Fiberglass roof problem 05 Meridian

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T

tugboat

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2009
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147
No roof problem for 15+years now after moving to Az from Washington state and always maintained the roof.......we now have fiberglass roof bubbling up in many places ...anyone have the same problem....any suggestions on a fix other than a total replacement....thanks
 
It sounds like delamination. If it is just a couple of spots you may be able to inject an adhesive to repair it. It probably is not very attractive, but probably doesn't compromise the roof.
 
This is a winnebago, right? I was under the impression the fiberglass roof was only secured at the edges. It will "bubble" due to thermal expansion but when cool will return to flat. The hazard is if the edge becomes compromised the wind can get underneath it and from there it can come loose. So the place to focus on is the J-trim seal.

"Winnebago bends the roof material over the edge and wedges it behind the side trim. Bending the fiberglass forms the nice rolled radius you see from the ground. No screws go in the fiberglass roof material. This construction method does not secure the roof material to the RV. "

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Suggest you look at a video re WBGO roofs. This guy calls himself the AZ Expert and in my mind he is exactly that. He works "where the rubber meets the road" and I view almost all his vids...... if you do, you will know a LOT more about WBGO structure than most owners, IMHO. If I were in AZ, I know where I would go. Good luck with the fix, hope it is simple. Stay safe.

 
"Bubble" could mean a couple of different things, but I suspect Mark's reply is right on target. The fiberglass is just a thin membrane-like panel and is not glued down, so it can lift with temperature expansion or shifting of the RV structure during driving or leveling at a site.

Perhaps if you could describe these bubbles in more detail, or maybe post pictures, we could be a bit more helpful.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
"Bubble" could mean a couple of different things, but I suspect Mark's reply is right on target. The fiberglass is just a thin membrane-like panel and is not glued down, so it can lift with temperature expansion or shifting of the RV structure during driving or leveling at a site.

Perhaps if you could describe these bubbles in more detail, or maybe post pictures, we could be a bit more helpful.
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It is actually thermally bonded to the foam insulation during manufacturing
 
Thanks for all the replies....looking for contact for Az expert?
 
Well here’s the update on repair at Lazy days in Tucson......
Never ever will I use Lazy days rv again. One would have thought it was April fools day .....well it will never happen again
 
John Canfield said:
What's the situation with the roof? My first choice for service is always factory service in Forest City.
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Well after not having any problems with the roof for 15 years it started bubbling in several places due to Arizona heat even so she is stored under cover.
I checked with several so called reputable repair facilities and decided on Lazy-days in Tucson who claimed to be able to make the proper repair. NOT very disappointed with facility especially service writers and being told we said it would not work which they did not.
long story short story changed at pickup.
 
Arizona heat wouldn't cause a fiberglass roof to "bubble", at least not as I would use that term, so I'm wondering if it was already coated with something. Without some better description of the nature of the problem (and what LD tried as a repair), it's hard to make useful suggestions. Are large areas raised in the middle of the roof membrane? Or small (dime-size?) zits popping up? Or is it lifting along the edge seams? Photos would be a big help.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Arizona heat wouldn't cause a fiberglass roof to "bubble", at least not as I would use that term, so I'm wondering if it was already coated with something. Without some better description of the nature of the problem (and what LD tried as a repair), it's hard to make useful suggestions. Are large areas raised in the middle of the roof membrane? Or small (dime-size?) zits popping up? Or is it lifting along the edge seams? Photos would be a big help.
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LD cut sections out and replaced with filon .....glue on roof deteriorated from the heat and caused filon to bubble in several areas some large some small ......not water intrusion no lack of maintenance some bubbles across the roof
 
Did you store your Meridian with power and AC available? The ducting in the ceiling would probably keep the roof a bit cooler.

Replacing only parts of the roof doesn't sound like the optimum strategy to me.
 
Now we have "the rest of the story". My take on it would be "it is what it is". If it's not leaking or appears to be compromised in any way then it's still serviceable. A patch job is a patch job and sometimes aesthetics don't make the list. The alternative is to scrape it off and replace with new. If you love the RV and it makes you sleep better at night having a blemish free roof then write the check. Otherwise it's just something you watch and maintain as needed. My view is that the patch job successfully kicked the complete replacement can down the road, so in that respect it worked.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
John Canfield said:
Did you store your Meridian with power and AC available? The ducting in the ceiling would probably keep the roof a bit cooler.

Replacing only parts of the roof doesn't sound like the optimum strategy to me.
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It wasn’t my choice I assumed it would be a permanent repair .....so much for believing the people at lazy days looks like the dealership will no longer exist in my memory.
 
Mark_K5LXP said:
Now we have "the rest of the story". My take on it would be "it is what it is". If it's not leaking or appears to be compromised in any way then it's still serviceable. A patch job is a patch job and sometimes aesthetics don't make the list. The alternative is to scrape it off and replace with new. If you love the RV and it makes you sleep better at night having a blemish free roof then write the check. Otherwise it's just something you watch and maintain as needed. My view is that the patch job successfully kicked the complete replacement can down the road, so in that respect it worked.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Click to expand...
It’s not what it is ....I just don’t like to be lied to end of story
 
Check out RV Roof. Com. A tree fell on my class a and limbs came through the roof. These guys replaced my roof for a third of the cost Winnebago wanted. They also gave life time written warranty and completed the job in 3 days, Winnebago offered no warranty and advise at least 3 months at their shop.

I have no more roof joints to csulk.
 
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