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Fiberglass roof

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Tarnold

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Fiberglass roof
« on: November 03, 2019, 05:23:14 pm »
On my recent tour of the factory it was pointed out to me, the fiberglass material for the topside roof.  It was a flexible roll of what appears to be 1/8” thick FRP.  It has a textured pebble finish.  Is it?  I see this most used in commercial bathroom partitions and I used it to rebuild the inside of my exit door(Chinook).  I ask because I just wasted a 462 mile one way to look at a 2552(they called it a 2700).  Among other things, when I climbed up the ladder, there was a blister about 18”x18” where the roofing material had lifted up about an inch ,right where the ladder and rear cap come together.  How is this product affixed to the substructure.  Glue, all over, or just attached along the drip edges. 
Still looking for a 2552, think my last subject, away out west is not going  to pan out.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2019, 05:55:29 pm by Tarnold »

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Volkemon

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2019, 06:09:45 am »
I have heard there are videos out there that show assembly of the panels...


 I am GUESSING there once was glue holding the FRP down. Mine also has a spot 'bubbled' by the ladder. . Inside the carpet on the ceiling is doing the same, but there is enough stuff holding it at the edges so one doesnt notice. 

I am going to do 'something' to cover my FRP roof, as the fiberglass hairs are showing nicely, indicating things are getting thinner.  :beg

ALL the screws holding the ladder are rusted, and slated to be replaced by stainless screws. When I do the ones on the roof, I was entertaining the idea of injecting some slow cure epoxy into the holes by the bubble after 'lifting' the FRP. The maybe a few hold down weights until it cures.  I have had good luck doing this with other forms of delamination in the past.


""You want to save money on travel, drive a Prius and stay at motel 6""  Forum Member Joseph


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Ron Dittmer

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2019, 04:35:13 pm »
Here is a picture of our 2007 PC roof, the left edge is painted from the full-body paint job.  The white material is unpainted.  I believe every PC past to present since 2004 and maybe earlier has the same roofing material.


Regarding bubbling.
Right away since new in 2007, I noticed two or three 12" round-ish places on our roof that were never glued down.  Either they applied glue but the fiberglass sheet never made contact to the material behind it, or glue was never applied to begin with.  I suspect they were intended to be glued down because they initially had a very gentle tacky reaction when pressed on.  All these years later and they remain unchanged.
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Volkemon

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2019, 04:25:12 am »
Thanks for that picture, Ron!

I have been debating whether to wrap the paint up onto the roof, or to end it at the awning rail. That angle really shows how the 'wrap around' looks.   

""You want to save money on travel, drive a Prius and stay at motel 6""  Forum Member Joseph


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Ron Dittmer

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2019, 10:34:13 am »
Thanks for that picture, Ron!

I have been debating whether to wrap the paint up onto the roof, or to end it at the awning rail. That angle really shows how the 'wrap around' looks.
Phoenix's painter did an excellent job on the top sides as shown in that picture.  But I feel he did not go far enough along the top rear.  The rear wall top trim and caulk should have been painted for UV protection.  It is the only unprotected part on the roof.  The front B+ cap top trim is painted.  Why not do the same in the rear?  Considering that we store our rig indoors most of the time, that trim has yellowed, an indication of UV break-down.  Just one more inch of paint along the top rear would have protected that strip and it's caulk, making it look and protected identically to the trim and caulk on the sides of the rig.

If I were to order a new PC today with full body paint, I would put it in writing that the paint work will include both the front and rear top trim and caulk.

Here is the top trim, just barely painted to look nice when viewed from below.
They should have painted one inch beyond the entire strip to include protecting the caulk.
If you wonder, this picture was taken years ago.  Today the trim has yellowed.


In this picture, you see the B+ trim painted, but the far side is not.
Had they painted the far side, 100% of the basic structure would have been properly UV protected.
So now I find myself considering buying matching paint and brush some primer and paint on.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2019, 10:49:22 am by Ron Dittmer »
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Engineerlt

Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2019, 10:51:40 am »
Has anyone looked into FlexArmor roof coating? There is a application site about 20 miles from my house and the end product is very nice.  The coating is thick and durable, it can take a strike and remain intact, without even a scratch. I have talked to a few motorhome owners who have sworn by it and have had there coaches for a very long time without any leaks. They remove all the fixtures form the roof, A/C's, vents etc.  Then clean it and spray on the coating which dries in 6 seconds. they even coat down into the coach where the vents were removed. So if you have a leak around the fixture it will run straight into the coach and not wick into the ceiling and go unnoticed. I am planning on having it done after the first of the year. Anyone have any experience with this product, good or bad would like to hear. This way I can have the roof railing removed and not have to worry about leaks from the mounting screws for it.

