Walking on the roof

[rbpru]

A year ago we bought a 3 year old Dutchman Lite Series M-25C-GS. It was very clean and we used it all year, accumulating a total of 14 weeks and 8000 miles of travel. We had no leaks or other issues and I parked it for the winter with the trailer cover in place. In March or April we plan on a heading south.

My question is “can I walk on the roof” to do an inspection. While I have rinsed the roof off with a hose and checked the various seals as best I could from the edge but I would like to crawl up for a better look.

The roof does not leak now so I do not want to do any damage. Can the roof of a Lite Series M-25C-GS support a 225 lb. person?

[2012Coleman]

Is the roof flat or curved? My Coleman is a clone of your TT - made by THOR, and I walk on it to put on the cover.

[RobertRyan]

You get some very strong Caravans in Australia, on the other hand you get some lightweight rigs as well

[Blue_Hill]

I have a Gulf Steam Streamlite and the manual says to use a 4' X 4' piece of 1/2" plywood. I've seen elsewhere on this forum where folks have used a sheet of thick styrofoam with good results. It's lighter and there's less chance of dropping it and having a corner puncture your roof as there would be with the 1/2" plywood.

[dockmasterdave]

You may want to look at a thread I posted yesterday titled, "Great way to work on roof".

[jmdprice]

My 2014 Prowler Lynx, a very much entry level unit, advertises "fully walkable roof" in their sales brochure. I would not walk, but slide on a 3/3-1/2 plywood to spread the weight. Am getting up there today for the first time to install vent covers.

[rbpru]

Well here is the follow up. I sent an email to the manufacturer asking whether I could walk on the roof. The manufacturer requested the VIN to check their records. They came back as said not to walk on the roof.

I mention to them that the manual said to check the air conditioning which would require walking on the roof. I suggested laying down a plywood sheet.

The manufacturer suggested I use the old cement finisher’s trick of two pieces of plywood.

I have an old sheet of plywood that I could cut in half and use two 4’x4’ pieces; although some recommended 3’x3’ might be handier.

At this point which ever size I use, I am going to keep my “roof time” to a minimum.

[Peg_Leg]

I had a 94 Dutchmen Classic with an alum roof. There was no way you could walk on it. I used 2 pieces of plywood to work on the roof. Each plywood panel was about 3' square.

[Passin_Thru]

I couldn't keep track of all the men so bought a Arctic Fox but now I can't remember the name of it half the time. BTW/You can walk on the roof of an Arctic Fox or Nash not that anyone asked.

[Terryallan]

I'd call them, and I did call coachmen. But you need to hear from the manufacturer. Not ALL TT roofs are strong enough to walk on. Generally speaking, and I mean VERY generally. If the TT has a factory ladder going up to the roof. You can walk on it. Best to call though.

[Old-Biscuit]

According to 2010 Dutchmen Brochure:
"Truss Style Walk-On Roof With Fiberglass Insulation"

Contact them to inquire:
Phone: (574) 537-0700

[Ron3rd]

Depends on the roof. Only old trailer, I would walk only on the support beams or near the edges. The roof on my new trailer is a lot sturdier and I don't worry about it.

[spoon059]

TucsonJim wrote:
When they are building them, the assemblers walk all over them to put the roof, vents, etc. on. Quite often, there is more than one assembler on them.

Not true at all. Scaffolding is used to prevent workers from being on the roof when at all possible.

[rbpru]

Lanerd,

Yes I make the Dutchmen/Dutchman error annoyingly often. 😮 You would think that with the big letters across the back it would be obvious.:B

I will pull up the Dutchmen forum to see what the factory has to say. I pulled up the Dutchmen product site and they listed every model but Dutchmen.

With the Thor merger I wonder if they are still a viable model. The DW and I really like ours.

[dockmasterdave]

Most are walkable, some are specifically stated as not walkable.
Only the manufacturer will know this.
Many of the not walkable ones are on "lite or ultra lite" TT's.
Many of these are built using scaffolding on each side, not multiple people walking on the roof. It all depends on the construction of your unit.