Can I walk on my North Trail 23 RBS 2014 to pressure spray the dirt and caterpillar crap

[stonz22]

Just need the reassurance that a 230 lb man can stand safely on the roof to pressure spray dirt and feces off the roof of my new to me first time owner 2014 trail master 23 RBS …… or do I need to disperse weight with 4x4 1/2 plywood ? Your help is always appreciated !

 

[F_Goose]

Hi stonz,
I walk on my North Trail roof to wash it and put on a RV cover several times a year. I weigh approx 190lbs. I recall the brochure when I purchased my 2015 showed that the roof system could support several people and even a small UTV.

Good luck with "your new" NT!

 

[stonz22]

Thank you so much !! Will try with caution ! Do you still have your 2015 and is it a 23rbs ? Are you in The states or Canada?
have a great day !

 

[F_Goose]

Hello, and Happy 4th!
Yes we still have our 2015 NT 26LRSS. We looked at the 23rbs and it was one of our early choices. We really enjoy our NT, it is a quality trailer.
We are in fact on the road now; in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in route to Glacier NP. We live in San Diego Ca and are on a 5 week road trip.

Again enjoy your NT!
Fred

 

[Partsbob]

FYI: I contacted Heartland just 2 weeks ago when I was about to order a rear ladder for my NT 27RBDS, my asking the Tech if there is any ”backing” along the roof and rear wall to attach the ladder and he EMPHATICALLY told me there is no backing because NO North Trail comes with a walkable roof, so they’ve never offered a ladder! I’m 195 lbs and mentioned I’ve cleaned my roof multiple times and it feels very sturdy, plus the dealer has had 2 techs on it to replace the AC unit without using plywood. I thought I recalled the dealer walk-through also mentioned it was walkable, but he insists that is not correct and I couldn’t find in any brochure stating to the contrary. Regardless, I will continue to clean mine without plywood ….. at least until I reach 300 lbs.

 

[sengli]

I would be careful with a pressure sprayer. Most of these roofs are supposed to be cleaned with a scrub brush and cleaning agents like dawn or something. Using a high pressure sprayer could damage or puncture the roof membrane and blow off the caulking along the seems pretty easily.

 

[stonz22]

Thanks very much fellow heartlanders , I will take all this input into consideration , I agree the roof appears to be 3/4 “ plywood and strong enough for some minor work. Also the roof appears to have a canvas surface that yes is stained from trees and birds and needs a cleaning , I could see a pressure washer with the wrong nozzle and or pressure setting damaging the fibres and then the membrane. IMHO ! Thanks

 

[Partsbob]

I would be careful with a pressure sprayer. Most of these roofs are supposed to be cleaned with a scrub brush and cleaning agents like dawn or something. Using a high pressure sprayer could damage or puncture the roof membrane and blow off the caulking along the seems pretty easily.

Very true, I would never recommend using a pressure washer to clean the roof membrane. Using a brush and the proper cleaners at least twice a year, if not sheltered, should get good results without damaging the most sensitive part of a camper!

 

[stonz22]

Hello Bob , have you ever considered a paint or stain to tidy up the look , after a clean and dry applying an approved coloured paint/ Stain to help protect the membrane as well as the general appearance, which for me is nasty 2014 and a huge influx of gypsy moths ( thousands) ate the leaves of the trees around my 3 acres and then crapped the leaf fecal matter all over the roof and many decided to die on the roof too. A freaking mess. Then after the leaves were gone , they built their cocoons and died.
only to return next year. Then the trees have shed the leaf empty attachment stems all over the ground and roof. The only good thing is we are starting to see. Regrow thank of leaves on the barren trees. So my forest may survive after all. Such is life one, issue after another.
cheers
STONZ
Have you ever had your outdoor shower not work, it dribbles but no spray. As a used trailer I never saw it work I took the shower head off and it did not come out like a regular tap and would never be able to actually produce a spray … have you seen this abnormality your self …any fix ?

 

[F_Goose]

Stonz,
Attached are pics from the brochure of the North Trail which should be for your 2014 model. Clearly shows 21 people on the roof and also a Rhino UTV on it. Not sure why a Heartland employee would say you can't walk on the roof when they promote it in their literature.

On your outdoor shower; did you try removing the cover and pulling out the hose to see if there is a kink in it to restrict the water flow?

 

[Partsbob]

Stonz,
To add to Goose’ reply, I’ve only used my outdoor shower to do winterizing and have never noticed a lack of flow, so Goose may be right about a kink in the line.
Goose, very interesting pix of the 2014, though I wonder how much the roof has changed with the newer Azdel siding units like mine? I would say they’ve possibly made the roof less robust to accomplish the “UltraLite” classification with the heavier siding. I told the tech I was told the “Curvilinear” roof was much stronger and walkable when I bought it new.

