Roof replacement

I have a 2011 Elkridge Fifth wheel model 29bhck.

It has a rotted spot in the wood near the ladder about 18"x18". I can find no holes or tears in the rubber.

Edges at wall seem tight, no cracked call anywhere...

Needless to say I am not happy since I bought the full version nit new in 2012 from Leo's Vacation Center, here I n Gambrills Md. It is not the only issue I have had, and I am feeling very disappointed with the Heartland company.

I have seen threads on the topic but can not find any one that has actually done it to their roof but I have been thinking about a spray on roof.

There is a dealer local in my area offering the service and it is NOT a truck bed spray on coating.

It is formulated for RV use and is flexible enough for the job.

Has anyone here actually done this to their rv? Was it worth it?

According to the folks in the area that I use for repairs it would cost me a little over $4000 for a 5 year rubber roof plus wood replacement.

The shop doing spray on is $4500 plus wood and it has a 20 year guarantee on being tight.

I do not mind spending the extra for the spray on at this point. But I am looking for honest answers as to your satisfaction if you did your rv this way. Please, no stories about what you have heard, just a personal experience. Not that I do not trust your sources, but straight from the horses mouth is what I am looking for.

We love the layout of our unit and I want to keep it for a while. I figure there is not much more I need to replace with aftermarket other then the roof so it would be like a new camper!

Go check out www.rv-dreams.com as Howard and Linda Payne had this done and gave a great write up about it.


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Might look into this option.
http://www.rv-armor.com/

If you are handi and can get someone to help, (and can get your nerve up to do this), you can peal the roof material up from the rear to expose the bad wood. Replace the wood and glue the rubber roof back down. Remount the ladder and seal good around it . Poor seal here is what caused the problem in the first place.

You need to find out where the leak is coming from first. Check the caulking around the ladder attach point.
Don

ndmac said:

Might look into this option.
http://www.rv-armor.com/

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I have to say is that I like the RV roof Armor.

Mike - sorry to read about your roof. If you end up needing a new one, I suggest you also consider contacting your insurance company.

I priced the RV Armor roof at a show and it runs around $5K for a 40' rig.

If it performs as promised, I don't really see any down-side. Trace

The only concern that I've heard of is any added weight from this material. I haven't checked into it and know that the Excel line offered it from the factory at one time, but they went under a couple of years ago.

I went to the shop to examine the material. The owner had a sample of rubber4'x4' in size as well as the spray on stuff 4'x4'. About the same weight. Not enough to worry over. So in 2 more weeks I will have the new roof. it is about 10% lighter in weight.

So the Camper went to the shop last week. The pics show what was found under the rubber roof. They found the leak. It was in the rear corner on the edge near the ladder. Apparently a half cocked repair, probably by the dealer I purchased from (their shop is horrible). There waqs a 2 inch tear, on the edge that was covered with some sort of tape that was then covered by a piece of trim. They screwed up royally as the idiot that did the repair put a screw thru the taped area and did not caulk the head to keep out moisture.

The pics show the damage, repair to the framing, replaced piece of wood and the ladder screwed back down. This week it will be primed and sprayed with the new roof. I will post more pics on the return of the unit.


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I am curious as to why you are having the entire roof done instead of just fixing what was damaged? I had a similar issue with one of our rigs andI repaired the damaged area, re glued the roof, sealed everything up and it lasted us 3 years and then we sold it. Our damage was identical to your and worse as it destroyed the rear wall of the rig as well.

I have had far too many isues with this camper. Water intrusion is the last straw. 1. the rubber could not be glues back down as there was too much debris attached to it when peeled back. 2. there was a quasi repaired tear on the end of the roof that caused this to begin with. 3. I had the money at this time to do the repair and will not have to worry about any future maintenance.

It was worth it to me for a piece of mind.

I have had no luck with Heartland responding to issues, much less then the dealer who could not put a bicycle chain onto a bicycle! This is the first and last Heartland product I will ever own!

Mike,

Your 2011 may very well have been built in 2010. You bought it in 2012. Now you've uncovered a prior roof repair that was done incorrectly, probably in that 12-24 month interval after it left the factory.

Is it possible that you aren't actually the first owner of this trailer?

