Securing ballooned roof membrane for travel

txloser

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Drove from Colorado to Texas today. Encountered the worst storm I’ve ever driven in. No where to pull off, and crawled through it. Had to 50-60 mph winds and some hail.


Anyway, it was bad enough I got up on the roof after arrival in Amarillo to find the front of the roof membrane up to first AC inflated. Suggestions for the remainder of my drive to DFW? Can’t find any obvious holes or tears, but it’s obviously lose now.

Edit: this maybe the culprit? Membrane torn up at the front corner of the AC unit base.
 

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Was headed out for some dicor but a storm is headed this way, so it wouldn’t have time to cure. I had Eternabond on hand and taped up that AC corner where it’s all torn and along the front cap where it actually pulled the dicor apart. Looks like a new roof is in my future. I went almost this entire trip from Texas to Yellowstone and back with zero issue. First roof issue in 8 years of RVing.
 
Sorry to hear about your issue. Since it is a 2024 it will still be under warranty and seems like a glue failure or not enough glue. Before I do anything besides what you have done to keep the water out, I would call Grand Design and ask them this question. Anything we might suggest may cause a warranty issue with GD.

Rob
 
My issue with a warranty repair is.....it will be repaired in the same manner in which the original room was installed. I have never been satisfied with they way my roof was installed as it had wrinkles and bubbles in it from the jump. I do not want to have an issue from weak roofing install during a trip so I am having another roof installed on mine in about 3 weeks.
 
Sorry to hear about your issue. Since it is a 2024 it will still be under warranty and seems like a glue failure or not enough glue. Before I do anything besides what you have done to keep the water out, I would call Grand Design and ask them this question. Anything we might suggest may cause a warranty issue with GD.

Rob

Called GD this morning per your advice before we headed from Amarillo to DFW. Opened a case and told them I secured what I could with Eternabond. They said that won’t effect any claim. Since it’s a new(6 months) trailer and long trip I’d preemptively scheduled a dealer visit for Monday anyway. I also got a quote from Flex Armor in Denton. I’m really considering just doing that. I just need to convince the wife and come to terms with the price tag. Also research it more to see what the pitfalls are.
 
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My issue with a warranty repair is.....it will be repaired in the same manner in which the original room was installed. I have never been satisfied with the way my roof was installed as it had wrinkles and bubbles in it from the jump. I do not want to have an issue from weak roofing install during a trip so I am having another roof installed on mine in about 3 weeks.

Same type of roof or something different?
 
Called GD this morning per your advice before we headed from Amarillo to DFW. Opened a case and told them I secured what I could with Eternabond. They said that won’t effect any claim. Since it’s a new(6 months) trailer and long trip I’d preemptively scheduled a dealer visit for Monday anyway. I also got a quote from Flex Armor in Denton. I’m really considering just doing that. I just need to convince the wife and come to terms with the price tag. Also research it more to see what the pitfalls are.
It's a brand new trailer and for all you know the storm you drove through is what caused the issue. Find a quality installer and have a new roof installed on Grand Designs dime. You paid for the warranty when you bought the trailer, take advantage of that. We've had three 5th wheels over the last 20 years, and had no issues with the roof on any of them. RV Armor and FlexArmor are both supposed to be excellent products, but you've spent the thousands of dollars for a new trailer with warranty. Save the thousands of dollars a new roof would cost with them, and spend it on camping. JMO of course. You can always do the new roof tango if the replacement isn't up to snuff.
 
It's a brand new trailer and for all you know the storm you drove through is what caused the issue. Find a quality installer and have a new roof installed on Grand Designs dime. You paid for the warranty when you bought the trailer, take advantage of that. We've had three 5th wheels over the last 20 years, and had no issues with the roof on any of them. RV Armor and FlexArmor are both supposed to be excellent products, but you've spent the thousands of dollars for a new trailer with warranty. Save the thousands of dollars a new roof would cost with them, and spend it on camping. JMO of course. You can always do the new roof tango if the replacement isn't up to snuff.

