Cracks & Leaks in roof

[Craig___Karen]

We had the roof inspected by an insurance adjuster yesterday. Several large open cracks in roof skin with some damage to wood underneath. Soft wood. Area involved is about 2 - 3 square feet right in the middle of the RV. A/C and vents are not involved. No insurance settlement allowed. We called several dealers and found the price for new roof would be $5500 plus wood repairs. We cannot afford that.

Are there any options available such as patch and seal the roof? If we did patch and seal, what would happen to the wood underneath? Would the wood continue to deteriorate even with no new water intrusion?

We are full timers that are semi-permanently located in a RV park in SW North Carolina. Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated. Thanks!

[dramsey1]

I disagree with Donn0128 regarding the visual inspection. I paid for multiple seal teck tests and had mine to two different dealers on five occasions before I accidentally found the leak myself. It turns out that the seal around the shower skylight in the back of the coach didn't seal to the roof properly and water ran underneath it. The water then ran to the front of the motor home and leaked into the area around the drivers seat. I found it by accidentally stepping on the seal around the shower and seeing water squish out from underneath it. Visually it looked fine and pressing on all the seals with my hands didn't cause the water to squirt from underneath the seal. The motor home was under warranty and the roof was visually inspected by the dealers maintenance technicians each time it was brought in and it leaked each time I took it home. Visual inspections are always a good idea but in my experience it's just not that simple.

[crasster]

Pics would REALLY help on this one.

[theoldwizard1]

Craig & Karen wrote:
Are there any options available such as patch and seal the roof? If we did patch and seal, what would happen to the wood underneath? Would the wood continue to deteriorate even with no new water intrusion?

Any patch/seal is a temporary fix that might last a year or two.

The wood will continue to deteriorate because it now saturated.

[John_Joey]

I would find an RV place that can do the repair PLUS work with the insurance company on your behalf. If they can't get the money for you then they don't get to work.

[stew47]

Well I think the answer is patch it up for now and call a lawyer for later. You could cut out bad rubber and wood and just r place wood and rubber then use eternabond tape. Good luck. Oh check with private rv repairmen. Usually much cheaper than a shop. Good luck.

[azrving]

After thinking about it more, you may just choose to seal it up. If the water hasn't damaged the ceiling or caused mold inside, after the leak is stopped it may dry out enough. It may be ugly looking if you were to open it up but eventually it will probably dry out if all the leaks are stopped. It's all about money and how far you want to go with the rig vs living with it. If it's showing mold inside I would want it removed

[stickdog]

Craig & Karen wrote:
The roof material is rubber membrane. It was replaced 7 years ago with a 10 year warranty, but the shop that did the repair is no longer in business and the manufacturer declines any warranty. We have been very proactive with visual inspection and cleaning at least once a year. Last time we looked was several months ago and the crew that was up there to clean did not note any problems or weakness in the roof. We are in a heavily wooded area and know that several limbs have fallen on the roof in the past six months during storms. The insurance claim rep could not identify the damage as being related to falling tree stuff. We have had some very severe storms recently.

That is what claim reps do, DENY, DENY, DENY. Lawyer time.

[azrving]

The cheapest route is to do open heart/roof surgery on it. My son had a TT with rotted wood around the ac unit and was quoted $5300. He didn't care about making it perfect, he just wanted to nurse it along. We removed the front trim piece and made a cut from the front back to the ac unit and laid it to the sides. We cut out the damaged area which was about 1/2 a sheet of plywood, added some filler at the seams and reinforced the area around the ac unit. We then glued the tpo back down and stapled the cut and applied dicor to everything. That was 3 years ago and it's been fine. The same place that quoted a full repair would have done the same patch job for $3,000 but we did it for less than $200.

If you are not in a position to spend a lot of money or the rig isn't worth it as his wasn't, just patch it up and seal it well. Anyone who walks by will never know the difference. Dicor is like a miracle drug.

His tpo was felt backed so it was a bit of a pita to remove but just go slowly with whatever you have and keep peeling. We did poke a couple holes in it while removing but just cover them with dicor. Like an old guy I worked with long ago always said.....in a hundred years who will know the difference.

[Craig___Karen]

The roof material is rubber membrane. It was replaced 7 years ago with a 10 year warranty, but the shop that did the repair is no longer in business and the manufacturer declines any warranty. We have been very proactive with visual inspection and cleaning at least once a year. Last time we looked was several months ago and the crew that was up there to clean did not note any problems or weakness in the roof. We are in a heavily wooded area and know that several limbs have fallen on the roof in the past six months during storms. The insurance claim rep could not identify the damage as being related to falling tree stuff. We have had some very severe storms recently.

[donn0128]

Sooo, i assume you have not kept up with twice yearly maintenance. Otherwise you would have found and sealed the cracks. Since there is water intrusion involved and now very likely mold, if you cherish your health I would find the money and have it fixed right. Either that or sell/trade it for something else.

[10forty2]

What is the roof material? Rubber roof? Fiberglass? Aluminum? It will make a difference in how to address the issue.

As for the wood underneath, if you can get it completely dried out and the rot is not too significant, you might be able to patch over it and keep it sealed from further water damages.