Replace/repair roof? Trading in 2013 Trail Runner 25SLE?

Hopefully I am posting this in the right spot. Please let me know if you think I should try this post out on another RV forum.

We bought a 2013 Trail Runner 25SLE in July 2012. We love it and had a great season with it. This was our first RV purchase and of course, as soon as we started using it, we started dreaming bigger. We originally said no slide, but we forgot about the 80+ lb dog and his 50lb companion. We are a family of 4. 2 small adults and 2 children (ages 3 & 5).

When DH went to park the unit for the winter, he hit a basketball hoop and tore a small 4" hole in the roof. Ugh. We did a successful temporary repair for the winter ourselves (our dealer takes several weeks off for hunting season) and drove it to the dealer this spring. The quote to replace the roof was $7400. The quote for patching the roof was approx $700. Our insurance will cover it.

Trade in value from the dealer if we patch: $5000.
Trade in value from the dealer if we replace: $12400.

Do we take the easy way out and replace the roof and trade it in for the 5th wheel with slide that we want?

Or do we patch the trailer and try to sell it on our own? What do you think we would get for it? Surely, we'd get more than $5000, right? Would YOU buy a trailer with a repaired (vs replaced) roof?

Thanks for reading

If its only a 4 inch tare and its not hurting anything I would patch it and sell it myself or trade it at another dealer. Use a Dicor patch and you will hardly see it and it works like a champ.

patch it and sell it, your dealer is a crook, be sure you buy your new 5th wheel from an other dealer he is taking advantage of you

Sell it yourself, or at least use a consignment lot if you have one nearby.

We used a consignment lot and even paying their 10% commission, cleared about 75% more money than the best offer we had at any dealer for trade-in.

And our room was FAR from perfect. It did not leak, but it was not pretty looking at all.

The dealer's trade in value is telling you quite simply that he knows he'll have trouble selling a trailer with a patched roof vs selling one with a new roof. You may have trouble as well since any buyer is going to be worried about whether the patch will last.

Many insurance policies will cover the complete replacement of the roof, precisely because of the devaluation of a patched trailer. If your insurance will pay and you intend to trade, why not let the dealer do the whole job. Roof replacement is labor intensive, so $7400, while high, may not be out of line. Once fixed, you still have the option of selling it on consignment, but you'll find it easier to sell.

I'm not smart about roofs or the like, but just wanted to say I'm sorry you are having the trouble. It's easy to not look up...(speaking from experience)

I wouldnt trust that dealer! A 4" rip is nothing, just patch it correctly and it may outlast the intire roof. A quality patch should cost less than $50.
Plan on your RV insurance rates going up for the next 5-7 years if you make a $7000 claim.

Patch it (properly). Sell it, and buy what you want somewhere else. I think your dealer is scamming you on the repair cost and particularly on your trailer devaluation. He will likely do the same on the new one you intend to buy.

As a buyer, I wouldn't turn tail on an RV with a properly patched roof. Like westxsrt10 said, the resulting patch will outlast the rest of the roof.

$7400 to replace the roof seems pricey to me. You could get the following type of spray roof applied for around $135 a linear foot http://www.rvroof.com/ which works out to a lot less and would make it like new again. Of course, a good patch will fix the problem but can affect trade in value like you have found out. I would check with other dealers to see what they can offer you because the one you are dealing with seems to be taking you for a ride. I would bet after taking your unit for trade he would just patch it and sell at or near NADA value and convince potential buyers of how solid the repair job is and that it will outlast the rest of the roof.....just my 2 cents.

Hi all. We really appreciate your feedback.

We have decided to repair the roof of the TT. We will use the big insurance check to pay down the trailer and then will sell it ourselves. We'll ask about $9k, accept $7k, and anything more than $5k is more than the dealer was giving us. Our insurance company has said that IF our premium goes up, it will be for approximately 2 years. To date, we only pay about $50 a year more on our insurance plan for the TT to begin with.


We bought a 5th wheel this week that will fit our growing family and we are very excited about it. We'll pick it up next weekend and be ready for Memorial Day! Sadly, it is not a Heartland.

I'm also instituting a new rule: No backing up the rig without a spotter.


Happy camping!

We will use the big insurance check to pay down the trailer and then will sell it ourselves.

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In my experience, if there's a loan balance (and a lien on the title), the insurance check will be to both you and the lien holder. Usually the lien holder requires the money go toward the repair. You may need to see if they'll let you go forward with your plan.