Complete roof system replacement on class a

Have a 2009 Coachman 405fk. Just purchased it and took it to a service center for roof issue. They just called and stated that the complete roof system needs replaced. They are saying that the entire roof system need to be lifted off and a new one installed.
  Major project.
  They explained it as it will be a convertible when they lift the system off and they will set the complete roof in one piece.
  Has anyone ever been through this?
  I do not question their evaluation of it. I felt there was some problems after the purchase ( was assured by dealer that the roof wasn?t an issue).
  Should have known better. 

Welcome to the RV Forum ohiotraveler

I would have to get a 2nd opinion before I agree to such an expense. Have they quoted you a price and time frame.

What made you think you had a problem with the roof?

  Well there was an area on one side about 2ft by 3ft that was loose.  Dealer after purchased that said it wasn?t a concern.
  I had a long time RV person get on the roof and  said the substrate had delaminates and i should have it looked at.
  The service center agreed and quoted a reasonable price.
  They called later and stated they had found multiple soft spots. They also found indications of water infiltration inside a light fixture along with roof mounted cabinetry that was loose.
  I feel they are being honest and are doing temporary repairs to be able to use for the season.
  They felt it would last the season, but because we want to travel next year to Alaska the the structure will slowly let go.
  The cost is estimated between $7000 to $8000 and I feel that is very fair. They have very informative through the process.

7-8K is way reasonable.  A good friend had to replace his Winnebago Journey roof.  It was about 23K.  His roof was one piece fiberglass so that may be the difference.

Welcome to the best RV forum in the known universe.

I have not used them but will if I ever have to.  I would at least get a quote.

https://rv-armor.com/

The roof membrane type has little effect on the cost or a total replacement.  All the labor is in stripping off top membrane/sheet and the substrate and essentially building a new roof. $7-8k is reasonable for that. Maybe even cheap, depending how bad it is.  I suspect that is not a firm price - just a working estimate until they uncover it. You should think about what you will do if they tear it open and come back with a $15k-$20k price tag.

Sad that a 2009 was so neglected that it needs substrate repair already.  Should have gotten at least 30 years out of it.

I would agree. We will have gotten a very good lesson before it is over i am sure. Not how we wanted our start of retirement and rv travels to begin.
  The appearance of the coach looks like new inside and out so hard to understand how the roof could have been so neglected.
  Feeling once we get through all of this it will be easy sailing.
  Our first coach was a Winnebago and had a hard top and we had no problems with it.
  They are working with us to at least get some use out of it this summer before the big tear down this fall.
 

99% of the time it's not the top covering that leaks.  It's the seams and around openings through the roof. In other words, wherever it is caulked or sealed.  As the RV jiggles and rolls down the highway or up on its jacks, all those places get stretched and twisted and eventually cracks and gaps open up.  The seams at the front cap and along the edges are particularly prone to leaking.  RV roofs need an annual inspection for such faults and the occasional touch-up of the caulk.

That said, some RVs are built more ruggedly than others, reducing the likelihood of roof problems.

Fiberglass or metal roofs have the advantage of resisting physical tears from tree limbs. TPO is pretty tear-resistant too. EPDM rubber, not so much.

After this repairs is done I will be on the roof monthly. The good thing is I have a building and it will set inside when not in use.
  I do agree with your prior statement that it was neglected.
  The roof material looks fantastic just like the rest of the coach.
  I got up on the ladder at purchase and looked over the roof and it was so clean and perfect looking that I wasn?t concerned at the time of purchase.
  The dealer had moved it inside where I couldn?t get on the roof.
  After the purchase I found it and took it back and was told it wasn?t an issue. Go figure that from a used dealer.
  My wife and I would never let someone own this coach in the future without fixing properly.
  Hope to get it home late this week and just enjoy traveling to place unknown yet.
  We have spent our time trying to figure out how to be serious RVers. With just being retired. We were just short trip rv people. 
  Bought this bigger diesel pusher to travel farther and longer. Getting off to a rough start.
  We just cant seem to figure how to be big trip RVers and where to go.
  Finding out big coaches are much tougher to find campsites to land on.

