Roofs-Fiberglass vs. Rubber/TPO
We are starting our research into Class A's for my retirement 8 years away. We'll probably purchase in 5 years or so when our current TT is 7 years old. One of the items that has caught my eye with ...
Forum Discussion
I've only owned RVs with a rubber roof so far and what I learned is the thing is going to leak at the seams or roof penetrations. It's critical to reseal these areas periodically.
My first RV was 5 years old when I bought it and right off the bat we had a small leak where the front cap met the roof. I removed all the existing caulk and resealed with the self-leveling caulk and didn't have any further issues.
Our next RV was purchased new and I removed the old caulk and re-caulked after 5 years. We didn't have any issues with it leaking. I think the same thing applies to aluminum and fiberglass. You have seams at the front and rear caps and the sides. You also have many penetrations for plumbing, air conditioners, antennas etc. This is where the roof is going to leak if it does.
The key question in my mind is this--at what point does the actual roof material begin to fail? My experience tells me that all things being equal, aluminum will outlast fiberglass and fiberglass will outlast rubber. The thing is that even a rubber roof will last a very, very long time with a minimum of care.
I don't know that aluminum deterioration is an issue at all. I'd keep the fiberglass painted and periodically apply whatever rubber roof treatment the manufacturer recommends to minimize sun damage over time.
My first RV was 5 years old when I bought it and right off the bat we had a small leak where the front cap met the roof. I removed all the existing caulk and resealed with the self-leveling caulk and didn't have any further issues.
Our next RV was purchased new and I removed the old caulk and re-caulked after 5 years. We didn't have any issues with it leaking. I think the same thing applies to aluminum and fiberglass. You have seams at the front and rear caps and the sides. You also have many penetrations for plumbing, air conditioners, antennas etc. This is where the roof is going to leak if it does.
The key question in my mind is this--at what point does the actual roof material begin to fail? My experience tells me that all things being equal, aluminum will outlast fiberglass and fiberglass will outlast rubber. The thing is that even a rubber roof will last a very, very long time with a minimum of care.
I don't know that aluminum deterioration is an issue at all. I'd keep the fiberglass painted and periodically apply whatever rubber roof treatment the manufacturer recommends to minimize sun damage over time.
