Roof bubble while towing

RoadDog66 · 09-22-2015, 07:35 AM

So I happened to look up at the roof while towing this weekend and the rubber roof membrane was forming a small bubble all across the front above where the fiberglass and rubber roof join.

I checked and found the sealant used under the rail caps at the top of roof was cracking/peeling. All I had was some silicone so I used that as a temporary fix. On way back it still had a slight bubble.

Anyone else had this problem and if so how did you fix it?

I was gonna buy some Eternabond RS tape and just do the entire length of both sides of the front, roof and back corner rails. Not sure what width or color to use. Would 3" width be enough? Or should I get 4". Does the tan match our trailers well? I was thinking black since the rails are black. Thanks.

Dayle1 · 09-22-2015, 09:17 AM

The bubble is most likely a failure of the adhesive used to secure the membrane to the underlying plywood combined with high air pressure at the front cap and lower air pressure immediately behind it. Applying tape over the area that is lifting will not fix the problem, that requires removing the front cap, peeling back the membrane and applying new adhesive. But if the bubble is small and does not get larger over time, then repair may not even be necessary. The membrane is secured at the front and sides, by the roof vent and any other roof penetrations, so usually it will not tear or peel back.

RoadDog66 · 09-22-2015, 12:04 PM

Ok that sucks. I had a warranty repair a while back where the dealer took the front off for a leak. Maybe their adhesive stopped working properly or they never used any. It just started the buble thing and its been a year to year and half since the repair work.

I thought with the gaps near the top egde of the corner rails that maybe air was getting in that way. I take some pics tomorrow and post them.

**mark5w** · 09-22-2015, 01:00 PM

Don't use pure silicone caulk. It will have to be totally removed for any other caulk, including silicone, to stick to it.
I would take it back to the dealer and tell him about the bubble. Could be the dealers fault for not adhering the roof properly.

campingcpl · 09-22-2015, 01:17 PM

We had this happen to a previous trailer we had on a long cross country trip. We happen to notice it when we stopped in South Dakota for a few days to see some family. I took it to a local dealer there and they secured the rubber roof by adding about 4 pieces of screw channel running from side to side across the roof about 12" apart. This fix not only held for the rest of the trip but held up till we traded the trailer in for our current trailer. We never had a problem with it bubbling up after that and it was a lot cheaper fix then spending the $$$$ to replace the roof.

Our rubber roof coming loose was caused by a similar problem. We had a leak in the front and the front glass had to be replaced and shortly after that is when we had the rubber roof come loose.

RoadDog66 · 09-22-2015, 02:31 PM

I was hoping i could fix this myself. Not looking forward to arguing with dealer about how their prior repair work didn't hold up. Plus they'll likely need to hold it for weeks and want to charge me a buttload for a fix that should have been done right the first time.

Burgy · 09-22-2015, 02:54 PM

Novice speaking here...
Could you pop the bubble, inject the proper sealant, squeeze the membrane down (think like a pimple), then seal the hole once all flat?

RoadDog66 · 09-22-2015, 03:13 PM

The bubble only forms fron the rushing wind while driving. Then it goes away once stopped. I just don't want it to get huge, like a hot air balloon. I've seen that before on another persons trailer on the highway and it aint pretty.

Burgy · 09-22-2015, 04:58 PM

Ah. Sorry, didnt understand that part.

campingcpl · 09-23-2015, 07:23 AM

You could do what the dealer did on ours and like I said in my last post it held up very well. Here is a link to the screw channel that was used and after they installed it they caulked along the edges and over each screw head to prevent any leaks. We had to have the dealer do the fix because we were on a trip and didn't have the resources to do it ourselves. It cost us less than $200.00 to have the dealer do the fix. Depending on how many pieces you would need, screws and a tube of self leveling caulk I would say you could do it for less than $75.00.

RL3539DW188 - Flat Insert Molding - Price: $15.00 - Factory RV Surplus - 1611 W Bristol St, Elkhart, IN 46514 (800) 325-1461 (574) 262-3327

RoadDog66 · 09-23-2015, 09:23 AM

Couldn't get the link to open. I'm gonna see what I find then consider the options. E are going on one more shoddy trip this year in Oct so leaving at the dealer isn't an issue if it's covered under the extended warranty.

RoadDog66 · 10-18-2015, 01:56 PM

Think I figured out the issue. I noticed a small opening (pencil point sized hole) in the lap sealant at the top end of one of the rails where it appeared air could seep in. So I applied a little Eternabond roof seal tape at the top end of the corner bead rails, basically where the rubber roof and fiberglass front meet & the rails end. Took a weekend trip and no air bubble. I plan to apply a tube of lap sealant during winterization along the seam too.

I did notice that there were other loose spots where the rubber roof didn't appear to be glued, which to me is a manufacturing issue. I've had too many major & minor issues in the short 2 yr period we've owned it to be confident in the longevity of my trailer. I think this will be the first & last Thor and/or Crossroads product I buy.

**mark5w** · 10-18-2015, 02:18 PM

Before you ditch Thor and Crossroads, check out the other manufacturers forums. Thor and Crossroads are not the only Rvs that have issues. Issues and dissatisfaction are prevalent in all manufacturers. Unless you have the bucks to go the expensive/ custom route. And even then.........

RoadDog66 · 10-18-2015, 02:38 PM

I hear ya Mark and I know other manufacturers have issues too, but all the ones we've experienced in less than 2 yrs makes me pretty reluctant to want to fork over anymore money to them in the future.

ewbldavis · 10-18-2015, 04:20 PM

Your frustration is understood. Our friends have had nothing but issues with their Zinger. We have purchased 2 of them with little to quip about. Industry sucks as a whole, but at least CR and Jayco stand behind their products. Many do not.

**mark5w** · 10-18-2015, 04:41 PM

I see your point RoadDog66. I had a Monoco brand 5th wheel that was a disaster. Now, fortunately, Monoco went out of business and if they didn't, I would never even think of looking at a Monoco product. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

RoadDog66 · 10-19-2015, 07:30 PM

There's good and bad experiences in all makes i guess. We love the layout of our 290QB, just hate the anticipation of the next issue we have to deal with. Was thinking of trading out of this one, but likely take a huge bath.

allenr · 10-20-2015, 06:19 AM

I was going to do every roof seam on our new Rezerve as soon as we had it in the yard with Eternabond because that's how I stopped the water intrusion into our old TT a Hi-Lo. My wife convinced me I should wait out the warranty and not do anything that might void that. After several months of ownership and watching the roof like my life depended on it I'm OK with this wait and see approach. I found a small piece of something that was left on the roof under the skin and our dealer has a picture of that. There is no way I would want that roof removed and re-installed just to be rid of that bump. I will still apply the Eternabond when the warranty expires because of the good experience I've had with that product.

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