the marker lights. This could be causing the structure inside to weaken. Do you have any evidence of leakage inside?
Then I would look at the inside of the bunk ceiling, to see how I might open the ceiling to look at the structure inside of the fiberglass cap. It might be that some of the wood structure is coming loose, allowing the sinking.
Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. But there is no evidence on the inside of any leaking at this point. Like I mentioned this happened in June when we had a very extreme heat wave over a week or so. Now things are considerably cooler close to freezing and the indentation is much less. Like you mentioned maybe when I get chance I’ll see about pulling down the interior and have a look.

Bruce

[Bruceter]

Not sure why this post was found in the “C” section, should be in the “Super C” section

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Bruceter

Not sure why this post was found in the “C” section, should be in the “Super C” section

It was posted before the Super C section was made and got missed in the migration to the Super C section. I just made the request to move it.

[Rustynuts]

I just had the exact same thing happen in the exact same place on our 2018.5. It was after 2 weeks in Utah with 100+ weather where we were in the full sun all day and may have been compounded by having the over the bunk curtain closed the whole time. Didn’t notice it while in Utah but when we got home and I can see it from our deck at home. The bunk area ceiling is all put on from the outside before the cap is put on so I couldn’t take it down but I was able to pull the trim where the padded ceiling ended and went to wood panel and then pull down the front edge of the padded ceiling enough to get my arm in there and I could easily push the fiberglass back out but it wouldn’t stay. After it had set in the sun I wedged some foam blocks in there to hold the fiberglass panel pushed out in place and then hosed down the outside with cold water, I repeated this about 10 times a day for 2 days and when I removed the foam blocks everything stayed in place. With it staying in place I filled the void between the cap and headliner with spray foam and before it set up, stapled and screwed the headliner in place. After a day of curing, everything looks great and I can’t even move the cap panel where it dented in at all. Hopefully this will cure it and I won’t have to tear into it any more….time will tell. The issue is the fiberglass is thin and flexible and there is nothing to support it, I had to be careful when waxing the cap as in was easily flexed before this repair.

[Bruceter]

Hey Brian, sounds like you have a fix for the dent/sag or what ever we want to call it.
We had what they were calling a heat dome last June and had 40+c deg for a few days. The unit was parked in my driveway facing south directly into the sun all day, one day it was fine the next day it had the dent show up.
I had looked at the head liner inside to see whether I could some how push and prop it back up but didn’t get too far. I did use a auto body suction cup on the out side and could pull it up but of coarse it would not stay. My dent was in the identical spot as the OP
I contacted the original poster on their dent. They were still under warranty and had the cap replaced under warranty. According to their dealer there was a bad batch of caps due to a problem with a bad mood. So I contacted Jayco directly and a few emails and pictures went back and forth for a few months but soon they stopped getting back to me. I next contacted my dealer and let them deal with Jayco and they came through big time! This spring I got a call from my dealer to make an appointment to have the cap replaced. So I have an appointment next month to have it replaced at no charge to me. I think the dealer maybe picking up a bit of the labour on the replacement.
Anyways Jayco’s idea of painting the entire front cap in black is just the worst thing they could have done. Ever year I have had to replace the rubber gaskets in the marker lights on the cap, and I know most people seem to think that the gaskets are melting from the heat from the bulbs when they are on but we never drive in the dark and the only time I have the lights on is if we get caught out in a heavy rain. Just way too much heat up there with all the black and it is melting the rubber gaskets in the lights
I’m actually thinking on talking with the dealer on having the middle portion of the cap out to the contour lines that are molded into the fibreglass painted in one of the lighter colours that’s near the bottom at the front and sides of the cap.

Bruce

[Rustynuts]

I had a friend that does fiberglass boat repair to have a look at it. He saw no signs of separation or that it may have been caused by a bad mold, he just said that it is way to thin to be unsupported in any way and being painted black its the heat that is expanding the cap and it just buckles there. Since the headliner is lauan and curved he said the foam would bond the two together and it should never happen again.....keeping my fingers crossed.

[javamon]

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

I just had the exact same thing happen in the exact same place on our 2018.5. It was after 2 weeks in Utah with 100+ weather where we were in the full sun all day and may have been compounded by having the over the bunk curtain closed the whole time. Didn’t notice it while in Utah but when we got home and I can see it from our deck at home. The bunk area ceiling is all put on from the outside before the cap is put on so I couldn’t take it down but I was able to pull the trim where the padded ceiling ended and went to wood panel and then pull down the front edge of the padded ceiling enough to get my arm in there and I could easily push the fiberglass back out but it wouldn’t stay. After it had set in the sun I wedged some foam blocks in there to hold the fiberglass panel pushed out in place and then hosed down the outside with cold water, I repeated this about 10 times a day for 2 days and when I removed the foam blocks everything stayed in place. With it staying in place I filled the void between the cap and headliner with spray foam and before it set up, stapled and screwed the headliner in place. After a day of curing, everything looks great and I can’t even move the cap panel where it dented in at all. Hopefully this will cure it and I won’t have to tear into it any more….time will tell. The issue is the fiberglass is thin and flexible and there is nothing to support it, I had to be careful when waxing the cap as in was easily flexed before this repair.

Once again, Brian to the rescue! Thanks for writing this up.

[Bruceter]

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

I just had the exact same thing happen in the exact same place on our 2018.5. It was after 2 weeks in Utah with 100+ weather where we were in the full sun all day and may have been compounded by having the over the bunk curtain closed the whole time. Didn’t notice it while in Utah but when we got home and I can see it from our deck at home. The bunk area ceiling is all put on from the outside before the cap is put on so I couldn’t take it down but I was able to pull the trim where the padded ceiling ended and went to wood panel and then pull down the front edge of the padded ceiling enough to get my arm in there and I could easily push the fiberglass back out but it wouldn’t stay. After it had set in the sun I wedged some foam blocks in there to hold the fiberglass panel pushed out in place and then hosed down the outside with cold water, I repeated this about 10 times a day for 2 days and when I removed the foam blocks everything stayed in place. With it staying in place I filled the void between the cap and headliner with spray foam and before it set up, stapled and screwed the headliner in place. After a day of curing, everything looks great and I can’t even move the cap panel where it dented in at all. Hopefully this will cure it and I won’t have to tear into it any more….time will tell. The issue is the fiberglass is thin and flexible and there is nothing to support it, I had to be careful when waxing the cap as in was easily flexed before this repair.

Hey Brian, just wondering how much space do you figure there is between the fibreglass cap and the lauan? The reason I’m asking is I have new LED marker lights for the new cap going on and I’m wondering about the length of stainless steel screws for mounting of the lights.

Thanks for your help
Bruce

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Bruceter

Hey Brian, just wondering how much space do you figure there is between the fibreglass cap and the lauan? The reason I’m asking is I have new LED marker lights for the new cap going on and I’m wondering about the length of stainless steel screws for mounting of the lights.

Thanks for your help
Bruce

There is probably 2-1/2” in there. You would be safe using a 1” screw.

[Bruceter]

Thanks Brian, I didn’t realize there was that much space between the two. I guess that answers the other thing I was wondering which was why the head liner was dented in from the cap dent.

Thanks again!
Bruce