Holiday Rambler Aluminum Roof

[MagillaGorilla]

What can you guys tell me about the Aluminum roof that was used on a 2005 HR? Where do they rate in comparison to a fiberglass roof or a rubber roof? What is good about them? What is bad about them?

[Kidoo]

You cannot go wrong with alu. It could bend, puncture, dent, but it would be very easy to repair. It will not decay, will not tear apart, will not get porous, does not need any special stuff to remove gel coat oxidation, it will not build fongus, will not wave like I saw on some rubber roof on class C RV. If you want to screw something on the roof, it will be much easier than with a membrane.

[Orphamedora]

I have an 83 Winnebago with aluminum roof. It is bare metal and is in great shape after 32 years. Have put eternabond around the seams at the edges and have never had leaks. I'd say aluminum is the best. Don't know why they still don't use it.

[MagillaGorilla]

So it sounds like we will be happy with the aluminum roof. I thought as much and that played a pig part in the switch to the MH.

[C-Leigh_Racing]

Have a 99 Vacationer with the aluminum roof, love it. Someone would have to be very fast to catch me & give me a coach with a fiberglass or rubber roof system.

Its kinda like this, our old house has the tiners tin on it, well when Floyd came trough, some of the tin was blown off from the high winds.
Our insurance company, told us they would they would replace the roof completely with plywood & shingles if we agreed, so the wife was considering it until I asked her how long that tin roof had been on the house. She replyed, as long as I can remember & as far has she knew the house was built in the early 40s & you want to replace that with cheap 15 year shingles.
Didnt take her long to call our insurance company back.
So, as the saying goes, why have something that has failure engineered into it.

If I had to say what would be the number one problem with an RV, it would have to be roof leaks, because when you get one, that RV is on its way to destruction.
One other note, lot of the early H/Rs have aluminum body framing, aluminum square tubing welded together, not 2X2 sticks screwed or glued to each other.
Neil

[fcooper]

On my 2000 HR Endeavor, the aluminum roof overlaps the top of the front cap. The tape seals most of it, but the curved edges are a caulk seal. Watch the caulk in those curved areas, as the flexing of the coach will cause early failure of the caulk. I used marine 5200 sealant, but may regret that move if I ever need to remove it.

Overall, the aluminum roof has been very durable.

Fred

[rgatijnet1]

As with any RV roof, it is a good idea to check the roof on a regular basis. With only one seam down the middle and the two joints at the front and rear caps, there is not much to check unless the Eternabond tape has been punctured. The roof itself never needs to be coated with any sealant since it is solid aluminum that is not going to crack. The aluminum roof also is not going to deteriorate because of sun damage.

[MagillaGorilla]

Thanks all. The roof on our new (to us) HR is a peaked style. I honestly don't care about rain noise. So if it happens its OK.


For those that have them; How often do you have to reseal them?

[doxiemom11]

We have a 2000 Monaco with an aluminum roof and it's still bright white and shiny. We have insulation that keeps it quiet when raining. I'm sure hail would be noisy, but haven't experienced any since we have been in it. The vent covers do let noise in. We eliminated that noise by using the insulation pillows for the vents if it raining hard. DH walks on it to clean it and do maintenance on AC units etc and no problem with denting.

[Kidoo]

Easy to clean, looks good, very durable, I do not hear the rain anymore than in any other camper I slept

[DSDP_Don]

I had a 2005 Monaco Diplomat for 10 years. No issues at all with the aluminum roof. It was painted white and I waxed it about once a year. Very easy to attach things to, like sat dishes and easy to repair with Dicor.

It had to rain pretty hard for us to hear it. Probably had a lot to do with Monaco's roof installation.

[rgatijnet1]

If it is like the peaked aluminum roof used on other Monaco brands, it is very durable with one seam down the middle. The aluminum is strong enough to set a lawn chair on the roof and not subject to easily denting. It is also as quiet as the later fiberglass roofs that they switched to. There will be joints at the front and rear caps that will need to be checked for leaks.

[donn0128]

Long lasting noisy in hard rain or hail easily dented.