Rubber Membrane vs Fiberglass Roof
I am still looking for a Class C and have found that the Forest River Sunseekers available used (rentals) have fiberglass roofs. Can you folks give me some input as to which is the best option? I woul...
Forum Discussion
ron.dittmer has an excellent analysis of roof construction and considerations. Should be a "sticky" for anyone evaluating a MH.
All roofs can leak. I had a #1 construction roof on my RexHall. Roof was like a boat with thick enough construction that you could stand on it when it came out of the mold. But it leaked when new due to failure to seal the front clearance lights, and the clear bubble over the shower. Had a leak at the rear AC several years later when the nuts on the 4 tiedown bolts worked loose - operator error there; failure to check. Anywhere a good roof is penetrated, it can leak.
Not all fiberglass is equal! Many manufacturers use a sheet of filon. It's thin, has fibers you can see through the outside coat, and on a roof is exposed to the most damaging sun rays. And, not all filon is created equal.
I had a "rubber" roof on a 1972 Lifetime MH for 20 years and it never leaked, but I worried about it often. I had an aluminum roof on a 1965 P/U camper that never leaked in spite of it's many joints and a two-way Atlantic crossing as deck cargo.
This spring I bought a 4 year old Coachman Freelander "C". Roof construction violates every good construction policy: membrane roof material very thin with a fabric backing much like a picnic table cloth (once water gets to the backing it can travel anywhere); joints at every corner, and butt joints along each side of the roof. The only thing keeping it from leaking would be sealant at all join areas. It leaked. I solved the problem with a FlexArmor roof installation. At $150 per foot, not cheap, but no more walking on, or worrying about sealant on, the roof.
I was amazed to learn that half of the FlexArmor roofs installed were on fiberglass roofs. A good bit of that is warranty work paid for by the manufacturers. The fiberglass roofs are cracked and leaking when the RV's are new!
This is my 50th year as an RV'er. My experience has been that the most vulnerable of fabrication designs won't leak if properly constructed, and that even the "gold standard" boat hull type will leak if construction is sloppy. Careful, and frequent, inspection can counter all leak problems, but given the demographics (age and agility) of RV'ers that's a daunting task, especially in the cabover of Class C's.
All roofs can leak. I had a #1 construction roof on my RexHall. Roof was like a boat with thick enough construction that you could stand on it when it came out of the mold. But it leaked when new due to failure to seal the front clearance lights, and the clear bubble over the shower. Had a leak at the rear AC several years later when the nuts on the 4 tiedown bolts worked loose - operator error there; failure to check. Anywhere a good roof is penetrated, it can leak.
Not all fiberglass is equal! Many manufacturers use a sheet of filon. It's thin, has fibers you can see through the outside coat, and on a roof is exposed to the most damaging sun rays. And, not all filon is created equal.
I had a "rubber" roof on a 1972 Lifetime MH for 20 years and it never leaked, but I worried about it often. I had an aluminum roof on a 1965 P/U camper that never leaked in spite of it's many joints and a two-way Atlantic crossing as deck cargo.
This spring I bought a 4 year old Coachman Freelander "C". Roof construction violates every good construction policy: membrane roof material very thin with a fabric backing much like a picnic table cloth (once water gets to the backing it can travel anywhere); joints at every corner, and butt joints along each side of the roof. The only thing keeping it from leaking would be sealant at all join areas. It leaked. I solved the problem with a FlexArmor roof installation. At $150 per foot, not cheap, but no more walking on, or worrying about sealant on, the roof.
I was amazed to learn that half of the FlexArmor roofs installed were on fiberglass roofs. A good bit of that is warranty work paid for by the manufacturers. The fiberglass roofs are cracked and leaking when the RV's are new!
This is my 50th year as an RV'er. My experience has been that the most vulnerable of fabrication designs won't leak if properly constructed, and that even the "gold standard" boat hull type will leak if construction is sloppy. Careful, and frequent, inspection can counter all leak problems, but given the demographics (age and agility) of RV'ers that's a daunting task, especially in the cabover of Class C's.