I agree. Let GD fix it on their dime and if it is still an issue spend your own.

Rob
 
I agree. Let GD fix it on their dime and if it is still an issue spend your own.

Rob

I may go that route. To make matter worse, it was 101 here yesterday no chance of rain in my area as I watched the nightly news. I was tired so decided not to run the trailer back to covered storage and do it this morning. It then proceeded to storm last night. No way of knowing what got wet under any torn areas. Guess I’ll be leaving it out in the sun till Monday now and hoping for the best.

I need to change my screen name to storm magnet. Lol
 
I agree. Let GD fix it on their dime and if it is still an issue spend your own.

Rob

The more I think about this, I’m leaning towards getting the Flex Armor. Is it expensive? yes. But, so was my trailer and truck. Assuming GD approves the repair, I save a boat load of money, but I’ve got the same stupid weak roof, and maybe do this down the road anyway. A small tree branch, glue letting lose, etc and I’m back where I started. Second to that, I rarely get anything done from a dealer that doesn’t require tweaking or a complete do over. Aside from cost and weight, I really don’t get why RV manufactures of tall RV’s go with this material. It’s a hard sided trailer with a rubber tent glued on the top. Makes no sense from a durability standpoint.

I passed many trailers on my trip with a ballooning roof. Maybe I had this issue earlier on and wasn’t aware as many of them probably were not. It was a common site over 3000 miles.

The cheap side of me doesn’t want to part with the coin, but that same cheap guy didn’t PPF his new truck and now has rock chips on all the forward facing surfaces, and somehow even the rear.
 
The more I think about this, I’m leaning towards getting the Flex Armor. Is it expensive? yes. But, so was my trailer and truck. Assuming GD approves the repair, I save a boat load of money, but I’ve got the same stupid weak roof, and maybe do this down the road anyway. A small tree branch, glue letting lose, etc and I’m back where I started. Second to that, I rarely get anything done from a dealer that doesn’t require tweaking or a complete do over. Aside from cost and weight, I really don’t get why RV manufactures of tall RV’s go with this material. It’s a hard sided trailer with a rubber tent glued on the top. Makes no sense from a durability standpoint.

I passed many trailers on my trip with a ballooning roof. Maybe I had this issue earlier on and wasn’t aware as many of them probably were not. It was a common site over 3000 miles.

The cheap side of me doesn’t want to part with the coin, but that same cheap guy didn’t PPF his new truck and now has rock chips on all the forward facing surfaces, and somehow even the rear.

Your coin really. I have thought about RV Flex Armor as well but for now just going to keep the roof the 5ver came with.

Rob
 
Personally, I would still go with GD and the warranty. Why spend money you don't need to. Could it fail again? Maybe. Spend the money then. Another reason for me is my treasurer (DW) would never approve spending money I don't need to....
 
Your points are valid. Thanks for the input. If I didn't have an issue and then didn't notice so many others with issues, this wouldn't be on my radar. I'd just continue to make the climb up Mt Dicor and do regular maintenance as I've done for years. I'll still take it into the dealership tomorrow for my scheduled appt and see what they say. I'm a little concerned too as we got some serious unforcasted rain the night I brought it home(enough to flood some of my back yard). I got up there yesterday after washing it and found some new tears around the AC sheet metal and bare plywood. 1/3 of the roof was ballooning sitting still due to heat build up. Probably has it's own ecosystem going on under there. I'm keeping it outside in the 100 degree heat in hopes that whatever is wet will dry.

Just seems like since it's damaged, the best repair is a better repair, but it's $8k most likely. Which is a lot in my financial world. Maybe I'll justify it to the wife by saying I skipped the full body paint, generator, dishwasher, and washer/dryer since those would be nice but aren't needed for a more robust roof.

I'll keep you posted on what the dealer and GD decide. Timeline is important too. If the dealer says it'll be a month for the GD back and forth and then finding time to get it done, that'll make my decision easy. Don't want it sitting on the lot with a compromised roof long term, but I also realize I'm not the only customer that feels their situation needs to be addressed quickly.
 
