Roof rail picture?

[Topman]

Could someone please send or post a picture of the Tiffin rail cracking.
I would like to know where to look and what to look for.
Thanks, Iver.

[Hayman]

I don't have any pics but if you either go up on the roof or on an extension ladder you need to inspect the roof radius ( roof curves to meet sidewall ) for cracks. In the very early stages the cracks are just hairline usually vertically in the paint however over time they will worsen and can allow water intrusion. The fiberglass radius rails must be cut off and replaced with aluminum rails and painted to match coach. Hope this helps !

[Topman]

So this is the actual curved part of the fiberglass roof itself.
They actually cut off the curve of the roof the full length of the coach??
Is that the only option? Seems rather severe.
Thanks, Iver

[BobGed]

Here are a couple of pics of mine prior to being repaired.

[Topman]

Thank you for the pictures. Very helpful.
Okay, those cracks are really obvious.
Still can't imagine cutting off the entire curve the length of the coach as the only fix. But, I guess.......
Thanks again, Iver.

[BobGed]

Originally Posted by Topman

Thank you for the pictures. Very helpful.
Okay, those cracks are really obvious.
Still can't imagine cutting off the entire curve the length of the coach as the only fix. But, I guess.......
Thanks again, Iver.

Those cracks appear in various places all the way down the roof radius. If nothing is done they will eventually get deeper and travel into the roof itself.

The repair is to cut a straight line down the entire length of the roof radius just where it transitions to the flat part of the roof. They then slide a curved piece of aluminum under the roof fiberglass and attach it with a two part adhesive and marine grade pop rivets. The same thing is done to the two shorter sections on the passenger side.

[Topman]

Thanks for that. Do they also cut the curve part on the side wall and remove the piece or just put the curved aluminum piece over the existing curved fiberglass?
Thanks, Iver.

[BobGed]

Originally Posted by Topman

Thanks for that. Do they also cut the curve part on the side wall and remove the piece or just put the curved aluminum piece over the existing curved fiberglass?
Thanks, Iver.

In the pictures you can see a strip of molding where the vertical part of the roof rail meets the side wall. They remove that molding to get the roof rail off the coach. The top of the aluminum rail slides underneath the roof panel, and the vertical part is attached to the coach with a new drip rail that helps keep water from running down the side of the coach.

I'm attaching a pic of the new roof rail.

[Topman]

Got the picture. Thank you.
I understand now what the procedure is.
Not sure if this would be a DIY project.....

Did you also have a problem with the slide floor and the floor of the wet bay?

Thanks, Iver.

[BobGed]

Originally Posted by Topman

Got the picture. Thank you.
I understand now what the procedure is.
Not sure if this would be a DIY project.....

Did you also have a problem with the slide floor and the floor of the wet bay?

Thanks, Iver.

Definitely not a DIY project. Two supposed professional locations screwed mine up. Finally had it done correctly by a third location.

I have had the wet bay floor done, and the DS slide floor will be done in CA later this year.

[Topman]

Sometimes I wonder about so-called professionals. Glad to hear you had yours finally done correctly.

Sorry to bug you with all the questions but.....

How can you tell the problem with the floor in the wet bay and the floor in the DS slide?
Thanks, Iver

[Hayman]

You can check both floors from underneath using a srewdriver, icepick or knife by pushing up into the plywood. Usually the slideout floor will be soft in the front corner if there has been water intrusion however the wet bay floor could be soft most anywhere so you need to check the entire wet bay floor from side to side and front to back of that bay.

The wet bay floor replacement while very involved I guess could be a DIY ( not me though ) but why if under Tiffins warranty however the slideout floor replacement requires the slideout box to be removed from the coach for that floor replcement and is definitely no DIY job but again depending on year of the coach is covered by Tiffin.

[BobGed]

Hayman is correct on how to tell if the wet bay and/or slide floors are water damaged.

My DS front slide floor is not water damaged however it still needs to be replaced as the leading edge is sagging and dragging on the floor. The front roller is already adjusted all the way up, but the floor has continued to sag. This is caused because Tiffin installed the front roller too far back from the leading edge of the slide and the plywood is not strong enough to stay flat. The new floors have aluminum bracing around them that keeps that leading edge from sagging.

Just another note. The slide does not have to be completely removed to affect the replacement. Affordable RV in Newcastle, CA, and I believe Connecticut Motor Car and Coaches in Plainfield, CT, can do it without removing the slide.

I have seen it done in Red Bay where they disconnect everything and completely remove the slide, and I have seen it done at Affordable without removing the slide. Red Bay is 2,300 miles from me, but regardless I still would choose to have it done by Affordable. They are the ones that finally figured out how to do my roof rails correctly, and I can still be there watching everything they do just as I could in Red Bay.

[Topman]

Thank you both for the info on the floors.
We test drove a 2011 Allegro Open Road and thought is was a very nice coach. We did not know the issues at the time.
Being in Canada makes it quite difficult to take advantage of any warranty work required. So if we were interested in this coach, all the repair costs would have to be included in any negotiation. Also very hard to calculate.

We may just have to look at something else......
Thanks again, Iver