fiberglass vs composite roof

[nick_at_suncity]

any thoughts on pluses and minuses of each.
is the fiberglass roof worth the money??

[theoldwizard1]

cbigham wrote:
Looking for more, eh? Some , certainly not all, fiberglass roofs are very, very thin. On a recent shopping trip for a class c I got on the fmroof of a rv with a fiberglass roof, hand could easily dent and it sprung back armrest near the roof where sheeting curved to connect to the rest.

Not all fiberglass roofs are equal.

Agreed ! IMHO a fiberglass roof that easily buckles either has rafter/trusses too widely spaced AND/OR roof decking that is too thin AND/OR the fiberglass cloth is too thin. 16"-24" "on center" spacing for rafter/trusses is the rule of thumb on houses and 7/16" decking. With 22 oz. triaxial glass cloth you could probably reduced the decking to 3/8 plywood.

The big win on fiberglass is durability against rips/tears although I am sure fiberglass require more labor than an EPDM/rubber roof.

[cbigham]

Looking for more, eh? Some , certainly not all, fiberglass roofs are very, very thin. On a recent shopping trip for a class c I got on the fmroof of a rv with a fiberglass roof, hand could easily dent and it sprung back armrest near the roof where sheeting curved to connect to the rest.

Not all fiberglass roofs are equal.

That said, I have a pretty solid roof on my 39 funmover, rubber tpo stuff with plywood below. 2nd roof, replacing the factory roof was over $6500 bux, warranty said 10 yr roof, I replaced at 10 years coz I'm a good boy and wanted to get it before it got me.

You pays your money and takes your chances..

[theoldwizard1]

Bump ! Looking for more.

[pnichols]

Lazy Daze Class C motorhomes use an aluminum roof and aluminum sidewalls.

My Itasca Class C motorhome has a one-piece, crowned, fiberglass roof with rolled-over edges all along each side. The one-piece fiberglass sidewalls tuck up into this rolled-over edge for a jointless union that can never leak.

[theoldwizard1]

SidecarFlip wrote:
I prefer aluminum sheet over either but between rubber and glass, glass hands down.

ctilsie242 wrote:
Best roof there is, is an aluminum, one piece roof. Fiberglass is second.

What major TT manufacturer is using an aluminum roof ?!! Off hand, I don't know of anyone using fiberglass except eggshells !

[ctilsie242]

Best roof there is, is an aluminum, one piece roof. Fiberglass is second. Rubber roofs are basically expiration dates stamped on the rig, mainly because there are so many cracks around the edges that have to be perfectly sealed, or else one gets a leak.

My ideal roof would be a one piece aluminum roof, with a RV-Armor like epoxy elastomer spray over, creating a seamless roof. That way, a poke from a twig won't cause a major leak.

[ScottG]

After spending a day on the roof of a glass MH, fixing all the leaks and having the glass fibers swirl around us the whole time, I would never have one.
I'd prefer an aluminum 1 pc over all.
JMHO

[SidecarFlip]

I prefer aluminum sheet over either but between rubber and glass, glass hands down.

When I think of a rubber roof, I think of a latex glove. Not very durable.

[theoldwizard1]

pauldub wrote:
Fiberglass is a composite so I'm guessing you mean fiberglass verus rubber or some other flexible membrane. Fiberglass is much more durable over the long haul.

Concur, unless "composite" means something else.

[pauldub]

Fiberglass is a composite so I'm guessing you mean fiberglass verus rubber or some other flexible membrane. Fiberglass is much more durable over the long haul.