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Old 12-16-2008, 05:21 PM   #1
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I have a 2005 Itasca 40AD this summer we had a strong wind come up and a section of our fiberglass roof (8ft X 4ft) blew up about 8 in.
Winnebago Ind. said the roof wasnt under warranty and said nothing they could do about it.I ended up buying the sealant/adhesive and since the fiberglass hadnt torn i put it back in the channel and redid the sealant. On the way to our winter RV site we again ran into strong winds and a section of the roof (1ft. X 8ft. where it wraps around the side going towards the sidewalls )in front on the drivers side blew completely off and broke off. Since i had completely reseal the edges on the roof only a couple months ago i was shocked. To make a long story short i had to have the entire fiberglass roof replaced on my unit and no help from Winnebago. This unit was not 3 yrs old yet,,,any comment?????
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Old 12-16-2008, 05:29 PM   #2
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After doing research on this site I installed eternabond tape. Alot of folks here seem to think it will help and I agree after installing it myself. Do a search, lots of reading
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Old 12-16-2008, 08:05 PM   #3
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I discussed with Winnebago the requirement of inspecting and in my case recaulking that roof line at least every year, sometimes more frequent. The sun does seem to be unkind to the roofline caulking. I asked if it was acceptable to apply eternabond to the roofline along the sides and I was told it would void my roof warranty, so I refrained from applying the eternabond and continued using the Winnebago recommended caulking with the same outcome, it separates. It seems to let go of the aluminum drip rail. It always continues to adhere to the fiberglass and yes I removed the old caulking (not an easy job) and cleaned it properly.

Rereading my roof warranty, it appears that manufacturer Kemlite warrants the roof, not Winnebago. It does state that "proper maintenance is required including regular washing with mild soap and water" without any other specifics. It also states they at their option may choose to replace or repair the roof, including reasonable labor. I would contact Kemlite at 800 435-0080 and see what they have to say. The warranty does apply to only the original owner
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Old 12-17-2008, 03:56 AM   #4
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When we had the Horizon, I was paranoid about this happening, having read several accounts of this very thing while traveling, usually from a quartering wind. When the tech at the Winne factory did the 'complimentary' roof inspection he told me I had an area of caulk failure about 2 feet long on the edge above the driver's window. No leak, just when you push in at the edge, the caulk would seperate from the fiberglass material of the roof. He said they would re-do it for $400 but I could do it myself.
I bought the caulk and ended up doing the job myself. The roof material does not stick very deep in the J channel and I found nothing but the sealer holding it in. Surely there is SOMETHING else holding it.
Since the recaulk was a pain, I decided to do the ultimate re-seal and make sure the roof did not fly off, I did the entire roof edge with Eternabond, letting it lap down into the gutter channel. I believe it would rip the material to shreds before that stuff turned loose. No more worries.
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Old 12-17-2008, 06:00 AM   #5
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You have got to love these manufactures & their warranties! A 10 year warranty with a escape clause for them you could drive motor home through. The problem is where the roof attaches to the side wall. Poor design! Winnebago jumps out of the warranty by claiming poor maintance! Therefore shifting the blame to you! Enernabond seems to be the answer but Winnebago says that voids the warranty! I ask “ What warranty??”
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Old 12-17-2008, 07:05 AM   #6
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You folks are right on "it's probably the worst roof design in the entire industry". I've comented on this several times in the past. I spent nearly $250k on great motor home that has the worst roof attachment around. I have no more worries since I applied Eternabond.
Step up to the plate Winnebago. You have an opportunity here for a great "product improvement". Just do it!
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Old 12-17-2008, 07:14 AM   #7
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Are their new 2009 models still the same?
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Old 12-17-2008, 10:26 AM   #8
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I hope they resolved that problem before 2008!!!
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Old 12-17-2008, 01:39 PM   #9
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We also use Eternabond. We were diligent about having our roof checked and recaulked but after a leak that was like a racing river shortly after paying for a roof recaulk we opted to go with the Eternabond. No problems and now a roof check is easy and fast. Good stuff.
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Old 12-17-2008, 01:47 PM   #10
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Quote:
i had to have the entire fiberglass roof replaced
Curious... what does it cost to replace the roof??
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Old 12-17-2008, 03:25 PM   #11
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Eternabond for me three years ago. Been without problems and happy ever since. I like the Winnebago units but agree their roof edge is a weak link.
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Old 12-17-2008, 04:27 PM   #12
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Just got mine back and the bill was 8700.00 plus my 500.00 deduct. That was taking everything off the roof and replacing the roof and repainting the edges. They also installed a strip all the way down both sides and acrossed the front and rear Caps. They did say it was a design flaw and the 10yr warranty was like for paint really had some small print in that warranty just read it. Whats really strange when we hit he wind storm and roof ripped off we pulled over in a lot with about 20 other motorhomes and two down from us was a 06 Winnebago Adventure with the exact same damage, i went over there and he said that it had just happened....Thanks Winnebago for your HELP........NOT
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Old 12-17-2008, 04:44 PM   #13
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Does this eternabond material change the paint color at the gutter line?
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Old 12-18-2008, 03:03 AM   #14
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And now I hear about this! One of the main reasons I purchased our MH was the fiberglass roof and the 10 year warranty. If this happens to our MH I will NOT purchase another Winnebago product... guaranteed without fine print!
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Old 12-18-2008, 03:29 AM   #15
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Party Barge,
Yes, the tape is slightly off-white, but not a big difference from the Winnie roof fiberglass color. If you order Eternabond though, make sure you order the "white"; there is a gray normally available too.

Eternabond Picture search

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Old 12-18-2008, 04:25 AM   #16
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I have had the roof pull out of the side rails. They replaced the side rails. They said the channel was not deep enough. Then a couple of years later an 8 fooot by 8 foot came loose, and I lost a least a 4x8 foot section of that. They did not cover it, but insurance did. They put a new fiberglass section on it. They double sided taped it down. Never had trouble again.

The fiberglass could not have been tucked in 1/8" the first time.
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Old 12-18-2008, 11:11 AM   #17
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Stupid question time....is this problem on all models of the line or just a few?
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Old 12-18-2008, 12:50 PM   #18
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Kscouple52,
What kind of insurance paid for the fix? Was it an extended warranty or the driving insurance we all carry? Thanks, Oldcarfun
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Old 12-18-2008, 01:34 PM   #19
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Quote:
Does this eternabond material change the paint color at the gutter line?
Bob, the type EB I used is the fabric backed type. It will fit around compound curves and corners better than the other type. The down side is that this type has to be painted with a UV sealer. This sealer is white, but tintable to any color you want to make it. My roof was white and I put it on untinted (two coats) After it dried and was there a couple of months you could hardly see it unless you made a point to look for it. Now it did want to stain with black streaks but I kept the roof washed regularly and the coach under a shed so that was not a problem. If it looks like a problem with this new coach, then I wiil go back to the Ebond again.
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Old 12-18-2008, 04:50 PM   #20
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Thanks for your responses. Question: How wide is this tape. It seems that my body paint goes up about 4 or 5 inches to middle of the roof conture. Would you be able to sink some smal screws through the drip rail to secure the fiberglass material?
I'm not sure what material is sealing the roof/rain gutter now, but I was lead to believe it was a silicon sealer product. I normally check to see if the sealer is cracked or pulled away because of water leakage, but haven't been concerned about the roof blowing off. I think more about the awaning catching the wind than the roof.
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