Holes in Fiberglass Roof
Can someone suggest what might be happening with the fiberglass roof on my 2005 Newmar Kountry Star 5th wheel? I've owned it for about a year and a half, and see no evidence the roof has ever been coa...
Forum Discussion
Thank you for the responses.
I really am trying to understand what is happening with my roof. I realize it is about 17 years old, but I was under the impression the fiberglass would last much longer. Thanks to Gdetrailer I now understand it is not a typical fiberglass panel but rather FRP, which undoubtedly explains why I can indent it with my fingernail.
However, with the exception of these two spots, I can find no evidence the FRP is failing in the way I've seen what happens when rubber roofs reach the end of their lives. Instead, the surface looks uniform and it takes about the same amount of pressure to create a small indent with my fingernail at the numerous random places I've tried.
I am still curious about the reason for the cracks and discoloration when I know there was no evidence of any cracking only a few months earlier. We live in central Florida where we've only had 5 frosts in the last two years, and no hard freezes whatsoever. However, something rather unusual happened a week ago when lightning struck a driveway and a solar light mounted on an aluminum pole about 40' and 50' respectively from the location of this damage. As can be seen in the picture I took minutes after the strikes, pavers were hurled some 20' toward our RV, and one paver even ended up on the roof of our neighbor's motorhome.
Click For Full-Size Image.
I found small chunks of pavers on the other side of our RV and as far away as behind our neighbor's RV, and parts from the solar light were scattered over a much larger area. In fact, I found the solar collector panel intact, although barely recognizable as such, almost 120' from the light pole where it landed after falling through a stand of mature pine trees. (The bare area in the background is not associated with the lightning strike but rather an area I'm preparing for sod.)
Although I could find no evidence the lightning struck our RV, maybe some hot debris from the pavers or solar light landed on our roof. Anyway, the damage has been repaired with Eternabond, so I can now turn my attention to trying to figure out what is the best way to extend the life of our roof without the constant hassle of periodic maintenance because we intend to keep this RV for many years.
I really am trying to understand what is happening with my roof. I realize it is about 17 years old, but I was under the impression the fiberglass would last much longer. Thanks to Gdetrailer I now understand it is not a typical fiberglass panel but rather FRP, which undoubtedly explains why I can indent it with my fingernail.
However, with the exception of these two spots, I can find no evidence the FRP is failing in the way I've seen what happens when rubber roofs reach the end of their lives. Instead, the surface looks uniform and it takes about the same amount of pressure to create a small indent with my fingernail at the numerous random places I've tried.
I am still curious about the reason for the cracks and discoloration when I know there was no evidence of any cracking only a few months earlier. We live in central Florida where we've only had 5 frosts in the last two years, and no hard freezes whatsoever. However, something rather unusual happened a week ago when lightning struck a driveway and a solar light mounted on an aluminum pole about 40' and 50' respectively from the location of this damage. As can be seen in the picture I took minutes after the strikes, pavers were hurled some 20' toward our RV, and one paver even ended up on the roof of our neighbor's motorhome.
Click For Full-Size Image.I found small chunks of pavers on the other side of our RV and as far away as behind our neighbor's RV, and parts from the solar light were scattered over a much larger area. In fact, I found the solar collector panel intact, although barely recognizable as such, almost 120' from the light pole where it landed after falling through a stand of mature pine trees. (The bare area in the background is not associated with the lightning strike but rather an area I'm preparing for sod.)
Although I could find no evidence the lightning struck our RV, maybe some hot debris from the pavers or solar light landed on our roof. Anyway, the damage has been repaired with Eternabond, so I can now turn my attention to trying to figure out what is the best way to extend the life of our roof without the constant hassle of periodic maintenance because we intend to keep this RV for many years.
