Community Forums

LK23 · 11-02-2010, 11:43 PM

I currently have a Itasca Horizon (Winnebago) motor home and the roof to side wall seam must be inspected and re-caulked on a regular basis, every one to two years for re-caulking.

I am looking at the Allegro Bay. It has a fiberglass roof as well. Do the Tiffin roofs have similar roof maintenance issues?

paz · 11-03-2010, 08:24 AM

Annual or semi-annual inspections of the roof of any RV is always a good idea. However, if I recall correctly, Winnebago has (or at least they used to have - I don't know if it had changed on newer models) a unique system to install the fiberglass roof where the fiberglass roofing material is curled down to meet top of the sidewall. Failure of the caulk could allow the roof material to spring out of the channel that retains it.

Our Allegro Bay has a flat fiberglass roof. The curve at the top of the sidewall is aluminum. This means there are more seams, but the fiberglass can't spring out if the caulking dries out.

I don't know what year it started (2008?), but newer Tiffins have a one-piece, molded fiberglass roof. The curves are molded-in, which means the fiberglass can't spring out, and it also means fewer seams.

LK23 · 11-03-2010, 09:50 AM

Thanks for the reply. You are totally correct about the Winnebago roof. The seam where the curved fiberglass meets the sidewall must be inspected and possibly re-caulked annually. It is the one area of the roof that requires annual maintenance. The other roof caulking is self-leveling caulk and lasts for many years before it needs attention.

The Tiffin roof sounds like a better design. Does it need to be re re-caulked on a regular basis on its one seam?

Bottom line: I am trying to determine if the Tiffin roof requires less maintenance than the Winnebago. It may not be a big deal to many owners who can do the re-caulking. I have a bad back and have to hire someone to perform this maintenance.

Gouda · 11-03-2010, 11:02 AM

We have a 08 Bay with the current roof design. All I have had to do is inspect it and I clean it once or twice a year depending on where we have been (pollen, sap, etc.) I have had to add some caulk around one vent pipe because the caulk cracked a bit. It didn't leak, but why take a chance for 10 bucks. Obviously, nothing is free of maintence etc, but the design seems well thought out and robust.

paz · 11-05-2010, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LK23

The Tiffin roof sounds like a better design. Does it need to be re re-caulked on a regular basis on its one seam?

I check our seams regularly, and the only places that seem to require a little attention is where the curve at the top corners of the front and rear caps meet the curve that runs along the roof edges. I'm sure the joint overlap is filled with caulk internally, but surface cracks of the caulk appear in these areas from time to time. The good news is those seams have never leaked, and nothing is going to come apart if the caulk does crack. All other seams (along the sides of the roof and at the top where the front and rear caps meet the roof) look as good on our 5+ year old Tiffin as they did when they were new (other than having turned somewhat gray).

62Morgan · 11-05-2010, 11:21 AM

Newer Tiffins have the roof lap-over-the side design.

But, should you be examining a used Tiffin:
Caulk? it's not._____it's really lap sealant & Tiffin uses an excellent product. Might be Eternabond or quite similar. Of the dozen or so Tiffin's I've been topside on: it remains pliable, never brittle/nor dry-rot, only color tint change. My 2004 Bay still has the original seam seals & they appear good for another 6+ years. My experience with any coach: Any after-fab additions such as antenna, plumbing vent vanes, satellite dome, etc. need more attention due to whatever the installer used.

BTW... Don't ever let physical agility keep you from an important phase of motorhome maintenance. It's up to you to either leave-it-as-is or do your part to mitigate any damage that it's prone to receive.

Even if you are unable to scuttle up the ladder, you can always get another to give it an annual check. Besides, remember the A/c., skylight, awnings and antenna need routine inspection. As do windshield seam, the window/door crowns, appliance escutcheons and gutter joints.

Routine visual will go a long way, as high wind, trees, leaves, and animals also like to trek across our roofs. It's not just the sunlight that gets to it.

sleprr · 12-23-2010, 04:35 PM

I have an Allegro Bay 37QDB with the fiberglass roof purchased new. After a year I noticed cracks appearing in several areas where the roof wraps over to the sides. I took it in to Red Bay within the one year warranty period and they covered all of the area where the roof wraps over to the side with an aluminum cap. I'm not sure if they removed the fiberglass wrap-over prior to putting on the aluminum cap or not. They caulked the cap where it joined with the flat part of the roof. I was disappointed in the quality of the roof, but the service was great. While in Red Bay I noticed 2 other coach's with the same problem.

Within a week after the work I developed a roof leak. Checking the roof I found that the caulking of the fix was causing the water to pool on the roof when I was leveled off. Back to Red Bay. They "guessed" that the water was coming in through the bathroom skylight since the caulking appeared to have deteriorated there worse than on the rest of the roof. They loaded it up with caulk and I have not had a problem since and I have experienced a couple of pretty heavy rains.

Lakewood, CO