Roof coming unglued on corners and top

[josten367]

I have a 2012 Puma that the roof looks like it's coming unglued. The spots where it meets a corner or where the roof bends up or down is bubbling. When I push it down it sounds like it try's to stick but comes back up. It's not the entire roof but I am worried. We are trying to sell it and want to get it fixed before we do. Any suggestions? It's 2012 so I wonder if it's under warranty.

[billmac]

My 2005 Cardinal had the front part of the rubber roof come loose and bubble up. A mobile rv tech fixed it for me. He said the air enters the front cap around the hitch. The air will get under the extra roof material in the front fiberglass cap. The metal band across the front of my trailer roof at the front cap had only a few screws, and not the 30 or so it needed. This allowed the air to easily come under the metal band and loosen the rubber roof. In my case the bubble or loose rubber roof was from the front cap to the front a/c. The rv tech put fresh glue under the roof and put two metal bands at the front cap. This was 3 years ago and no problems since. It took him about 4 hours and cost me about $400 to fix.

I see many rv's with rubber roofs going down the freeway with a bubble. Sometimes the bubble is taller that the front a/c. The rv owners are probably totally unaware. I mention my bubble on a Cardinal forum and one of the regulars with a zillion posts said he had never heard of it. I thought Oh, my bad, if you haven't heard of it, I must be crazy. Come to think of it. lol

[josten367]

This was the first time I have ever cleaned the roof in 2 years and 2nd time I have been on the roof (replaced the A/C unit). I cleaned the roof with Spic N Span, water and a sponge. This was happening before I cleaned the roof.

RoofRoof

[skipnchar]

EPDM or Vinyl roofs have a long warranty "against leaking" not against bubbling. The most COMMON reason for bubbles in the roof are what is being put ONE the roof (coatings, protectants etc) that contain mineral spirits or petroleum distillates. Both of these chemicals will penetrate the membrane and dissolve the glue used to hold the membrane to the substrate. In your case it COULD be some sort of wax you or someone else has used on the trailer and it got onto the roof during the application. Of course there's always the possibility on a fairly new trailer that it was not properly installed at the factory.

[Markiemark32]

Markiemark32 wrote:
Many roofs are like this, not all the way stuck down.

Has it gotten worse since you have owned it?

Good chance, dealer/repair shop will say no issue.

Depends on how much is bubbling up.

Markiemark

Roof's warranty has to do with Mfg defects of the material, from what I have read. Not if it comes up, gets torn, issues with how it was put on, etc....

[Markiemark32]

Many roofs are like this, not all the way stuck down.

Has it gotten worse since you have owned it?

Good chance, dealer/repair shop will say no issue.

Depends on how much is bubbling up.

Markiemark

[rehless]

Roofs are generally warranted for 12 years.