I have read many of your posts from time to time. You have gone from happy to ****ed off many times for sure. While I do not know your entire story, I also do not think that blaming Heartland for a roof problem, and others you have had recently, on a 4 year old camper is just. You have made it very apparent that your dealer is terrible and that is not Heartlands fault either. Hopefully after all these years you have found somewhere else to take it to. I am interested in seeing the pictures of your new roof.

Ghettomedic said:

I have read many of your posts from time to time. You have gone from happy to ****ed off many times for sure. While I do not know your entire story, I also do not think that blaming Heartland for a roof problem, and others you have had recently, on a 4 year old camper is just. You have made it very apparent that your dealer is terrible and that is not Heartlands fault either. Hopefully after all these years you have found somewhere else to take it to. I am interested in seeing the pictures of your new roof.

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My issues started right after I picked it up, off of the lot from the dealer. While the camper is 4 years old, I have only had it for 3 years.... Electrical issues, plumbing issues, water coming in from under the slide only when towing, the roof,....These are the major issues, I have corrected many other minor issues.... Yes, I have a shop repairing some of the issues for me other then the dealer. They are the only people that seem competent to correct an issue on the first go round. I should not have had to put this much money into a unit that is this old. ($5200) Most of it in parts not labor! Either a Lemon or poor craftmanship!

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danemayer said:

Mike,

Your 2011 may very well have been built in 2010. You bought it in 2012. Now you've uncovered a prior roof repair that was done incorrectly, probably in that 12-24 month interval after it left the factory.

Is it possible that you aren't actually the first owner of this trailer?

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Yes it was built in July of 2010. According to MVA from the best I can see when running the VIN I am the first owner. The roof, I am willing to bet is the handywork of the selling dealer. They have a lot of trees on the property and they probably found the leak initially and ahlf winged it. But the plumbing problems, (pex fittings letting go, Electrical (converter dying after 3 years) and valve issues for the tanks (a totally pee poor design) as well as a water leak that only appears when towing in the rain are factory issues!

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I only hope I do not have issues like 2 of my froiends did with Delamination of their walls, but I guess that will be the next issue..... I really like the layout of the camper, but this has to stop....

Mike,

Sorry this rig has soured you on Heartland, but I have to say I've seen all the same complaints with other brands.

Our converter died last year, about this time. Our ElkRidge was built in 9-11-2009. I think it's a WFCO issue, not Heartland.

We've had our share of issues, many that created interesting challenges that would probably anger some folks. but honestly, I still love our rig. It's taken us places we'd never have gone, and experienced adventures we'd never have dreamed. Andnow it's our only home sweet home.

I hope you can find happiness in the future, whether it's this rig or the next one.

All the issues that you are stating are those that are what the dealer is paid to find and correct prior to you taking ownership. Like you said, the dealer is not a good one. So as I see it, you need to be complaining about your dealer and not Heartland. They paid your dealer to repair all the issues you have had. JMHO

2psnapod2 said:

All the issues that you are stating are those that are what the dealer is paid to find and correct prior to you taking ownership. Like you said, the dealer is not a good one. So as I see it, you need to be complaining about your dealer and not Heartland. They paid your dealer to repair all the issues you have had. JMHO

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Unfortunately, I have complained to both and have gotten nothing but the run around. Problem is fixed now. The waterline was not properly clamped, according to my plumber that repaired it on sight for me. Still had to deal with drying the camper out in the storage and water pump area under the bath room. The plumbing, according to the shop that FIXED it for good was a design flaw from Heartland. Since repaired I have no other issues. I have had several other RV's over the years and never, ever had issues like this. Especially at this age for the unit.... Yes the dealer is lousy but I am convinced there is blame with the manufacturer as well.

When you move an RV down the road, especially after a new fitting is added, it can and does come lose. And as far as some dealer saying that it was a design flaw, I tend to not believe anyone that fixes anything and tries to blame someone else for a simple problem. A person will most of the time try and make himself look like he knows better. Its just the way it is. Been there, done that. The factory does things according to the way a team of Engineers tell them to. Could it have been done improperly, yes. But then it was not a design flaw! It was a shortcut done by an employee and not the fault of the manufacturer. Which goes back to the poorly trained dealer.