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JackD

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2019, 11:28:55 am »
I contacted RV Armor for my %th wheel, and am very impressed with their service and attitude. I gave them a deposit, then decided to cancel because I had no real issues with the existing, even though It is rubber coated and others have had problems with these.  The folks were kind enough to refund my deposit, and very courteous, and I would not hesitate to use or recommend them.  When I was considering, current users were very satisfied
, but it is not a cheap process.

Jack

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Volkemon

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2019, 11:48:12 am »
Wow!  Looks like an awesome product. Thanks for posting about it.

Step 11 of the process is somewhat mysterious. I am not sure if this step promotes adhesion? Seems to be what separates them from all the other spray polyurea/polyurethane. (Rhino Liner / Line-x, etc)

Quote
Step 11 : Depends on the surface. Step 11 is proprietary to FlexArmor and is not used by any other polyurea company. We guard it, we emphasize to the technicians, this is what sets us apart from anyone who tries to follow. This is such a trade secret that we have never found any other company who can provide the things needed in this step. It was designed for us and the process created by us and no one else in the country has access to it.

Found this regarding cost, source - http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=111785.0

Quote
found out that it is approximately a cost of  $160.00 per linear foot.

IIRC my 2350 is about 13 foot of roof... so figure ~$2500 or so for it.   IF I had suffered roof leaks, especially damaging the wood substructure, that might appeal to me.  But with that great PC aluminum support,and no leaks YET, I may just use elastomeric coating. Which appears to be needed after this anyway....  (same source as above quote)

Quote
One thing I'll add.... it's not completely maintenance free.  The elastomer coating is painted over as a UV covering...so eventually I'll be repainting my roof....
""You want to save money on travel, drive a Prius and stay at motel 6""  Forum Member Joseph


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Skier1985

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2019, 12:24:02 pm »
Hey Volkemon,
Sure would appreciate you posting what you end up using. We don't have any leaks but the fiberglass looks like it could use some maintenance . When I am up there to check the sealant around stuff I end up covered in those nasty fiberglass fibers. 

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Ron Dittmer

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2019, 05:36:35 pm »
Wow, I never heard of the fiberglass roof breaking down like that until this thread.  It must be UV damage from the sun because our 2007 roof (PC stored in a garage) is still like new.....no break-down yet.

Who else has fiberglass fibers sticking out from the roof?
« Last Edit: November 17, 2019, 05:39:37 pm by Ron Dittmer »
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Skier1985

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2019, 09:59:15 pm »
So, I wish my RV lived inside, but its previous life was in Arizona then in Tennessee briefly. You can’t see the fiberglass fibers sticking up.. . If I could I wouldn’t have laid on my belly to seal around the front running lights. Or sat on the roof while sealing the seam that attaches the roof to the front cab . But, after climbing down I sure could feel them.  I looked at my clothing and it was covered in fine fibers. NOT a pleasant experience. The next time up I put a plastic garbage bag down to sit on.  We store it in covered parking now. It does not leak, but for some reason I feel like it should be protected. I would like to try and prevent any unforeseen problems. The roof is yellowed, though its a 2004 and I dont know what color it was when it was new. The Rv seems to be in great shape for its age and I would like to keep it that way. Sun can be a terrible thing. The roof does not look as nice as Ron’s.

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Ron Dittmer

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2019, 12:41:16 pm »
The roof does not look as nice as Ron’s.
roflol
My pictures are 10 years old now.

As of last year, the fiberglass looks exactly the same, just like new.  But the white poured goop/sealant is more dirty looking today.
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Volkemon

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Re: Fiberglass roof
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2019, 02:05:56 pm »
NOBODYS roof looks as good as Rons.   (exactly)   You can see they overlapped the body paint up onto the FRP a bit.


With FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) wont see the fibers easily unless you lay down and sight down the length, like if you are checking a board for straightness. Like when your head gets just up to roof height as you climb the ladder.Then you will probably see the fibers reflecting.

Doesnt need a special primer, topside paints and automotive paints adhere fine. Wash, scuff with a red pad, paint.   Brush painting gets its best finish with a top quality paint like Interlux topside paints. Cry once, dont use cheap stuff. Thin coats, and you will swear it is sprayed on. 
""You want to save money on travel, drive a Prius and stay at motel 6""  Forum Member Joseph


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