Sharing my experience with my 2016 bunkhouse roof

rabbit008

Member
I bought a new Pioneer bunkhouse in 2016 at Camping World. Had the camper 1 year and 4 months when the main topic mentioned occurs, and the camper was covered during a large portion of that time. Found a soft spot in the floor near the front in the bedroom, so by putting some force with my heel found that my foot went through the vinyl flooring and the plywood. First course of action, speak to Camping World, they told me it was out of warranty and i could trade it in. Second action, i called Heartland, I explained, and the guy asks if i had been on the roof every two months to inspect, i said no. He said its a maintenance issue and its your fault for not checking. Third action, call Insurance, Progressive and they told me the same thing. After swallowing that pill, i ripped out the floor and repaired it myself. When i finally got on the roof to inspect the leak i found two broken screw heads on the molding that holds the rubber membrane in the front corner. This camper was leaking on the lot when i purchased it, no way it rotted to that extent and covered for most of the time i had it. The company has loop holes to avoid repair costs. I will not purchase again.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi rabbit008,

Sorry to hear about your trouble, but glad to hear you've got the damage repaired.

There are a number of areas of the trailer where maintenance is required to avoid significant problems. You might want to review the maintenance schedule in your trailer manual.

If you do go shopping for another RV in the future, I think you'll find that all the manufacturers have similar coverages and exclusions, and similar maintenance requirements.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I bought a new Pioneer bunkhouse in 2016 at Camping World. Had the camper 1 year and 4 months when the main topic mentioned occurs, and the camper was covered during a large portion of that time. Found a soft spot in the floor near the front in the bedroom, so by putting some force with my heel found that my foot went through the vinyl flooring and the plywood. First course of action, speak to Camping World, they told me it was out of warranty and i could trade it in. Second action, i called Heartland, I explained, and the guy asks if i had been on the roof every two months to inspect, i said no. He said its a maintenance issue and its your fault for not checking. Third action, call Insurance, Progressive and they told me the same thing. After swallowing that pill, i ripped out the floor and repaired it myself. When i finally got on the roof to inspect the leak i found two broken screw heads on the molding that holds the rubber membrane in the front corner. This camper was leaking on the lot when i purchased it, no way it rotted to that extent and covered for most of the time i had it. The company has loop holes to avoid repair costs. I will not purchase again.

Rabbit:
Sorry for your bad experiences. If I could reach every new RV owner, I would advise them all to get some Eternabond or Dicor rubber roof "repair" tape and seal over EVERY caulked seam on the roof. This thick, elastic, white topped tape seals positively (when correctly applied) and doesn't crack open like caulk does. It is available in 4 inch width 10 foot long for the end cap seals, and 2 inch 50 foot long for the rain gutter to roof junction. The 2 inch wide is also good for all of the accessory openings on the roof. Eternabond has a life expectancy by the manufacturer of about 14 years. You do this and you don't have to inspect the roof so often. They should build the roofs with this tape instead of caulk.
 

sengli

Well-known member
Unfortunately every RV out there is in the same boat. You are just one leak, away from a major issue, no matter who makes the unit. They are all built the same, with the same materials.

In the end, it kinda comes down to the QC on a finished unit.

I know on the last new unit I bought, I did climb on the roof before I bought it. It had set on the lot for two years though. The sales guy thought I was nuts. He kept saying its a new RV, whats to worry about?
 
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