Fiberglass Roof

2manytoyz wrote:
Bought our current RV. Fiberglass roof has cracks where it meets the sidewalls. Too sharp of a radius. Contacted Lazy Days a week after purchase, they were no help. Their 30 day warranty means nothing.

Contacted the manufacturer, though it was only 3 years old at the time, they said they wouldn't cover it. But the year newer model, they have a TSB to fix it. Well, not really fix it. Cover the area with an extruded piece of aluminum, then seal it with a roll of Eternabond. Forest River dropped the ball on this one.

So don't get too excited about a 1 piece fiberglass roof. In theory, they should last longer than vinyl or EPDM... but poor engineering can directly affect that!



Video of the issue with ours: CLICK HERE

Already had some water damage to a cabinet. I've since sealed the area with RTV. When it cools off, I will fix the fiberglass area properly myself, building up and smoothing the affected areas. It's not complicated to repair, but it's also ridiculous that I have to on something so new. Even Ford still has a chassis warranty on this vehicle!

OH MY!!! I never seen that before.

I am not an authority on this, but it appears something much worse is occurring, a structural failure could be in the early stages. The house appears to be twisting excessively, first showing up in the fiberglass sheathing buckling at the connection between roof and walls.

I would remove the trim that finishes the edges of the fiberglass sheathing on the walls, lift the fiberglass, and check the wall-to-roof fasteners there, assumed to be screws. The line worker that day might have missed some screws between wall and roof, may have used the wrong length screws, or might not have torqued them properly. It surely appears that you have "early stage disconnect" between roof and walls. Inspect it right away before it gets worse.

If everything inspects well, I would still consider adding more screws. Also check the rear wall, another critical component in preventing the house from twisting.

When rolling the fiberglass around the curved edge to the side again, it might provide an opportunity to lay it flat without distortion. Also use the right adhesive to adhere it to the curved surface which might prevent it from wrinkling again. I don't know the ideal adhesive, but a "Flex Seal" product comes to-mind. A double-sided "Eternabond" type product everyone mentions also seems appropriate. Just make sure the fiberglass and mating surfaces are clean. If the mating surface is wood, I would first brush one "generous coating" of exterior-grade polyurethane sealer (to soak deep into the wood) for the adhesive to grab better. During reassembly, you might have to trim the edge of the fiberglass to follow the finished trim-line.

Excessive twisting of the house might also show up as stressed or deformed caulk in some of the seam work.

Forest River has had more complaints of poor workmanship than other companies, especially in hidden places, and you fell victim to one. They are not all bad rigs, but the company does seem to make more bad apples than most other brands. It could simply be because they make so many units so defect numbers would naturally be higher.

I feel for you. A young 2015 motor home should not have suspecting structural issues. I hope you find the true reason why the fiberglass deformed and resolve it quickly without too much pain and cost on your part.

Please keep us updated.