  Finding out big coaches are much tougher to find campsites to land on.

Click to expand...

There is no shortage of big rig sites, but you probably have to change the type or style of sites you are looking for. Maybe a little more upscale too.

Thanks. Life is going to be a whole new adventure.  The one thing that we have found is that RV community is very friendly and helpful.

As you start asking for 50A full hook-ups, you will find the sites get longer as well. 

If it does turn out to be a new membrane that's required....
I have been very happy so far with the rvroof.com product.  I had it done for other issues, not a failure of the TPO...
Anyway, it's not completely maintenace free..but nearly so.  No caulking, and it make the rig quieter so says DW.  I feel like it add a wee tiny bit of insulation.  A bit tougher too I think.
Price at the time I did mine was right in line with a "dealership" installed replacement of the membrane

I will go to their web site. Thanks

How long ago did you purchase?  Was there a witness to the salesman claim to nothing wrong?  Have you tried going back to them?  If you have a witness to the claims and dealer isn't willing to help, my next call would be to your states attorney generals office to see if they can help.  And please advertise the dealership so others know to avoid the place.  You may also have a good chance in small claims court.  I won a case like that.  I think you have options, I just hope you have anyone that was a witness to the claims the sleaze ball made.  Like I said, I won a case like that and the judge gave me the judgement before we were done speaking.

  I do have a witness that was there when the dealer stated he was giving a guarantee on the coach and also the same witness was with me when I took it back for the roof and when I picked it up and the service man stated that the roof was not an issue.
  I am waiting to pick up the coach and have the report and estimate for repairs before approaching the dealer.
  Being new to the forum I didnt know if it is allowed to post the dealer.
  Also I wanted to have approached the dealer and get his response.

Before I invested any more large sums of money I would have an independent RV inspector go over the rest of the coach with a fine tooth comb. Water damage starts at the top but certainly doesn't stop there. What happens if 6 months after repairing the roof the sides start delaminating and the floor turns into a sponge. Anytime you are dealing with water damage the part you see is only about 25% of what is really there. I would find it very hard to believe if the roof is rotten nothing else is damaged.

Just got the Coach home and will be reviewing the report from the service center. Had a preliminary conversation and they really were pretty thorough about the damage being confined to multiple areas that appeared to be in the early stages.
  Around more of the roof protrusions of AC, skylights and roof vents. The edges had only one spot. Front end had some evidence but was very solid.
  I have designed and built many things in my life and when I got it home and got on the roof it suddenly became very obvious what creates this issue.
  The roof design of this coach when stand and looking at it is designed to be a constant pool of water.
  There is no drains for the water to get off the roof.
  By the factory design that if the coach is set up and level there will be at a minimum of 3/4 inch of water depth that has no place to get off the roof.
  So if any seal leaks like AV. Roof light sealant cracks or over 100 ft of edge of roof sealant it would slowly seep in.
  This is defiantly a very bad Coachman design with the owners paying the price.
  Many times an RV is set up for long period of times.
  We all understand maintenance is always on going and an owners responsibility ,but who would pull and AC to see if a seal is leaking.
  As to how the prior owner did this I have no way of knowing.
  There is really no excuse for a design that doesn?t shed water. Think about it, that is why every house has a sloped roof.
  Not suggesting a house sloped roof, but consideration of how to get water off the roof.
  I?m going to contact Coachman and find out if there has ever been any solution to this poor engineering.
  There is many ways to create corner drains and Coachman certainly should have done that when building them.
  I have already figured out simple pathways to put drains in.
  Just a shame that this was not already done.

Better RV roofs are slightly crowned to assist in run-off, but just plain flat is common too.  The flat roofs usually drain adequately over the  side edges, especially since the coach is rarely perfectly level.    What is it on this roof that is retaining water everywhere - some sort of raised lip?

" We all understand maintenance is always on going and an owners responsibility ,but who would pull and AC to see if a seal is leaking. "

That AC seal is tightened from the inside.  You just pull the inside cover off, and tighten 4 screws.