The more I think about this, I’m leaning towards getting the Flex Armor. Is it expensive? yes. But, so was my trailer and truck. Assuming GD approves the repair, I save a boat load of money, but I’ve got the same stupid weak roof, and maybe do this down the road anyway. A small tree branch, glue letting lose, etc and I’m back where I started. Second to that, I rarely get anything done from a dealer that doesn’t require tweaking or a complete do over. Aside from cost and weight, I really don’t get why RV manufactures of tall RV’s go with this material. It’s a hard sided trailer with a rubber tent glued on the top. Makes no sense from a durability standpoint.

I passed many trailers on my trip with a ballooning roof. Maybe I had this issue earlier on and wasn’t aware as many of them probably were not. It was a common site over 3000 miles.

The cheap side of me doesn’t want to part with the coin, but that same cheap guy didn’t PPF his new truck and now has rock chips on all the forward facing surfaces, and somehow even the rear.
You call it a "stupid weak roof", but there are literally, yes literally, thousands of those roofs out there that have no issues. It's certainly your money and if you wish to spend it, perhaps unnecessarily, that is certainly your decision. Personally I'd have it fixed, keep an eye on it, and spend the money traveling. :)
 
Personally, I would still go with GD and the warranty. Why spend money you don't need to. Could it fail again? Maybe. Spend the money then. Another reason for me is my treasurer (DW) would never approve spending money I don't need to....

it will absolutely fail again. it is stupid to go through the same process with the same people, and materials and expect a different result
 
You call it a "stupid weak roof", but there are literally, yes literally, thousands of those roofs out there that have no issues. It's certainly your money and if you wish to spend it, perhaps unnecessarily, that is certainly your decision. Personally I'd have it fixed, keep an eye on it, and spend the money traveling. :)

while grand designs calls the bubbling normal, it is not. Mine has graduated from a couple of big wrinkles to now I have loose roofing on the driver side rear with visible waves.

grand design needs to correct the process on how they apply to roof...whether is too much or not enough adhesive, wrong temperature? or the adhesive is allowed to dry too much or not enough.....bottom line there is a problem.

I have seen a fair number of roofs ballooning while traveling as well. I am still working and will not have preventable roof issues end my vacation
 
it will absolutely fail again. it is stupid to go through the same process with the same people, and materials and expect a different result

Absolutely is a strong word for something that may or may not happen. The only absolute is that we will eventually die (hopefully in old age in our sleep). My Trailer is in the middle of its 6th season. I had quite a few wrinkles the first year. By the beginning of the second year they were gone. When I had to replace my skylight over the bathroom I created some wrinkles around that area while removing the old Dicor. They were gone within 2 months. It is the OP's decision to make, and his money. All we can do is supply opinions.
 
Dropped it off this morning with the dealer. Said he’s got two others there with the same issue and torn at the AC sheet metal. Said GD has not been approving the repair. One unit is getting a sprayed roof at their location by some mobile group that does bed liner on the roof. That’s a big no. Service rep looked and said “that’s not ideal”. Well, no. Anyway, we’ll see what happens. Also pointed out a 6x6 square of dicor right behind the front AC. Nothing would’ve ever been there. Maybe a factory repair from a little
AC install blunder?
 
Dropped it off this morning with the dealer. Said he’s got two others there with the same issue and torn at the AC sheet metal. Said GD has not been approving the repair. One unit is getting a sprayed roof at their location by some mobile group that does bed liner on the roof. That’s a big no. Service rep looked and said “that’s not ideal”. Well, no. Anyway, we’ll see what happens. Also pointed out a 6x6 square of dicor right behind the front AC. Nothing would’ve ever been there. Maybe a factory repair from a little
AC install blunder?

If it is the same 6x6 square I had on my 310, it is the cover over the access hole for solar power down into the basement.
 
If it is the same 6x6 square I had on my 310, it is the cover over the access hole for solar power down into the basement.

That would actually be a good thing. I must say GD does a better Job than any other trailer
I’ve owned on making thing accessible.
 
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