cyclone roofs
- Thread starter ravenike
- Start date
I don't know for sure why the roof is not one piece fiberglass but I can think of a couple of possibilities.
One could be the weight factor and another could be the way the coach is designed. A motor home frame has wheels on four corners (about). A fifth wheel has the wheels centered (about) on the frame. There could be some flexing and twisting that would not be friendly to a fiberglass roof.
I dunno, just a couple of thoughts.
As far as roof issues with new Cyclones I can't say that I have noticed any increase in threads indicating problematic roofs.
Peace
Dave
One could be the weight factor and another could be the way the coach is designed. A motor home frame has wheels on four corners (about). A fifth wheel has the wheels centered (about) on the frame. There could be some flexing and twisting that would not be friendly to a fiberglass roof.
I dunno, just a couple of thoughts.
As far as roof issues with new Cyclones I can't say that I have noticed any increase in threads indicating problematic roofs.
Peace
Dave
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
Where are you seeing all of these "Cyclone" roof issues? I have heard of a couple that the roof membrane was billowing and a few with bubbles but they were not Cyclone specific issues. This is an issue across the entire spectrum of RV's with rubber roofs. All brands included.
AJJONES
Senior GM for Cyclone, Torque, Gateway & Sundance
Fiberglass roofs work great on motor homes (rigid chassis with weight distributed over the outer 4 corners) how ever they do not work nearly as well in a 5th wheel. A fiberglass roof is very rigid and does not work well on 5th wheel because of the flexing in the chassis. The fiberglass roofs are also prone to cracking especially in severe weather conditions (many of our buyers are in the extreme cold weather of northern Alberta, or extreme heats of the desert). How ever we do appreciate the input, and always look forward to hearing product suggestions
brianharrison
Well-known member
AJ,
Has Heartland considered using TPO roofs? This material is thicker and less prone to punctures. I like to think of EPDM is like an inner tube, where TPO is like a tire. TPO is used by a few manufacturers, but is not very common. My guess is that it is more expensive.
Thanks!
-steve
Has Heartland considered using TPO roofs? This material is thicker and less prone to punctures. I like to think of EPDM is like an inner tube, where TPO is like a tire. TPO is used by a few manufacturers, but is not very common. My guess is that it is more expensive.
Thanks!
-steve
Oh? My Cyclone 300C just came off the line this week. It will have a TPO roof????
-steve
-steve
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boatto5er
Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
ucwinters
Active Member
I bought a 2011 Elk Ridge 29 ft a couple of months ago. Climbed up the ladder and the roof had multiple bubbles and a few large ridges. Took some pics and sent them to Heartland. Response from the rep was that this was "normal" and that he'd "seen it hundreds of times" and nothing to be concerned about. To me, it means poor technique when putting the membrane down, not applying sufficient adhesive and not working out the air pockets.
Ed W.
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JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
This bit of info comes from Wikipedia.
Thermoplastic PolyOlefin (TPO) is a trade name that refers to polymer/filler blends usually consisting of some fraction of PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), BCPP (block copolymer polypropylene), rubber, and a reinforcing filler. Common fillers include, though are not restricted to talc, fiberglass, carbon fiber, wollastonite, and MOS (Metal Oxy Sulfate). Common rubbers include EPR (Ethylene propylene rubber), EPDM (EP-diene rubber), EO (ethylene-octene), EB (ethylene-butadiene), SEBS (Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene). Currently there is a great variety of commercially available rubbers and BCPP's. They are produced using regioselective and stereoselective catalysts known as metallocenes. The metallocene catalyst becomes embedded in the polymer and cannot be recovered.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
Ed, you are basically confirming what I just mentioned. Mine has had bubbles, 1" to 1-1/2" in diameter, and ridges a few inches long. One is a bit longer. They have been there since day 1 back in July of 2006. They haven't gotten any larger. I keep a close eye on them every time I clean the roof. Every RV I've owned with a rubber roof has had the same bubbles/ridges.
I don't disagree, it's not a great technique but I can imagine how difficult it is to put these huge membranes on. I can hardly get a protective screen on my smart phone without a bubble or piece of lint.
Lynn,
I can't say with certainty, but I'd guess the last month or 2 for LM, BH. For BC (Big Country), probably ever since we went with the tan exterior wall color. One of the benefits of using TPO is that you can get it in a variety of colors. For tan Big Countrys and full-body painted Landmarks, the tan roof is a nice complement.
Jim
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BarneyFife
Well-known member
Every camper I've owned has done that. There one day, gone the next. Never had a water leak issue.
AJJONES
Senior GM for Cyclone, Torque, Gateway & Sundance
Just so everyone is aware Cyclone and Road Warrior never changed our roofing material and we are still using the rubber material, because for our application it adhears to the glue better than the felt material on the back side of the TPO so we decided to stick with the rubber material they both work very well though and both have been being used for years.
