donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
Senior Member
Joined: 04/21/2005
View Profile
 Offline
|
Several years ago several of us helped one of our camping buddies do the complete roof on an old RV he bought. Stripped clear down to the side walls, fabbed new rafters, covered then with 3/8 ply wood and installed a new rubber roof. Took a long weekend to get it done. Was really easy with three or four people.
Donn,Lorri,Max (rescued Lab)
Saigon International Airport 1966/67
|
LLeopold
Camarillo, CA USA
Moderator
Joined: 06/19/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Update: I finally had my RV tech come out and examine the condition of the roof and provide an estimate so that I can make a decision as to have him do it or do it myself.
To answer the request to see what the current condition is, I took a couple of pictures and here they are. Click on the picture to get a full resolution view:
He recommended, essentially, what I mentioned in my previous post (replacing the damaged wood both on the roof and under the front cap with "real" plywood, laying down new EPDM on the exposed area, leaving the existing rubber roof in place - he said that in spite of the discoloration that it was in very good shape, removing all sealant from the entire roof - he noted that the sealant in other areas had also dried out and was starting to come loose, and reseal both the roof and front cap - he said that air had come in through small gaps in the front cap, again due to age, and air came up from underneath causing the roof to separate from the wood almost like blowing up a balloon until the rubber couldn't take the strain anymore and tore away, and reseal the entire roof with liquid EPDM). The deformity in the fiberglass cap would be minimized when it is attached to the new wood (the air that got underneath is what caused the deformation).
Bottom line parts and labor - $1900 and would take about a week to do with prep, repair, replace, and conditioning, including applying the liquid EPDM over the entire roof essentially making it new again. And this includes a one year warranty (I know he's good for this, I've trusted all my vehicles with him as soon as they're out of warranty).
Since I priced out the materials at around $600 (minimum) from looking at supply places on the net, the rest is the labor charge which, in my opinion, is fair.
So, in this case, I'm thinking to forgo the DIY in this instance and "go with the pro" primarily because of the price includes not only fixing the roof, but also removing/repairing/resealing the front cap, and includes the warranty.
Now we just need to come up with the money. 
* This post was
edited 09/28/10 03:49pm by LLeopold *
Lou Leopold
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel Quad, SWB, 3.55:1, Rhino Lining
2000 25' Mallard M-23 5M 5th Wheel
Husky 15K w/EZ slider
Wen PowerPro 3500 Generator in a sound box
And I continue to tent camp!
|
B.O. Plenty
Minnesota
Senior Member
Joined: 02/04/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
If it was me..being an avid do-your-selfer that has also been called "cheap" at times. I would strip it all off myself and replace it all, not just a patch job. Replace the bad decking, lay some luan underlayment over the old roof deck to enable the new adhesive to stick well and roll out the new rubber roof and be done with it. Even after renting some scaffold and a place inside to do it if possible you can get it done for about 1/2 of your estimate. It would be all new. You could say "you did it".
B.O.
2011 Big Country 3250TS...2010 Ram CC Laramie 4wd Cummins
15k Super Glide, Firestone Ride Rite, TrailAir Tri-Glide
Just say no to Chinese tires.
Cylinder count: 27, down from 51
Twin Cities Mn.
|
LLeopold
Camarillo, CA USA
Moderator
Joined: 06/19/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
B.O. Plenty, your point is well taken. I talked to the CFO last night (my wife), and we came down to what it would take to fix the roof and where we would find the money (keep in mind, we're also prioritizing this expense with other things around the house that need money, it's more about cash flow and priorities rather than the actual overall cost).
So, I approached it from the perspective that $1900 as a chunk of money would be hard to swallow, but if I were to do the work myself, not only would we save on the labor costs, but we could buy the materials as we needed them rather than all up front which would spread the cost over the project time. That resonated with her, so I'm getting revved up on this new project.
With the weather actually getting nicer (we've had a very cool summer with morning drizzle, so I've had to cover the roof to keep the moisture out and uncover when the fog/drizzle burned off) I should have ideal outside conditions for the short term.
This weekend, I think I'll remove the front cap panel to see what underlying damage may be there. I'll take pictures and post them as I proceed.
|
txrparrothead
texas
Full Member
Joined: 07/13/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
If you think you can handle this go ahead.How much longer do you plan on keeping it?
I will throw out some logic here I use on my DW on a home improvement project.(there have been many)
She says "I think we can do this ourselves and save 5-600 dollars'
I say "probably,but it wont look professional and in a few weeks time the 5-600 dollars wont matter but the job will look less than professional forever"
|
|
|
J Walker
Oakton, Va
Senior Member
Joined: 06/12/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
To me, having a good technician replace the roof is the way to go. For $1900 it is a slam dunk. Here is a thread where a member replaced an EPDM roof of a 5er, http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24088582/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1. There was a thread in the last year that was more detailed where a member replaced a MH EPDM roof. It looked daunting, but with enough effort it could be done.
Jim Walker
2000 34' Damon Ultrasport DP
2009 Malibu
Brake Buddy
|
racer93
Concord nc
Full Member
Joined: 08/07/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
I replaced a roof once and the only real aggervating part was the 10 million screws in all the termination bars/mouldings, vents, etc. Setting the A/C down, and back up was a tough 2 man job but that was the the worst of it. Just be careful when going back together that all peices fit corrcetly and all old sealant is removed. Also, roll the epdm up so you can glue, unroll, and smooth out as you go, but test fit it before you roll it up and maintain its position so you dont get crooked or short at the end. Go to a roofing supply company such as ABC Supply Co (google for locations) to get your supplys, some stores will custom cut for your desired size ( get plenty big in case you get crooked, you will trim excess off). Good luck and keep us posted!
2010 Jayflight G2 32RLS
1998 Chevy Dually (Gas Guzzlin' Powerhouse)
|
LAdams
Northern Illinois
Moderator
Joined: 10/06/2000
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
If it were me Lou, also being an avid DIY'er, I'd do the job myself and probably pull the entire roof, make any necessary repairs, and re-roof... Don't overlook Eternabond for sealing roof vents, fridge vents, tank vents, etc... I have done about 90% of my TT roof with the 4" Eternabond and everything is dry and comfy...
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
w/ 6.8L (415 C.I.) V-10/3:73LS/4R100
Banks Power Pack w/Trans Command & OttoMind
2006 Nomad 3150 Double Slide (Bunkhouse)
Hensley Arrow
Jordan Ultima 2020
HUNTER THERMOSTAT INSTALL
HOME MADE WHEEL CHOCKS
|
Pirate
East Of The Mississippi
Senior Member
Joined: 05/20/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Why couldn't you buy the 3 or 4 foot rolls of eternabond and just do the roof that way?
|
Pirate
East Of The Mississippi
Senior Member
Joined: 05/20/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I guess another question would be = why not replace the roof with a continuous roll of aluminum. I read a post about it. I think the roll for a 36' RV would be around a grand.
|
|
|
|
