RV roof inspection

[myshaggydog]

Another good reason to periodically inspect your RV’s roof.

About 8 months ago we had a leak in the MH. Since I was away for a few days my wife called me to inform me of the leak with quite a lot of water collecting in our bedroom floor. My wife originally thought we had a leak coming from our water system. After removing doors and drawers to our bathroom area, we could not find where the leak came from. We were “stumped” until my wife mentioned that it rained the night of the leak. So I went up on the roof and saw that the bathroom vent cover had shattered and the roof was opened around the vent pipe. When I backed the MH into our spot at the RV Park I must have hit a tree branch that shattered the vent cover. So I removed all the old caulk and what was left of the destroyed vent cover and replaced with a shiny new one.

Now a few days ago I was inspecting my roof and brushed up against our shower vent cover and it just crumbled away. At least I was there so I could immediately replace and avoiding another leaking problem when it rained again.

So, my advice is to not only periodically inspect your roof but after moving to that next RV site/or trip check for any damage to the vents as well as any cracks in the caulk, etc.
If you have an older RV (Our MH is a 2005.) be sure to inspect the vent covers to be sure they have not deteriorated from the weather and sun. Physically inspect them. You will know when they need replacing. The fix is fairly easy with a small putty knife to remove the old caulk, a screwdriver to remove the old screws, a new vent cover (less than $5.00) and in my roofs case – self-leveling caulk (around $10.00). Hopefully you won’t have the same problem we had. Best of luck and happy RV’ing.

[Bilgerat]

George & Brenda, Thanks for the post. I am gathering material, a friend "And My Nerves" so I can conduct my first Spring Roof inspection. It's still a bit cool here but in about 2-3 weeks I will be up there.
I am doing, sat dish & TV antenna connections, A/C units maint, Refer vent area maint and inspect for cracks, dings, holes. I had not considered covers being brittle or the tank vents. Thanks for emoverbringing that up, my MH is 15 years old and both tank vents have been replaced (just don't know how long ago).
What solvent do you use to remove old sealant/silicone? I have a can of 3M Adhesive Remover and Goof Off.

[Doggy Daddy]

Good ideas. But I suggest you make and carry a sectional PVC measuring stick to check the heights of trees, fuel station aprons, garage openings, etc.
The end section of my stick is painted in red to easily show the minimum height clearance needed for my RV.
Having a Max Air Vent Cover may of also prevented your problem. They are heavy duty.

[GaryKD]

Hi myshaggydog,
Good information, thanks for the post.

[TexasBounder]

Thanks for the post. When the rain stops I going to check everything mentioned.