Roof Repair: What would you do?

On our first outing in our BC 2950, I managed to get too close to a tree branch in a parking lot. It rubbed against the edge of the roof (door side) about half-way back. Didn't look like serious damage. About a 4-5 long "wrinkle" in the rolled edge, a tweak in the angle of the gusset (or whatever it is called), some abraded patches (like road rash) and maybe a half dozen little cuts about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. Apparently dented a section of the underlying aluminum radius edging, causing one end to come unglued and try to lift away from the decking so that the edge is pressing up against the underside of the rubber membrane. I tried taking pictures, but there isn't enough contrast to see anything. From the ground, you just barely see the shadow of the "wrinkle".

I took the rig into the dealer yesterday for some warranty work. I asked them to put some repair tape on the little tears. Service manager climbs up and says I should put in a insurance claim and replace the roof. I know that's probably $6 or $7,000.

Dealer's reasons: The rubber is tan, the tape is white and will show. The repaired (tape) roof will be out of warranty and any future problems won't be covered, regardless if it is related to the damage or not. That aluminum radius edge will continue to flex and rub the the underside of the membrane and eventually cut through. It'll hurt resale value (Huh? I just bought it!). I'm sure he's also seeing $$$ income for 40-50 hours labor.

Would you turn in a claim? Or just tape the holes and watch it carefully? How likely is the insurer to non-renew or jack up the premium (Nationwide Ins.)? I can afford the deductible, but not a new roof. And I feel stupid. What would you do?

I would repair the small area of damage, fastening down the aluminum radius cap if it truly is loose. I doubt the rubber is any different color than the repair kits offered by Dicor (supplier of roof material).

I suggest another opinion from a repair shop (or mobile RV tech) - they should be able to provide a repair quote at no charge. You may have to pay for a quick visit out to see the trailer, but it would certainly give you another opinion from an expert who has seen the damage.

My thoughts.

Brian

I think I'd agree with the dealer and turn it in to the insurance company. When you get ready to trade it in or sell it outright, they'll notice the tape on the roof and deduct the amount of a new roof. Think about it, would you buy a used trailer with no warranty with obvious damage to the roof? I wouldn't without some deep discount.

How long do you plan on keeping the Trailer, if you can live with the boo boo, do so. Check with another rv dealer see what they say. As far as warranty goes if there is a problem with the roof (even if you didn't have your boo boo) will the MFG cover it, from what I have been reading from other owners not so sure. Yes I agree with you the dealer is seeing $$$$$, business is very slow for them right now, if you want it fixed ask him if he would do it for $$$. Does your insurance company bump up the premium once you have a claim. Have you had them a long time. Good Luck. One other thing if he did fix it, what is his warranty on the new roof he will install.

Resale! I would have it fixed completely. Thats why you pay for the insurance. Use it and move on.

My answer, and I have been there, Is file it on the insurance and repair it, replacing the entire rubber membrame. The only thing that matters to me here is warranty. The roof membrane is warranted for what 25 years? any repairas or patches in the membrane void that warranty. If you have rotting from a leak 5 years from now, your warranty claim on the roof will be denied due to patches and repairs on the roof.

Repairing the radius on the edge of the roof is no problem, but the roof membrane has to be removed to do it.

We had a huge battle with our insurance company after a tree fell on ours. the insurance company wanted to replce half the roof membrane with the repair. Got it all repaired and rplaced the entire membrane based on what the manufacturer of the roof membrane told us about warranty claims for patched membranes.

Hi Tanuki,

Sorry about the damage. There are pros and cons to either approach. A new roof offers many positives, but also has some possible downsides. Same with a partial repair.

Let me echo Jay's comment about resale. Selling will be difficult with a patched roof because it represents an unknown. But if you plan on keeping this rig for many years, it'll be depreciated and maybe not matter too much.

Let me also note that if the patch is not effective, and water gets in, it can cause damage not just to the roof, but to many, many other areas. The path that water takes through the trailer is uncertain. You could get sidewall delamination, floor damage, or who knows what. So if you take this route, you need to be confident in the quality and effectiveness of the repair.

On the other hand, replacing the entire roof is no picnic either. The dicor roofing material will be cut at the front and rear caps and torn off. The adhesive will stick to the Luan causing it to be damaged as well. So a new top Luan layer is part of the repair. The vents, skylights, fans, Air Conditioners, Ladders and antenna all have to be removed and replaced. So this is a major piece of work involving lots of parts of your RV. Also, the original roof material is draped down the front and back, under the caps. The caps would not be removed for the replacement, so you'll have new seams running the full width of the rig at front and back. These present new opportunities for leaks if not carefully maintained.

Will cost of insurance go up? Not necessarily. But you can be sure they're keeping track. Even if it doesn't, if you have another claim a year or two from now, even a small one, even on a car driven by your spouse, they may put you into a new risk category. Insurance companies share claim information. So your auto insurance company may use this claim in evaluating risk on the truck and car.

I hope this helps you in your evaluation.

I'd think it would be worth your effort to post photos of the damage.
Getting a new roof can open up a can of worms, making a insurance claim can raise your rates on your autos for years. The question is how damaged is it?

Everyone is assuming the insurance will replace the entire roof material. Turn in the claim and they may decided just to patch it. Better check this out before you decided anything.

My insurance adjuster told me on mine, "we don't pay to patch roofs, we replace them fixing all related damage." They did (I have Farmers) to the tune of 4200 dollars. My premium went up about 70 dollars / six months. I figure I am way ahead as long as I don't have another claim for three (now two) years when my premium will drop back.