Nascar infield roof question?

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Jeff Brown

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Feb 23, 2010
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I'm not a huge Nascar fan, but my dad has somehow become one in his semi-reitred state.  Dad has purchased a spot in the infield at Autoclub speedway for the race this spring, apparently a pretty good spot.  He asked me if he could use my rig for Race Weekend as the cost of driving his TT down from Idaho for the event would add considerably to the cost.  I have agreed but I have some questions about the safety of my rig and my dad.  He wants to put down a "Moving Blanket" on the roof and put chairs up there.  I don't see how a moving blanket could distribute the weight of a couple of guys who weigh between 180-200 pounds very well.  But putting a sheet of plywood would add too much total weight.  What do people do so that they can do this without damaging their property? 

I have a 2002 Bounder 36S. It has a fibreglass roof and a ladder leading to the roof, this leads me to believe it is a "Walking Roof", but sustained weight for sustained periods of time were probably not in the original design.

I see people on these roofs all the time at events like this, there must be a solution?  The current solution is to tell dad to stay off the roof, and find another way to view the race from the RV.

Thanks for the help, and I'm sorry if Motohomes isn't the right place for this but I didn't know where else to put it.

Thanks,
Jeff Brown
 
I think your roof can support an extra 500 lbs easily enough, but would worry about having that weight concentrated, e.g. the legs of a lawn chair. That can raise the pressure at that point to a couple psi and risk puncture or cracking.  And I agree - a moving blanket does nothing to distribute weight. It might prevent scratches and scuffs, but that's about it.

A thin plywood sheet won't add much to the weight and spreads the load. A 3x3 ft piece of 1/4" is probably enough for a lawn chair; 3/8" is more than sufficient.

And then there is the question of liability, should someone fall off the roof. I know I would be imbibing adult beverages if watching the race, and that doesn't mix well with roof-walking.  Or the lesser risk of somebody stumbling onto a skylight or roof vent.

A question: isn't your roof somewhat rounded?  Not all that great for a lawn chair and difficult to place any sort of plywood sheet to spread the wait.

Frankly, I would probably do it myself if I were there, but would be terribly uneasy if I were not there to constantly supervise whoever is on the roof. But how do you tell your Dad that you don't trust him and his pals? Easier to just say "No".
 
Jeff, I have been to many NASCAR races, but sat in the stands and parked my Bounder in the large parking area.  Most trips were to Talladega, the largest track and infield...hundreds of RV's were parked in the infield with folks sitting and standing on the roofs of all makes and types.  On longer RV's, many folks were on top.  I have seen eight to ten on some of the very nice units.  I did not understand how it kept from harming the roof and would never do it personally.  Good luck with dear old Dad.

You might get him grand stand seats and a reserved parking place...that is what I do....it works for me.
 
He already bought in row 1, so if he pulls in forward he can just sit in the drivers seat and watch.

Jeff
 
jeffbrown said:
He already bought in row 1, so if he pulls in forward he can just sit in the drivers seat and watch.Jeff

He won't see much of the race sitting in row-1 (parked between two other RVs) watching cars flash past the windshield.
 
Lou,
...and that is exactly why I have no interest in going! 

I dont know the solution, that's why I posted here.  Dad is really looking forward to it and I dont want to rain on his parade. If he damaged my rig he would feel really really bad, but he doesn't have the money to fix it.  He would find it somewhere, probably from a credit card,  but I dont want either of us be in that situation.  Dad doesn't drink at all, Brother in Law doesn't drink either but may or may not have a cold one while watching the race.  My concern is the 50 pounds per squair inch the chairs will be exerting on my roof at 4 seperate points and only 2 points if someone leans back! Not particularly woried about people falling off as it would be the ground that hurt them not my rv.  If a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood would solve the problem and safely distribute the weight I'll just make sure I have something like that ready for them by March.

Does any one know if they have hookups at the infiled campground at Autoclub Speedway?

Thanks again,
Jeff
 
  To start with I wouldn't lone out my motor home to anyone.

I have been on the roof at the races and all was OK.

I don't think they have any hookups in the infield
 
So Dad and BIL make some new friends at the race, and invite them up on the roof to a better view. Maybe add a few more chairs. And maybe New Friend gets a bit excited and steps too close to the edge. Who is he going to sue for his medical bills? Clue: It ain't the ground and it ain't Dad.

It probably won't happen, but if it does, you could lose everything you own. A hospital can run up a $50k bill in an afternoon without raising a sweat. And that's not counting the air evac from the track to the hospital.

At the very least, impress upon Dad and BIL that nobody, but NOBODY, else goes up on the roof.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
So Dad and BIL make some new friends at the race, and invite them up on the roof to a better view. Maybe add a few more chairs. And maybe New Friend gets a bit excited and steps too close to the edge. Who is he going to sue for his medical bills? Clue: It ain't the ground and it ain't Dad.

It probably won't happen, but if it does, you could lose everything you own. A hospital can run up a $50k bill in an afternoon without raising a sweat. And that's not counting the air evac from the track to the hospital.

At the very least, impress upon Dad and BIL that nobody, but NOBODY, else goes up on the roof.

X2, Not worth the possible consequences. 

With so many items sticking up through the roof, sooner or later someone is going to trip.

I saw a mid-80's Blue Bird last weekend set up for race watching. Those Birds have an aluminum diamond plate over the steel roof and he installed sturdy 36" folding deck railings for safety thereby making a stable sky deck. Short of this I'd be leery of using the roof for anything other than it was intended.
 
We have to realize that race fans do this sort of thing all the time. Whether it is risky or not. I hate to be a spoil sport and a worry-wart, but it's scary to think of people doing this on my coach without me being there to supply a bit of caution.

I guess the best advice is to make sure your liability insurance is paid up and not low on the Dollar limits either. Check with your insurance agent as to what coverages apply to someone falling off the roof, cause the regular vehicle accident liability may not be what applies. Better yet, check your home owner or rental personal liability coverage, cause that is what will cover your personal responsibility for accidents you are indirectly responsible for.
 
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