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Old 03-14-2016, 02:57 PM   #1
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Class A vs leaf stain advice

We are about to buy our first MH and need to decide where to pour the concrete RV pad in our back yard. My concern is possible damage from leaves accumulating on the MH roof. I prefer to not build a roof over the RV.

The first option does not have overhead tree limbs, but will semi-block access to yard equipment shed. 34' MH in a 38' space, but it will work. RV will be in direct sunlight all day.

Second option is under trees that shed a lot of small leaves during our short winter here in north Florida. Nearest tree trunk would be at least 15' from coach and MH would be in shade all day. Overhead limbs are small, max 2" dia. and not directly over MH, just a lot of trees in this area that shade where I could put the pad. This is my first choice.

Will the leaves permanently stain the MH? The one we are serious about has a solid fiberglass roof and fiberglass sides. BTW, in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, I would move the RV from under the trees, even though our trees seem to prefer to land in the pool.

Thanks for the help!
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Old 03-14-2016, 04:18 PM   #2
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Depends on the type of leaves and how long they lay around on the RV.

You could rig a tarp to lay over the top of the RV during the worst of the tree season.

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Old 03-14-2016, 04:34 PM   #3
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I think I would deal with scrubbing the roof a couple times a year as opposed to letting the sun beat on it 24/7
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Old 03-14-2016, 06:04 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StephenW View Post
We are about to buy our first MH and need to decide where to pour the concrete RV pad in our back yard. My concern is possible damage from leaves accumulating on the MH roof. I prefer to not build a roof over the RV.

The first option does not have overhead tree limbs, but will semi-block access to yard equipment shed. 34' MH in a 38' space, but it will work. RV will be in direct sunlight all day.

Second option is under trees that shed a lot of small leaves during our short winter here in north Florida. Nearest tree trunk would be at least 15' from coach and MH would be in shade all day. Overhead limbs are small, max 2" dia. and not directly over MH, just a lot of trees in this area that shade where I could put the pad. This is my first choice.

Will the leaves permanently stain the MH? The one we are serious about has a solid fiberglass roof and fiberglass sides. BTW, in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, I would move the RV from under the trees, even though our trees seem to prefer to land in the pool.

Thanks for the help!
StevenW,
Well, let's look at this from an "investment" point of view. Although a Motorhome is no real form of an investment, (in fact it's the opposite), we all still pay more than we'd like to have one of these rolling Kleenex boxes. And, in that we pay so much, we'd like them to remain as nice as possible, for AS LONG as possible.

One of the primary ways to keep it as nice as possible is to keep the elements from getting to it, while it's parked or stored and not in use. So, keeping the elements off of it require either parking it in covered storage area, RV garage, some form of a tarp/cover that's manually put on, or, as in one of your options, park it under some trees that will shed some or all of their leaves, on a periodic basis.

WE all know the SUN is the toughest element on these expensive toys. Resale value is ALWAYS enhanced when a coach is "preserved" well.

So, to the point. Your worry about leaves "staining" the roof and any other part of the RV is a concern, but, not a worry. There are some leaves that may leave some form of stains on certain surfaces. Your fiberglass roof is pretty stout in terms of not letting things stain it.

You say you'd rather not build any form of a roof over it, to keep it protected from the elements. Well, that choice may cost you more in the long run due to the potential degradation of the exterior of the coachs finish. I agree, sometimes this kind of situation is a tough choice.

It all comes down to, "what's of the most value here"? Your yard and it's view, the coach and protection of it, stains, what?
Scott
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Old 03-14-2016, 07:03 PM   #5
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I've had a fiberglass roof for 12 years now and nothing has stained it. It's in full sun every day.

I wash the roof about three times a year with Dawn dish soap. We live in agriculture country and dust from the fields settles on the roof which then runs down the sides so I have to keep it relatively clean.

But let's assume your roof gets leaf stain. So what. Nobody is going to see it. Gives it character. Actually you could call it a decorative coating. Can't hardly find those anymore these days.
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Old 03-14-2016, 09:18 PM   #6
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Sun or stains?? Stains win---the sun will degrade your motorhome faster than anything else, and tires too.
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Old 03-15-2016, 03:45 AM   #7
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you could just get a roof cover if you don't want to wrestle with a full tarp:

ADCO Tyvek RV Roof Cover, 30'1" to 36' - ADCO 36042 - RV Covers - Camping World
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Old 03-15-2016, 05:30 AM   #8
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you could just get a roof cover if you don't want to wrestle with a full tarp:



ADCO Tyvek RV Roof Cover, 30'1" to 36' - ADCO 36042 - RV Covers - Camping World

Decent idea, poorly executed. It needs much stronger straps to hold up in even modest breezes.


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Old 03-15-2016, 08:54 AM   #9
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Our coach sits under trees much of the year - mostly oaks and pines at our Florida home. Pines and other various hardwoods at the campgrounds we frequent. We have a fiberglass roof and it gets really dirty from the leaf & bark residue, but it washes off with a detergent and medium-bristle brush.

Pine sap is a nuisance, but isopropyl alcohol dissolves it quickly.
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Old 03-15-2016, 02:16 PM   #10
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I would echo the advise to avoid full sun at all costs. If zero sun is an option, even better. We parked our last Motorhome in the full sun, and had to replace plastics every 3-5 years. The air conditioning shrouds were the first to go, followed quickly by Fridge Vents, roof vents.......you get the point.

Scrub the roof before and after the leafy season, and enjoy the lack of sun damage.
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Old 03-16-2016, 11:56 AM   #11
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Thank you for all the great advice. I will locate RV under the trees and deal with the leaves vs full sun. I had a large sailboat in a slip for 19 years and one thing I learned about stains and fiberglass was that the stains will fade away in a few weeks after a wash. No compounding necessary. Wish I had remembered that before I posted the question. The MH we had our eye on sold Monday night before we were scheduled to look at it. The search continues, which is half of the fun!
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Old 03-16-2016, 12:31 PM   #12
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I would rather have stains on the roof. Which can always be removed, instead of having the sun beating down on it all the time.
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Old 03-16-2016, 12:51 PM   #13
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Put the pad in a place where you can added a roof or enclosure at some pointy in the future. I would give anything to have a covered storage area to help keep it clean and keep the sun off.
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