 

[Partsbob]

Goose, looking at the pix closer, I doubt the siding is the difference, since the pix show fiberglass on the ‘14 model too, so maybe they had the same roof construction back then as now? I should send those pix to the same tech to see what he says about his comment!

 

[stonz22]

Thanks guys your input is invaluable to me just trying to not make too many costly mistakes ..
cheers and beers
stonz22

 

[stonz22]

Stonz,
Attached are pics from the brochure of the North Trail which should be for your 2014 model. Clearly shows 21 people on the roof and also a Rhino UTV on it. Not sure why a Heartland employee would say you can't walk on the roof when they promote it in their literature.

On your outdoor shower; did you try removing the cover and pulling out the hose to see if there is a kink in it to restrict the water flow?

I did pull it out as far as it would come with out the possibility of yanking it right out..lol …. I also had a leak in the bathroom sink the tap being so close to the back edge of the sink when my wife would wash her hands the water would flow between the faucet and sink and down across the sink base to the wall and down under into the cavity below which has four screws which I removed to clean up the mess which wasn’t too bad I replaced the screw on chrome screen which did have some calcium build up possibly making it head over the back edge. Now we have a swivel type nozzle that sits deeper in the sink and can spray or come out normal. While there I looked at the shower hoses and no kink noticed but will recheck the size of the hole in the shower insert is too tiny and maybe the flow is restricted for a reason , with the flow low and me with my finger over the open no shower head hole I was able to spray the water Quite far by squeezing the water with my thumb the screen in the shower head is clean ( no calcium blockage) I believe it has never been used. Went to wash a dirty dog and pulled the side shower out only to find zero pressure. I thought maybe there was an onboard shut off valve under the sink. Who knows the manuals that I found on here seem to all be the same yet different years , not very good schematics, flow charts, electrical diagrams , plumbing flow chart, everything generic. Not Model specific. Thanks

 

[Partsbob]

Stonz, I just realized I never answered your question regarding coating the roof membrane and, from your description of the issues you’ve had with keeping yours clean, I can see you wanting to recoat it to bring back the original white. Mine cleans well enough to not need that so far and, because mine sits under pine trees at home, I cover most of the roof with an 8x40 canvas during the Winter months to help reduce the exposure. The canvas is what’s left from the sides of a shelter that once covered it, but the top became so ugly that it was an eyesore to us.
if you reach out to Heartland Technical, they may be able to send you plumbing and/or electrical diagrams of your specific model, as I did for mine when I added a whole-house water filter system in my unit’s island.

 

[stonz22]

Thanks Bob how do you contact technical would love some real diagrams that are accurate for my year of North Trail , I noticed in the forums website even the 2014 is the only one missing ( my luck ) lol ….. so scrub the top and the white should come back not that Ive ever seen the original colour just wondering if people change the colour or if white is the go to and never paint the top it may wreck the original membrane ?

 

[Partsbob]

Originally I wrote to service@heartlandrvs.com who had a tech email me directly with answers. They have been very responsive so far with me, even if this last response about the roof is now questionable.
As far as coating the roof, it is CRITICAL the correct product is used to keep the membrane pliable and free from cracking! No doubt you’ve heard that an RV goes through an earthquake every time it’s moved, so it’s important to me to keep that flexibility, though it’s actually glued in place. I can’t recommend a product for that, but I’ve used both Dicor brand cleaner (1 gallon ready-mix is barely enough for my unit) and occasionally have used Purple Power all purpose cleaner for the tougher areas. I would say that White is the preferred color to reflect heat, rather than absorb heat like my black awning does, though you can’t tell when the awning is actually dirty.

 

[stonz22]

Sorry fellow north trailers , I haven’t been in touch as We have gone thru a tough time. We had three lovely first ever one week trips with our 2014 NT and on returning home from the last trip in late august in an enroute rest station where people in Canada pull off to visit rest rooms and several fast food restaurants. Great places with dozens of semi trailers sharing special parking with travel trailers. Long story 8 hrs. Of misery. We had an accident bent the front axle left side and front left wheel 35 deg pushed out, front stabilizer crushed and the 10 mph impact caused some delamination of sidewall above impact. We are heart broken and frustrated with Rv dealer and insurance companies. And appraisers and adjusters …. So I hope we will figure this all out and return next year with a safe and fixed 100% Rv to continue our journeys. We don’t want to give up as I think they want us to do …. Here are some pictures

 

[stonz22]

More pics of our disaster !

 

[thewanderingeight]

So sorry you are dealing with that damage. It's crazy how much damage can be caused at such a low speed.

Since the majority of your damage is suspension-related, you may get better service at a place that services trailers since they are all a very similar setup, and they would be most likely be doing a lot more suspension repair than an RV dealer. That is if the RV Dealer is giving you an issue and assuming the insurance company allows it.

Good luck!